It!?!?

I agree deborahkerr1992 so far this was a wonderful holiday movie . I'm actually watching it on TCM for the very first time right now . Just a couple of wild guesses here but perhaps that " It reference " about the baby was to show back in the day that unmarried women without children referred to babies as " it " ? Of course that is so not true even in this day and age . It could be the writers point of view on this back then ( but don't know the facts on that and can't speak for the writer either ) . At first I thought it was because she had not asked if the baby was a girl or boy so would just compensate by calling the baby " it " but after she knew kept calling the baby " it " again but could also be part of the characters overall nervous comedy frame of mind too . At least she was calling the cow a " she " . This movie is quite comedic the " flip flapjack joke " was a riot . Although I wonder how many times exactly she kept calling the baby " it " in this film ? It could have been made into a " drinking game " for some or a " popcorn game " for others ( every time the word is said eat one popcorn kernel ? ) . Thanks deborahkerr1992 for your subject post .

I believe it was purposeful, to remind the audience that Elizabeth is uncomfortable with babies and knows absolutely nothing about them. Plus she's sort of scared of 'it', lol.

Actually, I thought it was a pretty funny moment. In the bath scene, she refers to the baby as "him", not knowing she's a girl. Then uses "her" instead, even when the baby has been replaced with a boy. Then, out of confusion or/and cautioness she opts for the most neutral pronoun.

" You ain't running this place, Bert, WILLIAMS is!" Sgt Harris

I think it was common back in the day and not intended as a character's idiosyncrasy. In "The Birds" from 1963 Tippi Hendren says that she is involved in a charity that is sending a Korean boy through school. She says, "We actually raise money for it."

"I told you a million times not to talk to me when I'm doing my lashes"!

That's how uncomfortable and uncaring she is about the baby.

I always cringe when Stanwyck's character refers to the baby as 'it.'

Referring to a baby as "it" must have been a cultural norm in the 1930's and '40's, because I've noticed it many times in movies of the period. (And I always crack up.) Just one of the examples of how language changes over the years. Another one is the word "fantastic." Back then it meant other-worldly or too far-fetched to believe. Now it's a synonym of "great," or the over-used "awesome."

A couple of intelligent responses, many posters were just obtuse.

It will be easier if I just put the OP on IGNORE.

Perhaps the OP just wants to reach out for some sense of community.