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The Post-Pregnancy Weight-Loss Obsession
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First we obsess over stars’ “baby bumps,” then we shame the new moms into squeezing back into skinny jeans as quickly as possible. Katie Gentile on the double standard that hurts women.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is back in her “skinny jeans” just four weeks after giving birth to her daughter, reports Us Weekly. Ditto Ellen Pompeo, I read in People. Twice, Heidi Klum walked the Victoria Secret runway just six weeks after having a baby. Natalia Vodianova topped them all, taking to the catwalk a mere two weeks after giving birth.
In 2010, God help the celebrity who fails to shed the baby weight immediately, as she may end up on the wrong side of one of those ubiquitous “best and worst post-baby bodies” pictorials. It is chilling to watch the culture become more and more obsessed with babies, while the evidence of how these babies are created is removed from public view. The supermarket tabloids obsessively scope out “baby bumps,” cooing each time a C- or even D-lister conceives. But the second the bumps become bouncing bundles of joy, the pressure is on for the new mom to squeeze back into her skinny jeans. The post-baby body must banish the bump, or risk ridicule.
It’s as if we should actually believe the baby dropped from the stork, from the sky, from anywhere but that toned, buff body.
It used to be that People magazine confined news about pregnancy and babies to its “Milestones” section. Now baby obsession has changed the very structure of the magazine, giving us features such as “Mommy and Me Fashion,” “Celebrity Family Albums,” and the ever-popular rush to publish the first photos of celebrity spawn. Similarly, celebrity gossip magazines and blogs now devote entire sections to bump patrols, moms and babies (only occasionally dads), and a parade of post-baby body photos. In this “new” culture that seems to mix domestic ideals of the 1950s with the expanded opportunities of the 21st century, baby bumps—expanding breasts and bellies—are celebrated, photographed, tracked, and made an endless source of speculation. But we ignore the less attractive, yet all-too-real aspects of pregnancy: There are no swollen ankles, plump thighs, or puffy faces allowed on the red carpet.
Of course, intense scrutiny of women’s bodies is not new, and celebrity antics have long made for profitable media fodder, but the obsession with postpartum weight control is something new. These days, we rarely see a picture of a pregnant celebrity without the requisite estimation of weight gain, called “baby weight,” as if it is somehow separate from the mother’s body. The best way to get rid of it is breast-feeding, the tabloids tell us, claiming that lactation magically and effortlessly melts away pounds.
Yet as The New York Times recently noted, research is conflicting as to whether breast-feeding actually promotes weight loss. Breast-feeding may burn calories, but it also stimulates appetite, leading many women to eat more. The Mayo Clinic advises normal-weight, healthy women to exercise moderately and eat about 300 more calories per day while pregnant, gaining between 25 and 35 pounds over the course of the nine months. And Mayo advises women to lose only 1 postpartum pound per week in order to maintain solid nutrition. La Leche League advises that women not diet for the first 2 months after delivery to help their bodies recover and establish good milk flow.
Contrast this information with Us Weekly celebrating Ashlee Simpson-Wentz for sticking to her 1,500-calorie-a-day post-pregnancy diet, People discussing Liv Tyler’s postpartum fasting and colonics, or Ok magazine’s “Baby Weight Secrets,” which advise women to stick to fat- and carb-free diets and spend hours exercising daily.
It would be easy to see this obsession with post-baby weight control as just part and parcel of the usual misogynistic obsession with women’s weight. Female celebrities are under constant pressure to stay thin. But look at it another way: When women shed the baby weight, they are not merely getting back their pre-baby body, they are obliterating all the evidence of ever having had a baby in the first place. This means the one thing that only women’s bodies can do is expected to be immediately erased. The post-baby body is wrung of its recent life-giving feat. Sagging milk-filled breasts must appear perky; the once-swollen abdomen is made concave. It’s as if we should actually believe the baby dropped from the stork, from the sky, from anywhere but that toned, buff body.
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nortonclybourn
Duh, it may be your obsession, but I could care less.
beastfan
As a new mom, I thank you for this article. It's a shame that so many women think that losing their baby weight is more important than the health of their baby. The first 6 weeks of breastfeeding are critical to building the baby's immunity. If you diet (or over-exercise) while breastfeeding, you are depriving your baby of the calories, nutrients, and fat (very important for the baby's brain development) that your baby needs. The Ashley Simpsons of the world are setting a really bad example for the rest of us. But then again, she's clearly anorexic (and a plastic surgery addict), so what would you expect?
keekee77
I'm guessing you are still heavy from pregnancy. As I noted in my post, there is no medical reason to pack on the pounds while breastfeeding and eating a normal, healthy diet is not "dieting". I breast fed a 9.5 pounder and was back to normal weight within two weeks. He's now 6'4" 210 and clearly did not suffer because I kept my weight in check. A well rounded and healthy diet is all a nursing mother needs.
Valkyrie607
What an inconsiderate, judgmental person you are! "No medical reason"--the implication that only BAD personal choices are to blame. Sheesh. It's great that you lost that weight, now it's time to work on your personality.
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marvelmarve
Admit it, you are man describing what you wish you looked like. As it is, you're just a trollish little guy trying your best to upset real women.
How pathetic it must be to be you.
beastfan
Hi Keekee,
No, I'm not still heavy, but it took a while for my weight to return to "normal" (which for me is 118 lbs). For some women, as for you, the pounds do fly off while breastfeeding, but what I wanted to point out is that for other women, they don't, and those women shouldn't be made to feel ashamed or pressured because of that extra padding. It could be genetic or hormonal; it's not necessarily due to overeating. For me personally, I ate light, healthy meals, but the entire time I was breastfeeding, I couldn't drop a single pound. It was a little frustrating, because everyone told me the weight would "fly right off" while breastfeeding. I noticed there was a direct correlation between what I ate and what I produced (if I got too busy at work and forgot to eat enough, I would produce less milk that day; and if I failed to eat enough protein or healthy fats, the quality of my milk would turn to skim). So I waited until I had finished breastfeeding to diet. It's cool that some women can lose weight so effortlessly while breastfeeding, but that wasn't the case for me, and I'm just saying that women should not feel pressured to diet at the expense of their baby's nutrition. Likewise, they shouldn't feel pressured to cut their breastfeeding short in order to diet.
LilKnickers
I actually applaud celebrities who do their best to get back they pre-baby shape as soon as possible after having a baby. It is important for women to feel sexy - why when you have a child do you have to let yourself go?
Since I had my first baby back in July, I have been calorie counting using a food and exercise diary to lose the weight. I gained a little bit more than just baby weight when I was pregnant so I was determined to get rid of it as soon as possible. Someone posted a link in new mums weight loss forum to a free site called Purple Weight Loss (www.purpleweightloss.com) which I signed up to for a weight loss plan and food and exercise diary. I am honestly thrilled that I did that because I have stuck rigidly to my targets and my excess padding has literally fallen off.
I was inspired by the likes of Nicole Richie and others and I am so glad I just went for it. I am happy which means my baby is happy and because I look sexy again, my hubby is happy.
gigigogo
Excellent article - EXCELLENT, Ms. Gentile. Absolutely spot on.
thebraveinvertibrate
It's a shame considering how far women have come in society that a woman's only true great feat is to bear a child. In Hollywood, it's the only note-worthy accomplishment a woman can make.
keekee77
I was back in shape in a a couple of weeks after having mine and you know why? Because I didn't allow myself to turn into a fat pig just because I was pregnant. In fact, after my first one, I was in my pre-pregnancy jeans in under a week.
And before you blame "society" folks, you need to realize it's women who are the ones who read these stories and women are the ones who tear each other apart over weight and appearance. Do you think men read these stories and commiserate on who has the best post baby bod and who looks like a cow?
Because our society is made up of predominately heavy women, these fat asses demand that they be deemed attractive by society. While levels of acceptable weight may indeed fluctuate, fat women will never be considered desirable by society.
And for those of you who think being pregnant is a free pass, there is absolutely no medical reason to "eat for two". A normal intake of calories and a healthy diet is all that a baby needs. Breast feeding is also not a free pass. My second child weighed 9.5 when he was born. By the time he was three months old, he weighted 17 pounds and I was back at my normal weight within weeks.
I admire women who take pride in themselves after becoming mothers. So many turn into slobs who are still blaming pregnancy years after having a baby.
KateTheGreat
Ugh, so angry! You don't sound like someone who has many friends...snarly from low blood sugar dearie?
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
marvelmarve
I agree. Keekee77 sounds like a woman harboring a bitterness born out of isolation and loneliness. Perhaps that explains her outright meanness to others commenting on this article and her utter lack of empathy.
Valkyrie607
Naw, it's not "women" who tear each other apart.
It's YOU. YOU are tearing other women apart.
YOU who thinks that pregnant women or new mothers need some sort of "pass" to not fit into their old jeans. How arrogant and presumptuous and just generally jerky of you.
marvelmarve
You sound like a bitter troll. I feel sorry for any kid unfortunate to be born to you.
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alwaysapropos
There is no indication that the above commenter is overweight, but there is plenty of information with which to infer that you might not have a lot of friends. I have a below-average weight for my height, and I would never associate with someone like you. I hope you don't teach your children that their self-worth should hinge on their ability to stay thin. I hope they never face a disability that severely limits their movement or any other health problem that might prevent them from meeting whatever ideal body type you deem good enough - that would be tragic enough for a person who doesn't have a cruel and unsympathetic mother like you.
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nansense
Are you sure you've given birth to actual offpring, and aren't just a child yourself? Your rhetoric sounds more reminiscent of a five-year-old than an adult.
I appreciate that you value a woman's right to take pride in her body, but you are defining pride based on your own standards and no one else's. Many women luxuriate in their post-pregnancy curves and have just as much a right to do so as you have to force yourself back to a weight at which YOU feel comfortable. If you expect them to respect your choice, you ought to show some respect for theirs; not to mention the fact that you are fighting for a very American ideal that wouldn't hold much water elsewhere in the world, or even in another household down the street that celebrates a diversity of beauty.
For the record, the reason why women tend to continue supporting this kind of tabloid reporting, or tearing each other apart on weight-related issues, is because we live in a culture of self perpetuation, where body insecurity and body ideals are passed through generations of women, by women. We can be our own worst enemies and this is nothing new - take a look at where the majority of spoken and unspoken criticism of unmarried mothers came from, both now and in the past. I guarantee that it's not the average man that mastered the look of severe disapproval women have become so good at. And you can't blame everything on the priests.
I'm pretty sure nothing in my writing style will suggest whether I am a size 4 or a size 10, but I'm expecting some fattie-related comment anyway. So have fun with that.
grableca
i found the article well-written and the ideas in it compelling. i'm in my early 40s and have two young kids. i agree with the author that there is something disturbing about the pressure to erase evidence of childbirth, as if beauty/sexiness and visible signs of childbirth are mutually exclusive. that is a primitive, anti-woman and shitty ideal and we should work on changing it. here's a newsflash for all you who agree with this keekee person: some of us are mesomorphs. not all of us are ectomorphs, nor do wish to be. we are strong and fit and muscular and get nice and plump when we're pregnant. i highly recommend the psychological side effects of same (how delightful to stop fussing about calories and free up your mind for other stuff, like work or hobbies, for example. i'm a novelist and i did some of my best work when i was pregnant, i think because i felt released from fussing about stupid shite like calorie intake.) also, thin does not equal strong. i don't wish to reduce this to a scrawny vs. fatty dichotomy, but it does bear anecdotal comment that the only women i know who got through natural childbirth -- natural childbirth in an antagonistic hospital environment, in particular -- without intervention, went on to nurse with ease and kept up their strength during those challenging no-sleep months (years?) were build like brick shithouses (i count myself as one of 'em). i hold that knowledge close, still, whenever the skinny-jeans crowd pipes up. some of us are built to go the distance, not occupy overpriced denim. and i think we look pretty damn good.
marvelmarve
Ignore poor keekee77. He's a man parading as a woman and relishing insulting other women as he basks in their reactions.
natalie88
It sounds to me like the person with a weight complex is you. Why are you targeting these women? Pregnancy and nursing are very personal experiences and no one gives a fuck if you lost the weight in two weeks or not. Leave other people alone. Worry about yourself and get to working on your own weight issues, which happen to be in your brain instead of on your thighs.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
rba1975
keekee77,
I think that the issue being taken with you is your use of "fat pigs" and obvious disdain for anyone that doesn't meet your beauty ideal. I am very happy for you that you were able to not gain a lot of weight (which, in addition to eating carefully, is also genetically determined) as well as the fact that you have healthy children. But, that certainly does not give you the right to sit in judgement of the way other people live their lives and to express that judgement with such hatred and mockery. It leaves me only to think that you don't have much going on in your life other than controlling your eating. And that, dearie, is sad.
By the way, you're not calling anyone out on their BS. Your simply being a bigot! And while you may fit into a size 6, your ignorance is extremely unattractive. And by the way, you'd be even more attractive when you lose that sizable chip on your shoulder.
marvelmarve
You are obviously a man parading as a woman. Hope you feel better upsetting real women, using foul language, and just generally being a troll. What a sad little life you must lead.
carnyasada
I think it's pretty obvious: keekee77 is a man.
finderj
I do think it is very important to note that the author of the artilce wasn't referring to obesity, which is a medical condition.
She was talking about the extra 'curvage' common to women who have had children, even those who make it back into their pre-pregnancy jeans 2 weeks after giving birth.
And she has a point that American culture is far more interested in who has a bump than the actual process of giving birth.
And some people are just not kind about a few extra pounds. Obseity is NOT the issue. The issue is that most women are not genetically or financially able to look like Hollywood celebrities, particularly after childbirth.
Congratulations if you are one of the few who can.
marvelmarve
Keekee77 is obviously a man with nothing better to do than troll women by insulting and cursing at them. Ignore him.
LoriNYC
Why don't they just stay home....where they should be?
finderj
LOL!!!
JP1485
I gave birth to my first baby on Jan 9. Pre-baby I was 103lbs. Now, about 3 weeks later, I'm just under 110. I gained about 27lbs during my pregnancy (130 at my highest). Getting back into shape was important to me. As someone who has always been petite, I felt awkward and suffocated during and after pregnancy. I stayed healthy while pregnant - walking 5 days a week, taking pregnancy yoga classes, and eating healthy. I've never been a healthy eater, but doing so while pregnant and breastfeeding is very important to me. Now, I'm still walking everyday with baby in the jogger. Still eating healthy, still *trying* to do 10 minute yoga everyday. I respect women who want to get back into shape, but I also respect women who don't. It's a personal choice, and no woman should be judged for it. I think being healthy for yourself and baby is most important.
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