There are plenty of reasons a woman would want to date while pregnant. She may no longer be romantically involved with the person she conceived the child with, she could have chosen a sperm donor while single, or she could be a queer single woman who wanted to carry a child – these are just a few potential reasons. And just because she's expecting doesn't mean she's no longer interested in feeling romantically or sexually desirable. So, dating while pregnant is definitely a thing.
I was curious about the different dating experiences that women have during their pregnancies, so I started reading accounts online. Some women said they've faced stigma around their choices. People sometimes question why they're on dating apps and if they're really prioritizing motherhood (wow, who knew you could only focus on one thing at a time?). Others go as far as to slut-shame women for dating while pregnant. Basically, people have a lot of opinions and don't stay in their lanes. Below, three women offer their perspectives on what it's like to date while pregnant.
"I think about dating all the time," said a woman on What To Expect, a pregnancy discussion forum. "My relationship ended in July, just a few weeks after we found out I was pregnant. His verbal abuse and insistence for me to abort made it easier for me to let go of our [four-and-a-half] years together. However, I'm really hesitant to jump into anything and quite honestly, I haven't even tried dating. But I see nothing wrong with it as long as you're upfront, safe, and proceed with caution."
Another woman on the previously mentioned pregnancy discussion form said, quite correctly, that there's "nothing wrong with dating" while pregnant.
When she was six months pregnant by donor, she met her neighbor who was going through a divorce, and they realized they had things in common.
"We grew into loving each other and became a couple," she said. "He was there when I gave birth to my son. We live together now since the summer and my son calls him 'daddy.' I'm pregnant with my second child now from the same donor because my boyfriend had a vasectomy and we are so happy together!"
In advice that could be applicable to anyone attempting to date, she said, "Open your eyes a little wider and consider nice [people] that may not seem [like] your type and you might be surprised."
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