Health
Is it ever OK to touch a pregnant woman’s belly? Experts and moms weigh in
For most women, a pregnant belly is a miracle to celebrate — but not necessarily an open invitation for strangers’ hands.
Almost every expectant mother has been on the receiving end of a well-meaning reachout to her tummy. Is this socially acceptable, or are the belly rubbers crossing a boundary?
Multiple etiquette experts — and two mothers with very different viewpoints — weighed in on the hot topic.
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Jamila Musayeva, a certified etiquette expert and coach in the U.K., believes that touching a woman’s belly without her invitation or permission is “absolutely unacceptable.”
“Touching a woman’s belly is being in her intimate space,” she told Fox News Digital. “This space is only for partners, siblings, parents or people we deem close to us. An acquaintance or a colleague touching is not acceptable, let alone a stranger.”
Multiple etiquette experts — and two mothers with very different viewpoints — weighed in on whether it’s OK to touch a pregnant woman’s belly or not. (iStock)
There is no universal protocol when it comes to touching a woman’s belly, Musayeva noted, as it varies based on the person’s religious, cultural and personal values and beliefs.
“One should be aware of these factors as well as use common sense to understand when it is appropriate to do so,” she said.
“If the pregnant lady demonstrates the slightest doubt or pause, it is better to refrain from touching.”
“As a general rule, I would suggest taking into account personal cues from the pregnant woman. If for some reason someone really wants to rub a belly, one should ask the woman if one can do so. If the pregnant lady demonstrates the slightest doubt or pause, it is better to refrain from touching.”
For pregnant women who don’t welcome hands on their bellies, Musayeva recommended using verbal and non-verbal cues to keep unsolicited touches at bay.
For pregnant women who don’t welcome other people’s hands on their bellies, one etiquette expert recommended using verbal and non-verbal cues to keep unsolicited touches at bay. (iStock)
“With verbal communication, let the person know that you do not like receiving belly touches if one is reaching out to touch you,” she said.
“Be affirmative in your tone, but add a smile. It is possible that a person comes from a different culture where touching one for greeting and affection is acceptable.”
She also said, “You can also place your hands over your belly and if someone is about to touch it, let their hand land on your hand instead of the belly.”
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Michelle McMullen, owner of MGM Etiquette in Dallas, Texas, agreed that discretion is called for when it comes to touching pregnant bellies.
“A symbol of hope and humanity, the enormous belly of a pregnant woman may seem irresistible to touch — yet you must resist,” she told Fox News Digital.
An etiquette expert said that discretion is called for when it comes to touching women’s pregnant bellies. (iStock)
“While the idea of a new life sparks joy for many, the emotions of pregnancy can be complicated for the mother,” she went on. “Feelings of vulnerability and protectiveness are common.”
In most instances, McMullen said, laying hands on a woman’s belly would be considered intrusive.
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“If you are very close to the woman — husband, mother, sister or child — you may ask permission to touch her,” she advised.
“For all others, a warm smile and congratulations are more appropriate ways to express your sentiment.”
Two mothers’ viewpoints
Megan Elizabeth Guist, a mother who lives in South Lebanon, Ohio, said she was very protective of her belly during her pregnancy nine years ago.
“I have had multiple pregnancy losses and was told I would never be able to carry full term — then we got pregnant with our miracle baby,” she told Fox News Digital.
Megan Elizabeth Guist, a mother who lives in South Lebanon, Ohio, said she was very protective of her belly during her pregnancy nine years ago. (Megan Guist)
“I loved rubbing my belly and talking to our baby, but I did not like people outside our family or inner circle touching my belly.”
She added, “I feel that all too often, people invade a pregnant woman’s space.”
“I loved rubbing my belly and talking to our baby, but I did not like people outside our family or inner circle touching my belly.”
If someone were to ask permission to touch her pregnant belly, she said she would have been more likely to allow it.
“I am someone who gets claustrophobic with too many people, and my pregnancy magnified that for me,” Guist said.
“During my pregnancy, my husband and ‘bonus son’ were really good about acting as a buffer for me in public and not letting people get super close to me,” she noted.
“During my pregnancy, my husband and bonus son were really good about acting as a buffer for me in public and not letting people get super close to me,” Guist said. (Megan Guist)
Another Ohio mother, Karen James-Hall, had a different opinion about people touching her belly when she was pregnant with her daughter, Erin, 39 years ago.
“I loved every belly rub or touch that I got,” James-Hall told Fox News Digital.
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“I felt like the person who touched or rubbed my belly was getting to know my baby before she got here,” she went on.
“I believe all of this gave me the happiest baby once she was born. She felt so loved from her first breath outside the womb.”
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The key to feeling better in a fast, overstimulated world might be surprisingly simple: Live a little more like your grandparents.
A growing social media trend, dubbed “nonnamaxxing,” draws inspiration from the slower, more intentional rhythms associated with an Italian grandmother.
The lifestyle is often linked to activities like preparing home-cooked meals, spending time outdoors and making meaningful connections.
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“Nonnamaxxing is a 2026 trend that embraces the slower, more intentional lifestyle of an Italian grandmother (a Nonna). Think cooking from scratch, long family meals, daily walks, gardening and less screen time,” Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian, told Fox News Digital.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
Stepping away from screens and toward real-world interaction can have measurable benefits, according to California-based psychotherapist Laurie Singer.
“We know that interacting with others in person, rather than spending time on screens, significantly improves mental health,” she told Fox News Digital, adding that social media often fuels comparison and lowers self-esteem.
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Living more like previous generations isn’t purely driven by nostalgia. Cooking meals from scratch, for example, has been linked to better nutrition and more mindful eating patterns.
Adopting traditional mealtime habits can improve diet quality and support both physical and mental health, especially when meals are shared regularly with others, Palinski-Wade noted.
One longevity expert stresses that staying healthy isn’t just about food — it’s also about joy and community. (iStock)
There’s also a psychological benefit to slowing down and focusing on one task at a time. Anxiety often stems from unfinished or avoided tasks, Singer noted, and engaging in hands-on activities can counteract that.
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“Nonnamaxxing encourages us to be present around a task, like gardening, baking or knitting, or just taking a mindful walk, that delivers something ‘real,’” she said.
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Palinski-Wade cautions against turning the trend into another source of pressure, noting that a traditional “nonna” lifestyle often assumes a different pace of life.
The key, she said, is adapting the mindset, not replicating it perfectly.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
The goal is to reintroduce small, intentional moments that make you feel better.
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That might mean prioritizing a few shared meals each week, taking a walk without your phone or setting aside time for a simple hobby, the expert recommended.
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Singer added, “Having a positive place to escape to, through whatever activities speak to us and make us happy, isn’t generational – it’s human.”
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Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults’ memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.
Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.
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“The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome,” lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.
Loneliness may be linked to memory performance in older adults, a new study suggests. (iStock)
“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline,” Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.
The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.
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The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.
Social isolation and loneliness could play a surprising role in cognitive health among seniors. (iStock)
Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.
About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.
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Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.
The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.
Researchers look at a brain scan at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.
“The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don’t decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it’s easy to misread,” said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
“It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus,” Weiss told Fox News Digital.
By older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold, an aging expert says. (iStock)
He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.
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“By the time you’re measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in,” he said.
Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.
“While they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia,” a psychotherapist says. (iStock)
Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.
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“The evidence shows there’s a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there’s no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship,” she said. “So while they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia.”
Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.
Researchers suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging. (iStock)
She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.
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“It’s important to be proactive about social activities,” Morin said. “Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age.”
The researchers also suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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