I Bow Down To Bump-Baring Moms Like Rihanna, But Don't Expect To See Me In a Crop Top

Celebs are showing off their baby bumps, but would you?

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

All hail Rihanna and Kourtney Kardashian. These celebrity moms-to-be are redefining what it looks like to be pregnant in 2023!

Long gone is the 1950s mentality that saw housewives hiding their bumps, with gestation thought to be too personal to expose. Of course, stars have been opening doors for embracing pregnancy since Lucille Ball became the first person to ever even admit to being with a child on TV in 1952.

Fast forward to today, and the bump is out beyond the beach—at least if you’re a Grammy-winning recording artist or premiere reality star. But what about the rest of us mere mortals just slogging along through a pregnancy?

As a mom of five, I have never donned a crop top or cut-out shirt to the mall while expecting. Sure, a bikini at nine months pregnant is just plain comfy. But a pair of oversized jeans and a tiny tee, with my belly out for all to see at, say, a restaurant, Rihanna style? I cringe to admit that I didn’t have the confidence to pull that off—but then again, I’m not exactly a crop top wearer when I’m not stuffed to the gills with a 7-pound baby.

That said, I stand in awe of Kardashian and others who are proudly posting up with their bumps in full view. Like the mom of three, I have struggled with getting pregnant and when you finally get that incredible news, why shouldn’t you fully embrace every moment of those nine months, and show off that hard-earned growing tummy each chance you get?

I’m definitely standing over here cheering on anyone who has the chutzpah to let it all hang out—I just have never been among those impressive people, having historically opted for comfort versus making a statement while expecting.

Related: This Look Inside the Human Body During Pregnancy Is Fascinating

But that’s just my experience, and I wanted to know how other pregnant people feel about bump baring a la Rihanna, or, throwing it back a few decades, as one social media user pointed out, as Rachel Green pioneered all the way back in the 1990s on Friends. Have other so-called ordinary moms dared to go where these famous ladies have gone during their gestations—or is the naked tummy trend just for the Hollywood set?

On our Facebook page, you had a lot to say on the matter:

• “If people didn’t want to see my third-trimester body in a bikini, they had the ability to look away!” - Abigail T.

• “In a swimsuit, yes. But not in an everyday setting.” - Traci G.

• “Pregnant women are special. They deserve to celebrate and be celebrated however they like.” - Jessica B.

• “I'm currently eight months pregnant with my second baby and yes, I'm absolutely sharing my bump. I flaunt it in cropped tops, bikinis, etc. I'm pregnant, proud, and my bump is a part of that.” - Caroline C.

• “I didn't expose my belly below the navel when I wasn't pregnant. Why would I do it when I was?” - Barbara H.

• “Now let’s see some real talk and keep it out two weeks postpartum!” - Gina M.

• “People embrace your body when a baby is growing inside it but once that baby is born and you're left with a cesarean scar or extra folds of weight you have yet to lose, everyone wants you to then cover up and hide, and you are made to feel less than what you were before. Now you are just fat. Women should be made to feel beautiful no matter what stage their body is in! And yet we are not.” - Desiree H.

Here, here Desiree!

Meanwhile, over on Instagram, you also sounded off about bump baring:

• “I am a fan! I just have no energy to do it. Tights and a big shirt all day everyday!” - Michelle R.

• “It’s just a pregnant belly. And it’s 2023.” - Susie L.

Plenty of people on Instagram felt that even discussing the issue of whether or not to free the pregnant tummy is “retro.” We are not here to judge! Instead, seeing Rihanna and other star moms showing off their bumps with abandon makes me feel truly proud of pregnant people—but it’s also OK that their maternity style wouldn’t necessarily be for everyone. Don’t expect to see me in a cut-off shirt and low-rise denim at the grocery store or PTA meeting at nine months pregnant, no matter how much I bow down to those brave enough to do so.

Related: 3 Pregnancy Belly Support Solutions to Know

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