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My mum said something similar when we were looking at a magazine article once about swimsuits for every body.. I just pointed out to her that we have moved on since she was pregnant and lots of women show their bellies while at the pool/ beach. I don't have it exposed all the time. I also pointed out how expensive it is to buy a maternity swim top. It isn't that I have a problem with maternity togs, I just don't want to pay for them! She didn't say anything when we went swimming next.
Times have changed, as your mum pointed out. I bet none of the pictures of your mum when pregnant even had her in a tightfitted top. Even if she does find it weird she is probably trying to be OK with it and didn't really mean that she thought you were vulgar. Don't let it bother you!
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Blame religion. Sex = sin therefore pregnant belly = a woman who has had sex therefore = sin
That's why women were "confined" during their pregnancy. Literally, women used to not leave the house when pregnant (well, those who didn't have to go out to work didn't).
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I am normally a flat chested little stick figure so I am loving wearing my bikini at the beach and pool. The first time we went this summer, DH said "Oh, are you wearing a bikini?' which freaked me out and made me paranoid but then he removed foot from mouth and explained he loved that I was. I don't even own bathers so it never crossed my mind to go buy a pair - swimwear shopping is hard enough without having to worry about the bump!
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Meh I wore a bikini when I was pregnant, and was more comfortable found so than before I was pregnant!
Now however I'm more than happy to wear one cos I love my post baby body
Wear what you are comfortable in. I'm certain you aren't a s**** with no sense of decency and that you dress appropriately, but fashion changes and showing off your bump and being proud of it is nothing to be ashamed of. I'm sure in 30 years time we'll be the ones saying I can't believe you are wearing that!
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LOL, I loved teaching reproduction at school when the kids realised that me being pregnant meant that I had had sex. They were hilarious! They wanted me to be embarrassed that they knew, but they didn't get the desired response.
It is amazing how children and the older generation/ religious people have such similar responses to a pregnant belly.
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my mum is the same age as yours and i remember her making a comment like this years ago... not sure why i remember it but we were at a pool and there was a preggy woman with a bikini top and shorts and she said something similar about how wrong it was and that lady should be covered up!!! If it comes up again, it'd just do a really good scoff and say "it's not 1957 mum" - make HER feel all old and out of date. Or a real condescending "oh, yes granny" hahah
I must have only been a teenager but that's how much it struck me as a strange thing to say!
If my stomach wasn't white as a sheet compared to the rest of me (and me booobbies actually fitted into my old bikini tops) I'd wear my bikini, with shorts or a sarong.
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I haven't read the replies. but had to get my 2 cents worth in.
There is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with showing your bump in a bikini. I did it with both my bubs (wasn't even wearing boardies. Hate them, find them really uncomfortable when wet) and I'm not a size 8 either.
When not swimming, I often used to wear tight singlets with a belly band covering the gap. I see nothing wrong with showing the shape of your belly. I didn't want it poking out, but I also didn't feel the need to cover it with flowing tops (although I had some).
Also, when it comes to Maternity swim wear and covering the shape of your tummy, when fabric is wet, it clings. So you'll still be showing off your bump (not the skin, though). I didn't see the need to buy a lot of maternity clothes. Especially not swimwear. Although I could have afforded it. That was not the issue.
My mum is older than yours and I have seen many pictures of her in her bikini when she was preggers with me (1979 that was). Granted, that was in Europe. No idea what it was like in Australia.
Sorry, I can't help you understand your mum POV as I don't get it either. Show off that beautiful bump!
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I own a maternity bikini and it is bloody gorgeous! I really regret not being photographed in it during my pregnancy.
I reckon she's a wee bit jealous of how stunning you looked.
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Ok, I've come back to read the replies and can't believe how different Australia used to be to Europe. You're only 24, so your mum was pregnant with you 7 years after my mum was pregnant with me. And my mum didn't bat an eyelid at donning a bikini in 1979. She was not the only one, either. She wasn't a huge rebel either. She always dressed nicely (my grandmother didn't agree, though, She thought Jeans are not an appropriate attire to go shopping in and offered my mum to make her some nice ruffled blouses and pleated skirts).
Seriously, to me, this sounds like 1950s attitude. Did your mother miss the late 60s and 70s???
And for the record, I see beautiful heavily pregnant women in bikinis at the beach all the time. I talked to one and asked her how far along she was and she said: "I was due yesterday". lol
In my opinion, anyone should be allowed to wear what they're comfortable in. If an old overweight man can wear budgie smugglers, then why can't a pregnant woman wear a bikini? Not that I'm comparing the 2.
Your mum probably thinks I shouldn't wear one either. I'm a size 16.
One question: Is your mum wearing a bikini herself?
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Hey cut your mum some slack. She was talking about the difference between what is seen as acceptable by the general public now versus what was seen as acceptable by the general public then, she wasn't necessarily giving her own opinion. She is right, the general attitude towards the pregnant body has changed a lot over the past 20 years. The norm with maternity clothes used to be tent like, covering neck to knee, often garish, floral or gingham, and frankly pretty hideous. Attitudes and maternity fashion has evolved a lot since then (thankfully!), but thats OK, we are allowed to have different perspectives on these things based on the generation we were bought up in. It doesn't necessarily mean all older people think showing your belly if vulgar, times have just changed and some people move with the times more than others.
And as for the original question, not I don't think it was wrong of you. If I generally wore bikinis I would wear one while pregnant.
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Not wrong at all xoxox You wear what you feel comfortable in xoxo
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Sagres, I disagree. If you only consider her first comment, then yes, she was only talking about the differences without necessarily giving a value judgement (although, these things are sometimes between the lines and the tone in which she said that might have been quite judgemental).
But then she made this comment:
Here she is certainly giving her own opinion that showing a pregnant belly is like showing your extra kilos and that both are unattractive. This comment kind of prooved that all the comments before were her own opinion, not just a observation on generational differences IYKWIM.She then compared it to 'seeing a heavier person walking around with love handles hanging out of her clothes.. it just doesnt look nice does it?'
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I haven't read all the other comments but I totally wore a bikini while I was pg!! Why should my tummy not get a tan? LOL...
I think it is gorgeous when you see a lovely round pregnant belly at the pool or the beach!!!
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I wore a bikini to my pregnancy aqua aerobics class almost six years ago when I was pg with DD. *cough* Was it really that long ago??
The only comments I had were nice ones. I loved my pg belly and at the end of the day, I could wear non-maternity bikinis, just go up a size, rather than have to fork out a fortune on a pair of maternity swimmers.
Seriously, where do you draw the line? Have to cover up if you're too hairy (men and women), not skinny enough, too pg (is there a point at which it's supposed to not be as nice?), you could go on and on.
Frankly, what I wore was down to comfort and cost. But I wouldn't be getting upset by other comments. Your Mum's entitled to her opinion. Seems a bit narrow minded (and my goodness, how does she feel about bfing mothers...!), but I guess it's her viewpoint. I wouldn't let it upset you.
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I'm a bigger person, and normally when I go swimming, I'll wear a 2-peice.... with boardies and a rashie! (so, all up - 4 peices lol) Lately though, at least at the inlaws pool, I'll skip the rashie and boardies and "bare" all in a 2 peice that in no way fits.
I love the feeling of my belly floating around in the water
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I don't think it is about missing the 60s and 70s. By Europe I assume you mean mainland Europe and not England. We Aussies have always been a bit prudish in many ways like the English, and unlike other Europeans.
My mother's explanation to not liking bikinis on pregnant women was that she didn't find the really stretched looking skin on a very pregnant belly attractive, and in a way I can understand that. It wasn't about the shape of a pg belly or that you should hide being pregnant.
It doesn't make me stop wearing a bikini though. I don't like the look of a lot of people in their swimwear, but it doesn't stop them either.
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Get your own pool and just go nude!Or maybe that was just us
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