In case you are living under a rock, the pop star produced an electrifying performance during the halftime show of the Superbowl final on Sunday. On suspended platforms, she and her elite group of dancers entertained the crowd and received wild cheers and standing ovations.

This was Rihanna’s first public performance since 2016 so you can imagine the anticipation we all had in the lead-up to it. And, because Rihanna does Rihanna kind of things, she undeniably delivered (no pun intended).

As if that was not enough, Rihanna broke the internet with her pregnancy announcement. Dressed in a red outfit, she popped her noticeable baby bump to the crowd and we are still trying to catch our breaths over what happened within those 13 minutes. 

In 2017, Serena Williams, arguably the best female tennis player of all time won the Australian Open while 20 weeks pregnant. They are not the only ones. There’s a list of other women who’ve achieved great results while carrying a baby.

It shouldn’t be taken lightly because elite performers go through intense preparations before a big show. Additionally, all the travelling they do, media interviews and all that take a lot of mental, physical and emotional strength to pull it off. 

Doing that when carrying a baby is something only a few can do. What can we take away from all of this?

Traditionally and even today, pregnant women are seen as weak and unable to do anything. It is as if they have lost their ability to work or move around like other people. For some reason, these notions still persist. 

However, Rihanna, Serena and women of this mould have proven that expectant women still have the strength to still fulfil their commitments. We are not saying that you neglect your health. It is very important, particularly during this period to be extra cautious.

Again, the expectation is that pregnant women are gloomy and grumpy. They are too emotional and being around them can be draining. That’s not what we saw with Rihanna. She brought joy and produced one of the best moments of the Superbowl halftime shows in the history of the game. 

Her return to the stage, you can argue, is more memorable than the game itself. She let her vocals ring around the stadium and even took part in all the dancing. She was flawless and proved why she is still one of the best in the business.

We love seeing Rihanna in red. She popularised red hair but for her iconic show, she wore black hair and red attire and had red lips. Not the red weaves we’ve come to know her for.

Nonetheless, she was elegant as we’ve come to expect from her. Through her first pregnancy, that was the case. Now, you can argue that she is a celebrity with an entire team that can curate her wardrobe and all but she makes a conscious effort to want to look that way. 

Serena Williams too followed a similar pattern. She was well put together and just showed that you can look stylish even when you are carrying another human inside of you.

I am glad that today, a lot of women are making the effort to look amazing throughout their pregnancy journey. From photoshoots to baby showers, there’s no time to wallow in huge maternity clothes largely seen in yesteryears.