Why Are Single Chinese Women Posing For Photos With Fake Baby Bumps?

A new trend has emerged in China. Taking maternity photos by posing with a prosthetic baby bump. Many young and single Chinese women are now doing this "pre-set photoshoot" ahead of their future pregnancies. According to reports, this craze is fueled by the urge to look 'slim, young, and pretty' in maternity photos. 

Many Chinese adults have expressed shock at this new trend of "Single But Pregnant". Once considered shameful in Chinese culture, it is now getting normalized among youth. 

A social media influencer Meizi Gege from Hunan, boasting 5.7 million followers on a major Chinese social media platform, recently shared her photos from her pre-maternity photoshoot while donning a prosthetic bump. 

According to South China Morning Post, the influencer to, "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!"

The viral video shows the photographer attaching accessories to her, while another person helps put on the “fake belly.” She then proudly showcases her figure while wearing a bump. 

Why Are Young Women Preferring Pre-Maternity Photoshoots

South China Morning Post reported only 4.75 million couples have registered their marriages in the Marriage Bureau. China is facing a rapid decline in birth rates. Many couples are opting to have a child after they turn 30, owing to the economic pressure.

East Asian countries practice strict beauty standards, white, skinny, and young are considered the ideal standards. These standards, however, may set unrealistic expectations around having an ideal body type in many pregnant women.

Many Chinese Netizens are hilariously slamming this trend on social media. 

A comment read, “I will shoot my 70th birthday photos now and then post them on social media later. It will make me look so young!” 

Another read, “I will find some time to arrange my funeral pictures before I die.”

Taking on the online dating scenario, one joked, "I must take more photos while I am still young, so I can use them for online dating when I am older."