As a psychiatric trainee I have often been intrigued by the respect that is accorded to pregnant women, deservingly or not, by the general public. People give up their seats on crowded trains and buses, they open doors, refuse to allow any heavy lifting and generally pamper the pregnant woman. As the months pass and the woman is transformed into a potential mother, attitudes towards her adjust, and she begins to be viewed in a different light. Certainly such was the case for me during my pregnancy and it was fascinating to observe the way in which the doctor-patient relationship changed as a result of my pregnant state.