Why celebrity post- partum pictures irk me..

First of all, let me clarify that this is not a jealous, bitchy rant. I am neither fat nor a fat- shamer.  Weight and body- type is a personal issue and is nobody else’s business. I try to not judge someone by their weight or size. To each, their own. Live and let live.

I gained probably the bare minimum weight during my pregnancy. But it wasn’t because I consciously tried to do so. No. Far from it. I ate well and gave- in to all my cravings. I had to stop running (thanks to some minor health issues) as well. Still, I did not pack on the pounds.  No idea why.

I gained a total of 11 kilos, during my pregnancy. I was/ am a petite person to begin with. I was 5 kilos lighter, first day post- partum. By 6 weeks post- partum, without any effort from my part, I ended up losing all that I had gained. So, I shouldn’t be bothered by all the before and right-after celebrity pictures, right?

Wrong.

I am.

They are not realistic, that’s why. Yes, it is REAL in the sense that THEY have DONE it. But it cannot be a “reality” for ALL the women out in the world.

Women who don’t have a platoon of nannies and hired help. Or most of us who don’t have published, “award- winning” trainers and physical therapists on our speed dial. I barely got out of my pyjamas for the first few weeks, forget having a celebrity make-up artist contour my face and abs and a hair- dresser poof up my shiny, golden tresses.

I am not envious of such people. No, thank you. But I am tired of them and their photo-shopped nonsense being shoved into the public sensibilities.

Child- bearing has suddenly become a moolah- generating, PR extravaganza. Big- bellied, heavily gravid, enceinte women sashaying down the red carpet is the current trend. Exclusive baby pictures are sold for millions. These women, are in a race to squeeze themselves back into their pre- pregnancy bikinis. I am not even sure if they follow the six- weeks rest rule.

These celebs seem to only put on the baby- weight, literally. They don’t seem to pack a single pound on themselves. Not even a single extra fat- cell seems to have been laid. That is not how our bodies roll. Pregnant women tend to lay down some fats in preparation for what their bodies have to go through in the coming months. Our celeb sisters must be working really, really hard to maintain themselves. To watch their diets. They obviously also have a lot of professional help. Well… Good for them.

Not so good for all the women who see their pictures everyday though. Not knowing what lies behind the glossy, air-brushed, designer facades. The hours, blood, sweat, tears, dollars, nannies, therapists, make-up artists, hair-dressers, stylists, trainers, tread-mills, weights, pills, diets, doctors, surgeons that prop up the picture. That make it a reality.

Thanks to all this media hype, “normal” women are now feeling the pressure. To not gain weight. To lose it as soon as possible. To watch what they put into their mouths. To exercise- not for it’s health benefits but to stay “thin”.

Ugh…

My girlfriends and I seem to constantly discuss such matters. Whether we like it or not, weight- watching has been indoctrinated into our brains. Wired into our systems. We hate doing it but can’t seem to stop ourselves. The media doesn’t allow us to.

I recently had an “emergency” Skype session with a friend who is 38 weeks along and is panicking about her weight –gain (not her impending delivery!). She desperately wanted to know how I lost the weight. She wanted to plan in advance.

Ha…Poor thing has no idea what’s in store….

With no help on hand, you barely manage to eat and sleep. At six months, I still find it hard to get out for a run. She wants to hit the gym at six- weeks. I hope she does. I really do. But why should she feel the need to push herself so? Pregnancy and motherhood is incredibly hard on our minds and bodies, should we be making it any harder on ourselves by having such unrealistic (please note- I don’t use the word “unattainable”) aspirations about things that really don’t matter that much?

Thoughts?

Till the next rant…

Dr J.