My Post-Baby Body Is Amazing
The post-baby bodies of female celebrities: we apparently cannot get enough of them.
We either praise their super-fast return to being slim and fit or criticize them for daring to step outside the house while being a bit heavier than they were on their last pre-pregnancy red carpet stroll. Something I have learned from the media about female celebrities is that stepping outside the home after having a baby, whether it’s to buy groceries or attend an event, is done purely for the purpose of flaunting, displaying or showing off your body. It seems no one is modest enough to simply leave their body at home while they pop to the shops and any return to public life should be considered the Big Reveal, done purely for the benefit of the waiting public.
Don’t believe me? Here are some articles found online to do with a celebrity and her post-baby body.
Keep in mind, as I write this, it is still January and all these articles are from this year alone. Also, this is just a sample- there were more:
Erin McNaught flaunts incredible bikini body four weeks after giving birth
Amina Buddafly Returns To Her Pre-Baby Body After Only 5 Months! (Photos)
Snooki Shows Off Super Fit Post Baby Body
Gone Girl star shows off incredible post baby body
Wow! Kelly Rowland’s Post-Baby Body on Full Display Just 7 Weeks After Giving Birth- See the Pics!
Towie’s Billie Faiers shows off post-baby bikini body while in Dubai
Less Than 4 Months After Giving Birth, Mila Kunis Shows Off Baby Weight Loss In Beverly Hills
Chelsea Clinton Shows Off Post-Baby Body During Star-Studded Night Out in New York City
Ginnifer Goodwin Reveals Post-Baby Body at 2015 People’s Choice Awards
This is What Kristen Bell’s Post Baby Body Looks LikeThree Weeks After Giving Birth to Baby Delta
Christina Ricci: ‘Lizzie Borden Chronicles’ Star Shows Off Post-Baby Body
Rachel Bilson Covers Up Slim Figure, Steps Out Two Months After Giving Birth: Photo
Celebrities seem to be under a lot of pressure to return to their slender selves as soon as possible and these articles reinforce that. Female celebrities, that is. I have seen articles dealing with the weight of a male celebrity- but these are few and far between when compared to the famous female form, even when the subject isn’t the post-baby physique. Generally speaking, high-profile women are expected to look a certain way, and that is a big investment. They must invest time, energy and even money.
Personal trainers, personal chefs, food delivery services, nannies… At the risk of sounding like I’m making excuses, I want to point out that these things are out of reach to the average mum. The other thing they are is unnecessary. If you can afford these things and desperately want them- hey, that is your choice and good on you. I couldn’t afford them and frankly, didn’t want them. Since giving birth to my last child 2 years ago, my body has stubbornly clung to every last calorie. I have successfully tricked it into losing several kilograms but the going is very slow and I’m okay with that. I have stretch marks, squishy bits, bingo wings…
And you know what? My body is AWESOME.
It definitely does not might not have rock hard abs or perky boobs… but I have successfully grown not one but TWO entire human beings inside this body. In my opinion, ALL post-baby bodies are amazing. Whether they bounce back effortlessly or are forever changed- they are something to be extremely proud of. I figure that as my body has produced two new people, it has thus far served me very, very well!
This notion that the media feeds us, this idea that the faster we lose weight and are wearing our pre-baby jeans, the better? It’s wrong. Not only because it’s unrealistic but because it really doesn’t matter. The way I looked in the weeks and even months after birthing my children was the least of my concerns. After giving birth, I was tired. That lasted a good couple of years. While being tired, I was working out feeding, figuring out how to stuff a newborn into a wondersuit (with a 10 year gap last time around, I’d completely forgotten!), spending time being anxious and becoming completely smitten by my babies. It’s a full time job- who has time for jogging and kale smoothies? I didn’t. No time and no inclination.
To all the mothers reading this: Congratulations on your baby/babies/child/children/adult offspring. You grew an entirely new human being right there in your belly. Although it is not unique, it is still a bloody miracle- every single time. If you lose all your pregnancy weight and have rippling abs within 48 hours of giving birth- good on you. If you are like me and on the other end of the spectrum, where breastfeeding and exhaustion leave your body clinging to every kilojoule- good on you too. Whatever your body looks like, you have done something spectacular.
In the long run, what we weigh after we give birth should be no one’s concern but our own. Our bodies should not become public property, to be held up for discussion and debate, and that is not just applicable to the post-partum period. Seeing all these celebrities who work hard to get back into shape can be disheartening to an extent but on the other hand, I know that I would not like to live with the level of scrutiny that they do. If someone was photographing me every time I went out for a carton of milk, I might prioritise my weight differently. Or, more likely, I’d tell ’em all to get stuffed, because I’m mighty sick of the media showing us how we should look and holding up women for scrutiny and finding them lacking when they don’t fit a certain mould.
With that in mind, I wanted to showcase a variety of post-partum bodies. Whether they are a day post partum or 2 years- we are all different. All shapes, all sizes, all amazing bodies. Enjoy.
Special thanks to all the top ladies who shared a photo with me for this post, you’re all absolutely TOPS.
Linked up with Essentially Jess for #IBOT
