I’m not actually a writer, so my troubles when deciding which word to use are not too big or serious. My personal thoughts on the list are:

1. Belly: The word I almost exclusively use, yet I don’t really like it, as it reminds me of fatness more than any other thing. I pretty much use it because it’s the most common term used, and kinda sounds normal.

2. Tummy: I actually like this one, but it strikes me as very childish, so I have not used it so far. If I were to write a story, I might have the pregant character use it, but not too often.

3. Stomach: I find it completely unappropiate, for the same reason as Saburo, it’s just wrong. And it doesn’t sound too good either.

4. Bump: I feel rather indifferent to it. I might adopt it, it doesn’t sound bad. I should thank Darien for the cultural note.

5. Abdomen: Not bad. But in my native langauage (it’s the exact same spelling, similar pronunciation) I never grew fond of it. Would just use it for the sake of variety.

6. Womb: I find it appropriate in very specific cases, but I don’t really like it as it refers to a very specific internal organ, which you are not supposed to be seeing. Wouldn’t use it unless I were talking about the internal anatomy of the lady in question.

7. Middle: I find it OK. Grew on me as I found it in pregnancy related stories.

8. Gut: Eww, no. Reminds me of the innard of an animal. Not someting I’d like to use when talking about pregnant woman.

9. Paunch/Pooch: Don’t remember it from anywhere else, and I don’t really like how they sound.

10. “The baby”: Too specific. Most of the time I’m guilty of not thinking of the baby inside, so that’s not a term I’d use, unless it’s really relevant. I think the fathers are the best candidates to use this word; of course it wouldn’t fit to every occasion.

I do have a favorite word in my native tongue: the equivalent of “venter” (I don’t like how it sounds in English, though –despite that both come from the same latin root); it’s fairly well known overe here, it sounds appropriate, and I like it a whole lot better that the other words people commonly use.

And as for “The Baby” I said I don’t think others should use it because it gets into the “Is she or isn’t she” offensive area. I mean not that you want to walk up to a random stranger and say “Hey nice belly!” But there’s not much that’s more embarrassing than saying “How’s the baby to a fat lady.” I know, I saw someone do it to my mom.