Postnatally we all want the same figure we had before our baby was born..
I need to let you know gently this is highly unlikely to happen. You may see celebrities losing their “baby weight” looking glam in beautiful dresses but at the risk of offending some people let’s think about this a bit more.
Celebrities are often a brand in themselves, it’s their business to sell a lifestyle, they get gifted stuff to promote, they get commission on promotions they run… I’m talking instagram type stuff…
They have to sell the dream.
Yet what are they sacrificing and why should we take it with a pinch of salt?
Celebrities that start post baby exercise routines very early on I feel are doing other women a disservice. They are setting us up to try and achieve unrealistic goals.
They may have a nanny from day one. They may have someone preparing healthy meals for them, they may have a personal trainer, they have make up artists to hide the bags under their eyes and they have photographs taken professionally in order to look the best they can. All because they are a brand!
Here’s a bit more to think about. To start a postnatal exercise routine you need to build up gradually. By doing too much too soon and impacting your recovery after GROWING a BABY for the best part of a year AND bringing your baby into the world you could do yourself harm.
The fourth trimester (12 weeks after birth) are a time for healing and bonding. Low impact exercise such as walking or swimming is great if you can manage it.
At four months whilst you may be able to do more exercise you are still experiencing the effects or relaxin and so are at risk of strain or injury. Regular exercise is ok between 4-6 months however again pre pregnancy exercise should only be in full swing from six months postnatally. This is if you’re not exhausted by sleepless nights and days and being on call 24X7 for a tiny human…
👆Note: This is pre pregnancy exercise, so what your body was used to before you were pregnant! This is not about doing a load of stuff you haven’t done before…
If you deplete your body before it’s healed from pregnancy and childbirth there is evidence to suggest it could impact your future reproductive health. Even if you’re on your last child going crazy trying to get back to how you once were could impact you in menopause! Whilst that may seem a long way off lets not dismiss how logical it seems that not to look after our reproductive health and recovery could have a knock on effect later down the line. You wouldn’t build a house on rocky foundations so why your future health?
It takes a full year for your body, spine, skeleton and large muscles to fully recover from pregnancy. So think hard about the importance of Your Brand Vs Your Postnatal Health.
I empathise with Mothers in the public eye, the pressure they must be under and the image they have to portray. Often we hear celebrity talk long after about how much they struggled at the time. So as always look beyond the images, there is often another story we don’t know about….
Just sayin’
Xx