Why Do People Wear Fake Pregnant Bellies?
Fake pregnant bellies allow us to use and feel most things that come with being pregnant.
The use of pregnant bellies cuts across professional and casual sectors, all ranging from personal to collective reasons. As some use the pregnant belly to prepare for parenting, others opt for its entertaining, artistic, or fetishistic side.
The reasons why people wear fake pregnant bellies are as vast as the types of pregnant bellies out there. Always take time to indulge in the use of counterfeit pregnant bellies for exploration and adventure.
The Entertainment Industry
● Film and Theatre
We use silicone pregnant bellies in film and theater to create the following effects;
a) Realism in Story Telling
We all want to know that the pregnant protagonist feels the pinch of motherhood in our television shows. As a result, silicone pregnant bellies are integral in creating a realistic feel in storytelling.
b) Script alignment with pregnancy
Entertainment domains likely have character plotlines, scripts, and characters that align with the situation. Fake pregnant bellies help actors give a grand display of pregnancy in the following ways:
Different belly sizes: Since silicone pregnant bellies come in vast sizes from the first trimester to the third trimester, actors are spoilt for choice when choosing a pregnancy plotline.
Silicone pregnant belly has realistic skin changes often accompanied by stretch marks and skin stretching. Silicone pregnant bellies make this a reality for actors who wish to play pregnant.
An excellent example of a notable film that made good use of the silicone pregnant belly is ‘The Sense of An Ending. The actress Michelle Dockery used it to imitate a 6-7 weeks pregnant belly.
● Social Media and Live streaming
a) Influencer’s Fake Bellies for Creativity
In the social media arena, influencers choose to engage with audiences in creative ways. For instance, the pregnant belly is commonly used in reality TV to depict one woman’s journey into pregnancy.
b) Fake Bellies for Skits, contests, and other pregnancy-related discussions
Skits are handy when influencers want to teach the younger audience about essential topics such as marriage. And what way to teach the effect of teenage pregnancy on a girl’s life than by using the silicone pregnant belly?
c) Impact of Performances on Audience
The audience is likely to feel a sense of relatedness concerning skits that use silicone pregnant bellies. The audience gets into the actor’s plight as a pregnant person, which immerses the viewer further into the story.
It is essential for pregnant women for educational purposes, such as massaging a pregnant belly. This promotes maternal health.
On the flip side, feelings of discontent where many other people may use the silicone pregnant belly for devious reasons may also suffice.
Other people may also use the pregnant belly to bilk others of money, which causes potential backlash.
When men use the silicone pregnant belly for entertainment, it often almost seems like it is a joke made at the expense of women who know what it means to be pregnant.
An excellent example of the use of a fake pregnancy belly can be seen in the viral content that influencers deploy. Actress Hadas Yaron used the pregnant belly in the TV drama “We were the lucky ones.” She stated that acting pregnant is like a “phantom limb,” and she could not stop rubbing it.
Fashion
Many others use the pregnant silicone belly to display fashion choices.
● Maternity stores
a) Maternity Fit and Style
Maternity Stores use fake pregnant silicone bellies to help expecting mothers envision style and fit for maternity wear.
b) Maternity Marketing
Other maternity stores market specific maternity clothing using pregnant silicone bellies. For instance, a fake belly at eight months old can help a buyer choose the correct dress.
c) Maternity Innovation
It is because of silicone pregnant bellies that the maternity market for cloth wear can determine which fashion choices fit expectant mothers. Today, we can waltz into a maternity store and know which clothes will fit us in the next nine months when we are due—all thanks to the silicone pregnant belly.
● Fashion Shows
The fashion show domain uses pregnant silicone bellies in the following ways;
Maternity Fashion Trends include low-high-rise jeans for pregnant persons in the first trimester.
More maternity fashion trends as pregnancy can lead to weight gain. Fake pregnant bellies display future pregnancy prospects. Thus, we give room to pregnant people so that we can learn to accept a pregnant body. The impact of showcasing maternity wear on the broader fashion trends and societal acceptance stems from understanding why we use the pregnant silicone belly.
The inclusion and exclusion of Fake bellies on the runway also allows designers to showcase the human body’s frailty. In this case, excluding a fake pregnancy belly shows the audience that both a non-pregnant and pregnant belly are beautiful.
Including silicone pregnant bellies in presentations is to show that we can support non-pregnant people by using fake bellies. A fake belly is a good answer if one desires to enter the maternal world.
Experiencing Pregnancy
Some use the fake pregnancy belly to experience the feeling of being pregnant through:
● Empathy and Understanding
a) Psychological and Emotional Exploration
We help our bodies blend in with the silicone pregnant belly by emotionally and physically connecting to pregnancy moments. For instance, when we feel the weight of the silicone on us, we empathize with why we give pregnant women our seats at the bus station. The baby’s weight can be overbearing.
Not only women alone feel the impacts of pregnancy as men and non-pregnant persons can stoke out the empathy and understanding of what it means to be pregnant. The constant tiredness, a protruded belly, and clothes that no longer fit show men and non-pregnant people the true nature of pregnancy.
b) Bonding and Connection
Human bonds and connection are vital, and silicone-pregnant bellies bring this out by;
We are bonding the mother to the child in contexts such as surrogacy or adoption. When we have a surrogate mother, the one surefire way to connect with our child through this precious time is through a silicone pregnant belly.
The Migrator of DT Next shows how fake baby bumps aid partners in keeping surrogacy news discreet. Vijay Kumar states that it helped them bond with the new baby without anyone knowing it.
c) Case studies and personal accounts
These experiences have impacted people’s perceptions of parenthood and pregnancy in the following ways.
Support
Most people now understand how much support pregnant mothers need in the pregnancy journey. Kumar asserts that the fake baby bump was enough support to go through with the surrogacy.
Empathy
Aside from the challenges of being pregnant, families can attest that our bodily changes as we use the silicone pregnant belly differ vastly. We get to appreciate the body and what it does to bring life.
Acceptance
Accepting the silicone pregnant belly also means that we get to take everything that comes with the pregnancy and body changes.
● Social Experiments
a) Exploring Societal Perception about Pregnant Women
Private and Public Treatments of Pregnant Women
Consider Gaby Rodriguez, 17, who faked pregnancy using the silicone pregnant belly. She remarked that everyone was “shocked, like speechless.” Gaby used a fake belly from a wire mess and a cotton quilt.
The social experimenter stated that while her family was shocked and supportive. Many others showed their cruel side when she is in a vulnerable position like pregnancy
Societal attitudes and behaviors toward pregnant individuals
The stories of pregnant teenagers have been well documented on television shows such as ‘Teen Mom’ and “16 and Pregnant”. Gaby states that socially experimenting on being pregnant showed her how people would treat her if she were indeed pregnant.
Gaby has shown that emotions ranging from shock, anger, being isolated, and even being chastised for being pregnant at such a young age display societal perceptions towards pregnant individuals.
b) Public reactions and behavioral Insights
Public reactions concerning wearing fake pregnancy bellies show how different people are treated. When a man wears a silicone pregnant belly, behavioral reactions range from astonishment to anger, with a firm belief that a man being pregnant is a hot-button issue.
On the other hand, a pregnant woman is generally more accepting of holding the pregnancy frame and stance.
The following insights indicate the societal expectations and stereotypes as they relate to pregnancy：
1. All pregnant people are women, which is a common stereotype that such social experiments elucidate.
2. As with Gaby’s case, most people display an aversion toward teenage pregnancy.
3. Pregnancy is a vulnerable position. A woman needing support is a precious insight.
c) For Documentaries and Media Projects
Some notable documentaries that have used silicone pregnant bellies include the Good Morning America show titled “Black Women at a Greater Risk for Maternal Mortality.” The roles imposed on women to sustain society through procreation may be a danger to women.
The impact of these projects on public awareness about pregnancy-related concerns include;
Mortality Rates as the film encompasses a detailed explanation as to why children die before their developmental years, which is an issue in developing countries.
Food and nutrition are essential themes in which we are educated on how socio-economic determinants of wealth affect pregnancy and womanhood.
Just as these projects are social experiments, they showcase the Genetics and nutrition elements people take for granted about pregnancy.
Pranks or Performances
Pranks and performances using the silicone pregnant belly evoke humor and performance for art.
● Humor
Humor is the antidote to a bad day.
In the article “Not Crazy, Just Pregnant: 16 Funny Reasons Women Cry” by Anisa Arsenault, one pregnant woman cried when she wanted a banana only to find out someone had eaten it.
Another pregnant story entails a woman who cried because she sneezed, and it took all the energy she had left.
a) Fake bellies comedy.
Fake bellies help create laughable moments owing to the comedic aura they bring to both personal and public performances. For instance, a pregnant woman constantly complaining about the baby yearning for something tasty is comedic in private settings.
In standup comedy, how the comedian displays a pregnant woman will either elicit a laugh.
b) Humor Analysis
The humor in such plays is often didactic, meaning it is meant to teach us something about ourselves. In this case, the humor is an unexpected pregnancy, considering some men will run away when they hear the word ‘Im pregnant’.
The humor derived from this role fits the societal expectation that pregnancy is a huge responsibility and task.
● Performance Art
Fake Bellies and Contemporary Themes go hand in hand. Pregnant silicone bellies are used to explore how women navigate parenting, pregnancy, body image, and femininity overall.
Pregnancy Fetish
● Personal or partner’s sexual preference
Pregnancy fetishism has its psychological roots of allure rooted in sexual attraction towards pregnant and lactating women. This kind of kink’s psychological drivers are interwoven in cultural and social forces.
a) Cultural and social factors influencing pregnancy fetish
Active imagination, as people who can imagine situations vividly, can get a rise out of being sexually on board with a pregnant woman. Hence, the pregnant silicone belly can play this role aptly.
Attachment anxiety is another factor, as people with this kind of attachment may fear abandonment. Being drawn to a pregnancy makes one feel safe and stress-free.
Exposure to maternal pregnancy and lactation is another cultural factor, as older children who have many siblings are likely to have pregnancy fetishes.
Always remember that every fetish is different and complex to be explained by one factor.
b) Fake baby bumps evoke erotic sexual desires
Fulfilling our Erotic Desires by Role Playing with Pregnant Bellies.
Through role-play, parties can use fake bellies to tap into each other’s sexual frequency. For instance, role-playing as a pregnant homeowner can be an excellent way to explore pregnant bellies.
● Role of Fake Pregnancy Bellies in Sexual Fantasy
In role-play situations, we play the role of the pregnant wife who needs a partner to cater to our needs. Playing pregnant and vulnerable helps us connect to our feminine side.
The fake belly offers realism and satisfaction for anyone who wants a pregnancy fetish by;
Evoking baby weight upon the wearer. In this case, two partners take time to get to the business in the sheets since one is pregnant and vulnerable (hypothetically)
Physical signs of a pregnant belly, such as stretch marks, can be dangerously erotic to some.
Ethical considerations involve consent when handling a partner who has a silicone pregnant belly. Consent and mutual understanding are essential when communicating each other’s needs and desires.
● Ethics and Consent
a) Open communication is the gateway to a thrilling pregnancy fetish session.
Go for open communication channels between partners to reduce the risk of misunderstanding. Questions such as whether we would like to have our pregnant silicone belly removed should be discussed with partners.
Consent brings empathy to our pregnancy fetish. We want to have some fun-filled erotic moments, all while striving to protect our pregnant partner.
b) Psychological impact
Ensuring that we communicate our civility in our pregnancy fetish sessions is essential for our psychological well-being. We respect boundaries during our sessions. In the same way, we have a safe word to ensure that our pregnancy fetish goes as planned.
c) Societal views on pregnancy fetish
According to the Sex and Psychology article titled “How Common Are Pregnancy Fetishes,” author and writer Justin Lehmiller (2015) showcases that 28% of women have had this fantasy. 31% of men have had this fantasy, while 38% of Trans and non-binary folks have also had it before, thus making it familiar.
Privacy and discretion are also crucial while communicating one’s fetish to the public. Everything is a thought until acted out. Engage in your pregnant belly fetish discreetly and in the privacy of your liking. Unless we are invited, we keep our kinks out of professional settings so that nobody feels awkward.
Conclusion
The role that pregnant bellies play in society is remarkably outstanding. From helping soon-to-be parents bond with the child and surrogate parents to performance reasons, the pregnant belly is here to save us. Entertainment is needed to make the pregnancy as accurate as possible, and these bellies come in handy, too.
Pregnant men and women pranks, which use pregnant bellies, also imitate an expectant person and teach us about the deep-seated perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes about lactating people. Out of all these insights, we can only hope to use the pregnant belly for ethical purposes, which helps all of us support and protect pregnant people.
