This is more of a rant blog post, sorry in advance!
Celebrities and social media I think have a serious affect on people’s mental health especially those that have had babies. We all look at these and follow these people and they will post a picture the day after giving birth with the perfect body and no marks – REALITY CHECK!!!! This is really damaging to see! Yes some people are lucky enough to go straight back to their pre pregnancy weight and lucky enough to not get any stretch marks. But people need to be mindful that is not the case for everyone.
I am covered in stretch marks and I have a little mum pouch and I was really upset at first because they haven’t faded and I am a stone heavier than I’d like to be but they are our reminder that our bodies did something amazing! And we shouldn’t feel pressured to look “perfect” after giving birth to a tiny human!!! I know myself looking at celebs Instagram pages that have had babies you automatically compare yourself. DONT. Wear your marks proudly!!!
Too much pressure on mums to “lose baby weight”, I am exclusively breastfeeding Isla but I haven’t dieted once since giving birth, in fact I snack more! I lean on easy meals or easily to prepare meals because having a newborn is hard work and I have the worlds worst behaved dog – then housework? And remembering to shower and just have 5 minutes to yourself. I sometimes even forget to eat. Today I ate a bowl of cereal, 4 whites chocolate pancakes, chicken rice and peas, milky bar x2, a tuna mayo sandwich and now I’m going to enjoy some ice cream!!! Good on you if your managing to eat clean and prep meals because I just don’t have the time.
Your stretch marks are your Tiger stripes! And we all earned them growing that tiny human. And those mum pouches – embrace them, that is where your little human was. Everybody is different with their views but mine is that you shouldn’t feel pressured into having to lose weight after giving birth! It’s not on. Relax girls you just did something incredible.
I also suffer with IBS so I can get bloated very easily eating certain foods which I think looks 10x worse with my pouch. But I’m starting to realise that it doesn’t even matter! My priorities have definitely shifted, but I just hate seeing some mommas putting pressure on themselves straight from delivery suite.
Embrace your body.
That is all, Hebe x
Hebe Axon 