Pregnancy is largely a one-sided affair. After conception, women are responsible for carrying a veritable human invader for nine months, and have to deal with all the unpleasant side-effects of gestation which aren't just limited to morning sickness, a weakened bladder, and of course, being prohibited from chugging a bottle of rosé whenever the urge hits.
However, one woman recently tried to even the playing field when it comes to pregnancy, and it left her partner feeling a little rattled. The boyfriend posted on Reddit seeking advice after his girlfriend asked him to gain weight with her so she wasn't gaining alone, and boy did it incite a response...
"Just last week my girlfriend found out that she’s pregnant," Reddit user, Glutenfreejk, wrote. "We are both gym rats and run and lift a lot but her question to me was startling. She asked me that while she’s pregnant to get fat with her. I really don’t want to lose my body but I am just so unsure about this. Anyone got tips?"
Of course, women bear the brunt of being pregnant - and it's solely their bodies which take the toll, prior to, during, and post childbirth - but does this request go to far? Those who responded to the thread had all sorts of takes on the matter, the most popular response, however, was all based on the individual's gut feeling.
Some chimed in with advice about how the boyfriend could be supportive of his girlfriend without gaining excessive amounts of weight himself. "She won't gain fat. She will gain baby [weight] (plus placenta and fluid)! I gained a total of 10kg while pregnant. To be fair, I delivered early at 35 weeks," one Reddit user wrote. "By the time I left the hospital, I was wearing pre-pregnancy jeans and was only 2.5kg heavier than before I fell pregnant."
"My suggestion would be to help her maintain her healthy lifestyle by eating correctly and to continue exercising (obviously some things will have to [be] altered) and she shouldn't gain too much other than baby weight.
Another Redditor highlighted that the woman in question might be feeling insecure about her changing body. "I would say to sit her down and, very gently, tell her what you want," the user stated. "It's probably not a good idea to bulk/gain weight, as you like your body. And maybe offer the solution of working out with her at home, if she isn't comfortable in a gym. Make sure to reassure her that she's beautiful and [to not] worry about her body image becoming unattractive because she's pregnant. I feel like it's an insecurity that's giving her anxiety, and she would feel more comfortable if her partner looked "fatter" like she thinks she will."
While there's no telling whether this mum-to-be was wholly serious about her request, the response seen on Reddit does highlight that it's possible to have a healthy pregnancy, and end up back where you started, weight wise, a few months after having a child.
