“Unfair”: Blake Lively on the Post-Baby Body Obsession

You’ve just given birth to another human being, a miraculous thing and should rightly feel empowered with the kind of confidence the goes beyond having a taunt stomach. Yes, your body has changed – harbouring a tiny person in your womb for nine months will ensure this happens – and it’s utter nonsense to expect your body to just ?bounce back? to its former state – it does not happen. ?Some already physically blessed women have been nonverbally setting the post-baby body bar for new mums higher with their post-birth selfies and talk of prenatal gym time (seriously?). So undoubtedly, celebrity mums feel the pressure to almost magically transform into their old selves immediately.

However, we are starting to see a change in that that more Hollywood mums are speaking out against these unrealistic expectations; reminding mums to be proud of their bodies and to bask in the ?I’m Superwoman? feelings of glory that should follow after the birth of a child.

Two women have made the headlines today for doing exactly that, the first being actress Blake Lively. In an era where celebrity women are closely watched throughout their pregnancy and then are subsequently scrutinised when they make their ?First Official Celebrity Post-Baby Appearance,? (this was the title of an actual column), it’s refreshing to see those subjected to this object. Instead of being “celebrated” for subsequent weight gain or weight loss following the birth of a child, Lively wants to to see a different kind of celebration in the media.?I think a woman’s body after having a baby is pretty amazing,? she said. You’ve just done this incredible miracle that life has to offer. You gave birth to a human being. I would really like to see that celebrated.?

There is no shame in gaining weight during pregnancy (or ever). There is no shame if it takes longer than you think it will to lose the weight (if you want to lose it at all). There is no shame in finally breaking down and making your own jean shorts because last summer’s are just too dang short for this summer’s thighs. Bodies change. Bodies grow. Bodies shrink. It’s all love (don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.) Peace xx #noshame #lovewhatyouhavebeengiven

A photo posted by Anne Hathaway (@annehathaway) on Aug 8, 2016 at 7:33pm PDT

Fellow actress Anne Hathaway also took to Instagram to share a candid and powerful statement about the pressure to lose weight after having a baby.?”There is no shame in gaining weight during pregnancy (or ever).?There is no shame if it takes longer than you think it will to lose the weight (if you want to lose it at all),” the?Alice Through The Looking Glass‘star captioned a photograph of a pair of cut-off jeans. “There is no shame in finally breaking down and making your own jean shorts because last summers are just too dang short for this summer’s thighs. Bodies change.?Bodies grow.?Bodies shrink.?It’s all love?(don’t let anyone tell you otherwise).”

Preach.

Both women follow in the footsteps of several others who want to see the pressures dispelled for women. Remember when Chrissy Teigen tweeted this? Women have enough to be worrying about after they have a baby.

no one told me i would be coming home in diapers too

? christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) April 20, 2016

And Kate Middleton made headlines leaving the hospital after the birth of her second child wearing a top that still showed her baby bump as if to remind the critics that, no, it isn’t normal for it to simply disappear once your child arrives.

More of this empowering stuff please, ladies.