A TikToker attached a large watermelon to his belly and two smaller ones to his chest as a “pregnancy suit.”
Pregnancy is a journey that’s different for everyone. For some it’s easy and pleasant, and for others, it’s incredibly complicated and difficult. A father to be decided to try out what it feels like being pregnant.
An Australian influencer attempted to simulate a pregnancy using multiple layers of clingfilm to attach a giant watermelon to his belly (an average watermelon weighs around 9 kg according to The Independent) and two smaller ones to his chest.
Women who have experienced real-life pregnancy might argue that attaching fruits to your body is far from the real experience, but the TikToker decided to try it out anyway. A series of videos documenting his “pregnancy” has garnered up millions of views on TikTok.
Maitland Hanley from Brisbane tried to see what his partner Jessica might be going through as she was pregnant with their child. But Hanley’s journey as he started to mimic being pregnant got off to a rocky start: on the first day, he struggled even trying to get out of bed. At the end of the video he admits, “I thought it would be so much easier.”
On day two, Maitland had a very difficult time trying to get up off the floor. On the third day, he couldn’t manage to put on his shoes. In a couple more videos, the pretend mom-to-be can be seen trying to get out of a bath, performing pushups, and even going to McDonald’s because of “pregnancy cravings.”
The short maternal journey has been an ordeal for the TikToker, but he did find one benefit in being pregnant with a watermelon. He explained in a clip, that he was able to use his baby bump as a shelf for food and beverages. A lot of other mothers remarked the same idea. “A pregnant belly is a great table. [Until] bub decides to kick and you wear your drink,” one woman said.
Another person wrote, “Oh I’m glad this time someone added cantaloupes to this trend, that makes it more realistic. That’s like another 15 pounds minimum!” “You just gotta commit! Hard roll and grab the edge for support!,” said one frustrated mom of two regarding the bed clip.
After watching the pregnant influencer get into the car, one mom wrote “Okay so now add another watermelon… I was pregnant with twins and had to stop driving at 30 weeks because I couldn’t fit behind the wheel.”
While Maitland’s fake pregnancy is hilarious, it also serves as an important reminder about the hardships of pregnancy. And obviously, he couldn’t even simulate all the difficulties that may arise.
There’s so much uncertainty about what to do and what not to do, so much unsolicited advice from many family members and friends, raging hormones leading to mood swings, and the body physically reacting in strange ways… it’s a lot! What partners can do is help make the process easier, as well as showing appreciation and gratitude to their pregnant partners who are bringing a new life into the world.
Besides, as Maitland proves, not everyone is cut out for motherhood. So, one should think long and hard before venturing into one of the most fascinating albeit sometimes complicated miracle of life.