Wild Mommas: A World Tour Of Expectant Mothers From Across The Animal Kingdom
By Ekhama O January 17, 2023

This article was originally published on racooned
As humans, many of us are naturally fascinated with the world around us. From the different places to the diverse cultures and everything in between, we can’t help but be interested in it all. And one of the things that always seem to catch our attention is the other beautiful creatures we share this gorgeous landscape with. Whether it’s their habits and behaviors, their mannerisms, and even their features, many of us are enthralled by it all.We’re so fascinated, sometimes we forget how similar we are to them, and that they undergo most natural things we do, too, like growth and other forms of similar bodily changes. Speaking of similar bodily changes — have you ever been graced with the presence of a pregnant animal? It’s by far one of the cutest things ever. And, if you don’t believe us, here are 45 pictures to prove it!Round Raccoon
Although we’ve never been in that position, we can safely say that being pregnant in the wild would not be the easiest of tasks. Animals need to pack on several pounds, so we can only imagine how difficult it would be for them to go about their daily activities.
Expectant Horse
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if an animal’s pregnant or not when we see it with a big belly. And, honestly, it’s kind of rude to ask. That was the exact case with this horse the first time we caught a glimpse of her in these pictures.
Fat Rat
Pregnancy can take such a physical toll on mothers, and expecting pets require some additional support from their owners just to perform some otherwise simple and regular tasks. With that big belly, things like walking around and even sitting up might require some assistance.
Preggy Guinea
Seeing any pregnant animal is a unique thing to witness, no doubt. But, we’ve always been particularly fascinated by small pregnant animals, and how they manage to carry weights we assume can equal as much as their average body weight.
Pregnancy Portrait
Besides our pets, there are other domestic animals that like to show off their baby bumps to their human caretakers. And, if you are lucky enough to live on a farm, seeing a bursting belly would probably be fairly common.
Wide Zebra
Being a zebra is hard as it is. You’ve gotta navigate some of the world’s harshest conditions and most unforgiving landscapes, and then there are the predators, lurking around, waiting for you to lose your guard so you can be their dinner.
A foster pooch and her pregnancy shoot
You know what could make an animal’s maternity shoot even more special? Them doing it with their lovely and caring owner. If you’re looking for some proof of that fact, look no further than the utterly adorable photo collage below!
Heavy Donkey
Every single baby is precious and worthy of love and attention; there’s absolutely no denying that, and we’d be cruel to think otherwise. That being said, we’ve gotta accept the cold hard facts that some young ones tend to be cuter than others.
Big Stretch
Pregnancies alter the mother’s body in so many ways. And we’re not just talking about the obviously big belly and fluctuating hormones. No, no. We mean the fact that organs can shift to make room for the little ones growing inside of them!
Standing Mamma Cat
Cats are some of the most beloved animals in the world. We feel safe in saying that, seeing as they’re present in many homes all around the globe. This means that whatever they do shouldn’t be new to us…but that doesn’t mean we can’t still find them cute.
Good Ol days
The beauty of taking pictures is that you’ll have something to hold on to; you can use it to remember the wonderful moments and milestones long after they’ve concluded. For instance, this old photo of a pregnant guinea pig named Fig.
Snack Time, Then Nap Time
When someone is pregnant, they get a pass for things that wouldn’t normally be okay. This is especially human moms, but all animals can experience this. And it’s understandable; having to carry that much weight can get kinda challenging, and tiring.
Stout Goat
Momma goats are adorable! It’s not just the fact that they’re pregnant that makes us think they’re cute, but the sheer size of their pregnancy is also what gets us. For instance, take a look at this short and plump goat having her lunch.
Huge Horse
We know, logically, that all animal species get pregnant, but we don’t think we’ll ever fully get used to seeing heavily pregnant animals. There’s just something really odd about their belly protruding that makes them look absolutely special and downright adorable.
Momma Elephant
Any and every expecting mother, no matter the size or species, deserves several trophies. Surely we can all agree on that, right? And we don’t think it’s a stretch to say that animals like elephants always deserve a special mention.
Chubby Daddy
In most species, it’s the female that carries the baby. It’s a rule we’ve gotten so used to now, that we assume just about every pregnant animal is a she, but there happen to be a couple of species where it’s the dad that does the hard work.
Maternity shoot
Pictures are taken so all sorts of wonderful moments can be immortalized, remembered, and looked back on. And what better moment to make remember than the months that led up to the birth of a new being into the world!
Chonky Ferret
We have always wondered how animals with long and slender bodies and abdomens would look when they are pregnant, but have always been too lazy to check it out online. Seeing this ferret, now means our curiosity has been satisfied.
Big mouse
Looking at smaller animals getting pregnant, we can’t just help but wonder how they do it. Not how they get pregnant, of course, but how they are able to go about their daily activities with body proportions that are distorted.
Get that ultrasound
Pregnant animals should get regular checkups, just like humans do. While this might be impossible for wild animals, domestic pets have the privilege of getting the care they need from professionals during their journey through motherhood. And this doesn’t just mean checking their breathing…
Hairless mom
We love cats of all colors, breeds, and sizes. We’re partial to the fluffy ones, but all cats are beautiful in their own right, especially when they’re expecting kittens. For this next picture, you first need to look past the hairless cat’s glare to see her belly.
This ain’t no Yoga class
As much as pregnancy can be an invigorating experience for many, without a doubt, it can also be a very uncomfortable one. Many people have had to adjust and amend their ways just to accommodate their babies, and that goes for animals, too.
Thick Big Cat
Many women feel some level of bloatedness during the gestation of their babies, which usually increases as the days draw nearer to their delivery. Here’s a big cat that probably knows just what we mean, seeing as she’s nearly due.
Plump Rat
For every single species, being pregnant is certainly not easy, so we’ve gotta always hand it to our little pregnant friends — they’re bearing a heavy load! Some of them appear to be even twice their size; just check out this rat, for instance.
Crouching Squirrel
Not to be rude, but sometimes, it can be hard to tell if someone’s pregnant, overfed, or just naturally has a huge belly. That was certainly the case when we first stumbled upon this photo of a happy little squirrel.
Huge hedgehog
We’re the biggest suckers for smaller animals, particularly pets. Don’t get us wrong, we love our Bernese Mountain Dogs, but there’s something about a teacup Poodle that melts our hearts — not to mention when their cuteness is doubled by them being pregnant. And it doesn’t just apply to dogs…
Pale Pregnant Polecat
We’re some of the biggest fans of ferrets, so when we got introduced to their very close relatives, the polecat, we were just as excited as the day we discovered them. And seeing this photo made us even more ecstatic.
Pregnant Kitty
Cats are already known for being incredibly sassy, and pregnancy only amplifies that. Hormonal changes can make any momma’s emotions spiral out of control. So, we wonder just how sassy a pregnant cat might be. We can’t tell from the picture alone, but we have somewhat of an idea.
She’s Having Twins!
The chance of having twins isn’t as low as one might think (the odds are 1 in 250), but it’s still more likely that human moms will have a single-child birth. In stark contrast, it’s the opposite case for many of our friends in the animal kingdom.
Incoming Calf
Oh, how wonderful it is to travel! You get to see so many different people and experience so many different cultures while seeing what their landscapes have to offer. If we were to plan our next trip, it would most definitely be to go on a safari.
More Maternity Shoots!
We just love a good old pet-owner bond, and anyone who ever takes out their time to have a maternity photoshoot with their pregnant dog certainly deserves extra points. Just look at how happy this girl looks as she’s having her photos taken!
Tree nap
Don’t get us wrong, we’re not one to pick favorites, and we think pregnant animals of all kinds are equally as wonderful and adorable, but there’s just something about seeing an exotic expectant parent that is profoundly intriguing to us, just like this big cat.
Another pregnant papa
Seahorses are some pretty unique sea creatures, and we’re not just talking about their specially structured bodies and the wide range of colors they come in. As we mentioned before, they don’t go with the flow of other species since the males are the ones that carry the babies!
We never get tired of maternity shoots!
Seeing pregnant mothers will never get old for us. There’s just something about their sparkling eyes and their wonderful bumps that just feels unique and different with every new expectant mother we see, and that’s why we love it so much.
More sleepy kitties perched atop trees
We don’t watch a lot of content about different kinds of wildlife, so we were a bit taken aback when we found out loads of big cats can climb atop trees. Needless to say, we were even more stunned when we saw photos of pregnant ones resting on some!
Another Preggie Guinea
Ah, aren’t guinea pigs just the best?! We get one photo of them, and we can’t help but look up more online. We’re glad we do because each is just as unique and just as cute as the last. Take this picture of this heavily pregnant guinea pig, for instance.
Happy Momma
We’re staunch believers that every single photo of a pregnant animal is adorable and should be praised at all costs, regardless of how tired and messy the mothers look. That being said, it wouldn’t hurt if they put some effort into the photos.
Fat Lioness
Imagine going on an expedition to the wild to see the landscapes and the amazing creatures that call the place home, only to be graced with the gorgeous presence of a pregnant animal. And, not just any animal — a lioness!
A Chunky Guinea’s Backside
We’ve got a lot of belly and side views of many pregnant animals throughout the course of this post, giving us a pretty good idea of how a pregnant animal would look like when we see them from that side. That’s why we decided to add some variety by including this picture.
Don’t ask
Let’s get real; even though pregnancy can be a wonderful and sweet experience, there’s no denying having another being growing inside you won’t be the most comfortable feeling. That’s why people and animals stay in all sorts of positions just to have some moments of relief.
Chunky Snake
We have seen loads of mammals from all over the world in this post, so it’s only fair to give our reptilian friends some love. To represent that class, we picked a fat and chunky snake as our next entry!
Stern Momma
We’re ones to believe every single animal has some cuteness to them. Even the strangest fiercest looking ones have some substance of innocence in them, and the quality is even compounded if they just so happen to be pregnant as well.
Pregnant Potato
Coming across a pregnant animal can be a wonderful experience, but owning one is nothing less than a privilege. Imagine having the opportunity to spend so much time with an animal that cute, and taking the most adorable pictures with them.
Pregnant Pony
Although this post has leaned in favor of common domestic animals, we’ve been graced with photos of all sorts of animals, like a giraffe and some big cats. We hope you’re ready because we’ve got another pregnant animal you probably won’t find at your friend’s house…
A Chihuahua’s Shoot
There have been quite a number of dogs in this post so far, with each being just as unique and adorable as the last. And, let’s not forget, pregnant, too. This cute little Chihuahua having her maternity photoshoot is no different.