Young women in China stage maternity shoots with fake baby bumps to capture moment while ‘still slim’

Young, single Chinese women are taking maternity photos with fake baby bumps

Another unique — and possibly contentious — social media trend is sweeping China: young, single women are staging maternity photoshoots with fake baby bumps, despite not being pregnant.

Dubbed the “pre-set maternity photoshoot”, this trend allows women to imagine and celebrate what pregnancy might look like while they are still in their physical prime.

Popular Gen-Z influencer sparks fake maternity shoot trend

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the trend gained traction after Meizi Gege, a popular Gen-Z influencer from Hunan province, shared her own faux maternity shoot in October last year.

In the video, she flaunted her slender figure while donning a fake pregnancy belly, saying: “While I’m still slim, I wore a fake belly to take maternity photos and enjoyed a pre-made life. I even did it with my best friend!”

Fake baby bumps, which come in different sizes to mimic various stages of pregnancy, are easily available online.

Many pair them with professional photography to create the illusion of a real maternity shoot.

For many women, this is an opportunity to “capture the moment” without the reality of pregnancy, allowing them to celebrate an imagined milestone while young and slim.

Trend goes viral amid declining birth rates

This phenomenon emerges as China grapples with plummeting marriage and birth rates.

SCMP reported that only 4.75 million couples registered for marriage in the first nine months of 2024.

Furthermore, Macrotrends revealed that China’s 2024 birth rate fell by 1.57% from the previous year to 10.478 births per 1,000 people.

Trend receives mixed reactions

Unsurprisingly, the trend has sparked heated debate.

While some view it as a fun way to document youth, others are concerned it perpetuates unrealistic beauty standards.

One netizen joked: “I’ll shoot my 70th birthday photos now and post them later. That way, I’ll look so young!”

Another quipped: “I need to arrange my funeral pictures before I die. It’s all about planning ahead, right?”

However, critics argue that these photoshoots could pressure new mothers to maintain a slim, youthful appearance during pregnancy, reinforcing unattainable ideals.

Also read: New viral trend in China shows coffee being made with spring onions

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Featured image adapted from Douyin and Douyin.