What's the deal with 'barefoot' women?

Factual Questions
1

We’ve heard the phrase “barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen.”

I understand the symbolism for items #2 and #3, but why “barefoot?”

2

maybe it refers to being poor? thats what i’ve always thought. or is it difficult for pregnant woment to put on socks and shoes?

3

So they can’t leave the house that easily, presumably.

4

So she can’t leave the house. Which, I suppose, is implied by keeping her in the kitchen. But dang it all, I can’t watch her every second of the day!

5

[WAG]

  1. To poor to afford shoes.
  2. Trapped in the house (Where are you going to go barefoot?).
    [/WAG]
6

Feet tend to swell when women are pregnant so it can be more comfortable to skip the shoes. Also, the saying helps you form a nice mental image: A housewife with a big fat belly, curlers in the hair, a moo-moo and dirty no-shoed feet.

7

The way I used to hear it was “Keep em pregnant in the summer and barefoot in the winter”. The idea was that it would then be difficult for them to stray.

8

It’s “muu-muu”, although I appreciate the descriptive power of your version :D.