Lauren Conrad has been the subject of "inappropriate comments" over her pregnancy.
Lauren Conrad
The 30-year-old beauty - who announced earlier this month she and husband William Tell are expecting their first child together - and after experiencing a number of "etiquette missteps" in her social interactions, has published a guide on her website to "shed some light" on the "sensitive topic" of pregnancy and what not to say to prospective parents.
Explaining her first rule to be "Do not ask a married couple when they are going to have kids", she said: "You never know if someone may be privately struggling with fertility or has suffered through a recent miscarriage. In those cases, asking someone when they are going to have kids can be a major trigger question.
"If a friend, family member, or public figure opens up to you about this decision first, then you get to comment about it. But please wait for them to volunteer the information first!"
Her second rule advised not commenting on someone's due date unless absolutely certain they are pregnant.
She explained: "I've heard from my several of my friends that this is a question they have been asked in the first few months postpartum when they haven't quite lost the baby weight and still have a little 'bump'.
"There are also some people who just carry their weight in their belly even if they have never had a baby. There's no bigger blow to someone's self-confidence and body image than asking them if they are pregnant when they are not.
"So unless they already mentioned that they are expecting, it's much better to hold your tongue."
And the former 'Hills' star confessed to being "guilty" of breaking her own third rule and has mentioned the size of someone's bump.
She said: "While seeing a friend's bump grow can be really exciting, you probably don't comment on the size or shape of any other part of a woman's body--and it's not a good idea to comment on her bump either!
"Women carry their pregnancy in all different ways, and can be self-conscious about it. Whether a woman is bigger than average or she's not showing as much as she thought she would be, keep in mind that it can be a very sensitive subject."
And her "no-brainer" final piece of advice was never to tough a pregnant woman's stomach without permission.
She said: "When my best friend Hannah was pregnant two years ago, I was witness to this phenomenon more than once.
"It happens way more often than you would think!
"Even if you are a close friend or family member, it doesn't hurt to ask first before making a grab for the belly.
"No matter what your relationship to the mama-to-be is, keep in mind that it's much more pleasant to have someone politely ask if it is OK before groping your midsection."
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