Saab Magalona: 'Stop Telling Pregnant Women They've Gotten Fat'

We’re sure that at some point in your life, you’ve been told “Tumataba ka.” Whether it’s from a tita, a close friend, or an officemate, this comment has been ingrained in Filipino culture. But while we dismiss it simply as conversation fodder, what we often overlook is that it is still a very hurtful comment to anyone receiving it.

That’s why mom-to-be Saab Magalona took it upon herself to educate an acquaintance who made an offhanded remark about her weight.

“Yesterday somebody greeted me with 'Ay, naging chubby ka na! and it took so much for me not to snap at her,' the celebrity blogger writes on her Instagram post where she’s posing with her baby bump. (She later updates the post to clarify that the person said it with a frown and disappointed tone.)

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Instead of snapping at the woman for being tactless, Saab decided to respond with kindness. “I told her, ‘You know, you really shouldn’t tell people — especially pregnant women — that they’ve gotten fat. It’s very mean.” She also adds in her caption that she explained to the unnamed woman that pregnant women have no choice but to gain weight for the safety of their babies and that many of them already feel self-conscious because of it.

Saab acknowledged that sometimes, people who comment such things don’t mean to be cruel. “I’m glad I controlled myself even with the hormones because I trust that most people don’t intend to be mean. They’re just pretty dense and that’s their version of chikahan or bonding,” she says.

Saab continues in her post that the woman apologized profusely after and even thanked her for educating her about being more sensitive.

This isn’t the first time that the celebrity mom had been outspoken about the comments she gets about her pregnancy. Just last December, she called out a showbiz columnist for sexualizing her baby bump.  

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