noun
Refers to a person's moral conduct or way of living, often with a nuance of propriety or decency. Common in phrases like 身持ちがいい (well-behaved) or 身持ちが悪い (of loose morals).
彼は若いのに身持ちがしっかりしている。
He is young but has good conduct.
あの人は身持ちが悪いという噂だ。
There's a rumor that person has loose morals.
noun
being pregnant; pregnancy
Euphemistic or indirect way to refer to pregnancy, often used in formal or delicate contexts. Less common in casual speech.
彼女は身持ちになったと聞きました。
I heard she became pregnant.
Compound of 身 (body, oneself) and 持ち (holding, maintaining). The pregnancy sense is a euphemistic extension of the idea of 'carrying oneself' or 'bodily condition'.