The Rise of Pre-Made Maternity Photos
A new trend is taking over Chinese social media, where young, single women wear fake pregnancy bellies to pose for maternity photos. Dubbed “pre-set maternity photoshoots,” this craze allows women to celebrate their youthful beauty and preserve significant life moments before the physical changes of real pregnancy occur.
The phenomenon gained momentum after Generation Z influencer “Meizi Gege” shared her maternity photos on October 13, 2024, captivating her 5.7 million followers. In the video, she proudly displayed her slim figure while wearing a fake 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!”
Why Women Are Joining the Craze
Many women see these photoshoots as a chance to look their best while capturing moments they hope to experience in the future. Some, like a 26-year-old graduate, have already taken their maternity photos years before even planning a family. “I wanted to preserve these moments at my slimmest,” one participant admitted. Others have taken similar approaches with wedding or milestone photos, “just in case I get wrinkles by 30.” 
The process is simple: fake bellies of various sizes and textures, designed to mimic different stages of pregnancy, are readily available online. Women are then styled and photographed to achieve their ideal look.
Beauty Standards and Social Concerns
While the trend is lighthearted for some, it has sparked criticism. Many believe it reinforces narrow beauty ideals, such as the expectation for women to maintain a “white, skinny, and young” appearance, even during pregnancy. These unrealistic standards may contribute to body image issues and unnecessary anxiety for future mothers.
Social media users have also weighed in with humor, with one joking, “I’ll take my 70th birthday photos now so I can post them later and look young forever!” Another quipped, “I should arrange my funeral pictures while I’m still alive.”
Shifting Cultural Norms
Traditionally, being “single but pregnant” was stigmatized in Chinese culture. However, this trend reflects changing attitudes among Generation Z, especially against the backdrop of declining marriage and birth rates. In the first nine months of 2024, only 4.75 million couples registered marriages in China, a continuing decline that adds context to these unconventional self-expression trends.
As debates over beauty standards and societal pressures continue, the popularity of pre-made maternity photos highlights both the creativity and complexity of navigating modern life in a rapidly evolving culture.
