I have no strong feelings about the term "tramp stamp" other than finding it a bit demeaning and vulgar (the term, not the tat). But I couldn't really read that article because this line had me fuming:

Men, you can relax. You are no longer the enemy. Instead, judging by recent events in America, modern feminists have a much shapelier target in their sights - other women.

I always want to bitch slap young women who reduce feminism to "man hating" and then reject it as having nothing to do with them. I'm assuming the author is English, not American, and therefore less likely to be in danger of losing some of her reproductive rights, but still....

Thanks for the welcome- I am new to Natter, long time reader of several threads and occasional commenter. I have always liked it here.

My wife does not like the empire waists, and even refused to wear them when she was pregnant with our last boy (he's 11 months old now).

My friend used to call her belly her "beer baby."

hah! The rest of Saturday night I'd say "Fuck this baby" right before taking a drink of whatever I was drinking at the time. Including the most foul drink i've ever personally made, a Pink Lady. I'd always wanted to try them because PINK & LADY! but ewwww. so gross.

My friend loved the empire thing when she was pregnant. She said "I actually look fashionable, and I don't have to worry about looking pregnant, because I AM!"

This is me. I was so self-concious the first few months because I knew I looked fat, and I didn't want people to think I was just gaining weight. (Although one co-worker and one attorney asked me if I had gained a lot of weight recently - not meaning as in a baby. Seriously, who says this stuff??)

(Although one co-worker and one attorney asked me if I had gained a lot of weight recently - not meaning as in a baby. Seriously, who says this stuff??)

God, people! Never comment on a lady's weight! Even if it's a positive comment. Just say she's looking good or something.

Seriously, who says this stuff?

People like my mother in law who made "If that's Joe's baby..." comments while I was pregnant.

What she meant to say was, "If the baby takes after Joe..." but still. Think before you open your piehole.

Wasn't your MIL the same one who said something about Em having Joe's metabolism and not yours? That stuck with me because it was so damn rude.

I've had people pat my belly and ask me if I was pregnant again. And OK I don't have washboard abs or anything, but still... I was a bit horrified.

I had to Google the ingredients for a Pink Lady, and I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

Grenadine, cream, gin, and EGG WHITE?!

That's alcohol abuse, that's what it is.

Prefaced by me being me, just so's you understand, but 1/2 of my krav friends have complimented me on my recent weight loss, and the sensible half have worried looks on their faces when they comment on it.

Actually, the most sensible of them all just listen silently when I bitch, really.

But, honestly, I made enough noise about being happy with the weight gain that I'm surprised so many people think I should be happy by dropping it all, and faster than I put it on. Didn't they believe me?

Moral of the story: Yeah, it's safer to shut up.