I recently came across this article and it got me thinking about whether there really is too much pressure on mums to get their figure back. I have certainly never experienced any pressure from friends, family, my husband, myself or society at large. If anything, I have friends telling me how great I look, even when I clearly look like a bag of shit! Perhaps I am lucky that I have a hugely supportive network and I am confident enough in my own skin that I don’t even notice the supposed societal pressure. However I guess there is an overarching pressure on us all to look nothing but perfect (if you believe everything you see on daytime TV) and it’s up to us whether we buy into that pressure or not. I personally don’t think it’s worth comparing yourself to a celebrity in a magazine or the girl next to you in your baby class. We’re all different.
I want to get back into shape purely for me. I just want to feel better and fitter. I’d argue this has nothing to do with having just had a baby, I just feel better when I take some exercise and am a weight / size I am happy with. I didn’t feel the urge to get fit quite so quickly after having my first baby, probably because I knew we wanted to have another so there didn’t seem much point in making too much effort only to have to do it again. I was lucky that I managed to lose the weight I gained during pregnancy without really trying, and I had a big group of baby friends, which meant a prolonged period of cake eating. This time round, I have a great goal to work towards (my sister’s wedding), have fewer friends on mat leave (sob) and I am not planning anymore children so hopefully the results will be longer lasting.
What I do agree with in this article are the little boxes at the end. Having a baby is an amazing thing and something we are lucky to have. If this results in a few wobbly or slightly saggy bits then so be it. Having said that I know plenty of people who look just as good, if not better, after having babies. Exercise can be the perfect way to relax and spend precious time away from the madness of motherhood. Weight loss is not something you need to worry about straight away (and some people are lucky enough not to have to worry at all) and should do in your own time. And I wholeheartedly believe that you can totally treat yourself from time to time- my goodness, we grew and birthed a human so deserve it!
One of the reasons I started writing this blog was to support other mums, or non mums for that matter, who are looking to lose a few pounds in a gentle but effective manner. I certainly don’t want anyone to feel pressured to be ‘ready’ to be on the same journey as me. But one day you might be and I hope some of the ideas I’ve shared help. For now, enjoy the treats!
WedFit Mum 