You only need to read the tabloids or magazines to know that most celebrities’ bodies miraculously spring back after pregnancy leaving no trace of having carried a little passenger for nine months. The press is forever harping on about how amazing such-and-such looks only weeks after giving birth, as we all speculate as to whether the transformation was aided by expensive creams or intensive gym sessions.
One woman in America, however, has decided to counter this with a website of her own. The idea came from her own unhappiness with her body after pregnancy and with the perceived chasm between what her body looked like and what it should look like. She now invites other mothers to post photos of what real bodies look like post-pregnancy, and it seems to have found a following.
Pregnancy can take its toll, leaving saggy skin, excess weight, stretch marks and hyperpigmented patches, and it can be hard to accept this changed physique at first. The celebrity examples held up for general comment do not help, and put pressure on women to look like they were never pregnant in the first place!
If you are struggling with confidence after pregnancy, don’t take any notice of the celebrities; take a look at other real women instead. If you really can’t accept how you look, there are treatments available that can help you to feel more confident (stretch mark removal, pigmentation treatment etc.), but just remember: perfection does not exist!
