I have never understood where this idea came from that there was something wrong with pregnant women. I remember the Demi Moore cover, and at the time I just couldn't figure out why there was such a hullabaloo about it. I always accepted it as an undisputed fact that pregnant women are almost universally beautiful. Vanity Fair's stance on the issue felt no more controversial to me than if they had written an article declaring that ice cream was delicious.

Are there really people who think pregnant women are ugly?

I think all women are ugly. Doesn't matter if they're pregnant or not.

yummy ripe naked women in the little pink slum!

finally the premium pays off...

can we get some G-on-G, too, while we're at it?

i actually think pregnant women are kind of gross and bizarre looking, like a snake digesting a hippo.

I assume that "Becca" is you? Great pic! I have no idea if you felt like crap or not, but you looked amazing.

And as far as the beauty of pregnant women goes -- they are beautiful and awesome, as all nature is. But as far as superficial, convential beauty goes -- if you weren't pretty before you got pregnant, you're not going to be all that better looking during pregnancy.

I have never found pregnant women beautiful - they simply look oddly lumpy, off-balance and distended....just like anyone with a huge gut would look.

Yes, I've been pregnant - but I don't see it as some goddess-type state, as many others seem to. People find it beautiful because of what it signifies - not because of how it looks. If we found a huge abdomen universally appealing, we would all be in love with beer guts and unfortunate cancer bloats. It is the origin of the bulge that appeals, not the appearance.

Yes, beer guts are not generally attractive. But with pregnant women, we know the origin of the bulge, and that has always allowed me to not find it unattractive.

Not that I find the look particularly "sexy", and by the 8th month it mostly looks like it hurts. But there is a certain radiance that surrounds pregnant women, so that even women who are normally kind of average have a certain glow about them when they are pregnant.

I have found that it is women who are most likely to find pregnancy unattractive. There is this bizarre thing where a lot of women just look at it as being "fat". I just chalk that up to another example of how totally screwed up some women can be when it comes to body image issues.

Just wanted to clarify that the Broadsheet contributor in the photos is not me, though I agree that "Becca" looks fantastic.

Best,

Hi there,

I love this column and read it everyday. I tend to read it at work... *shhhh* don't tell the boss... and I love photography. So I followed the link to see the lovely pregnant women. I guess I should have figured that using the adjective "Hot" should have been a clue it may not be safe to view at work. The first picture was ok ... passible... but the second, if management or IT saw, would be a big no no.

Is it possible to note if a link may not be safe for viewing in a work environment and better left for viewing at home?

Thank you! Keep up the great work!

Like a lot of pregnant women, I found that my hair got noticeably thicker and my skin looked fresher and rosier while I was pregnant. I got lots of compiments on my looks while I was pregnant (more than I ordinarily do) and chalked them up to these factors. I also had a relatively easy pregnancy, so I never felt very uncomfortable, even at 8+ months, and this may have contributed: when people see a large, pregnant woman who looks cheerful and light on her feet, they tend to be impressed.