Need quick thoughts on Celebs losing weight v quickly post pregnancy/and not putting much on during - how do we feel about this?

I actually felt more depressed by ordinary people assuring me that the fat would just all be burned off by breastfeeding than by celebrities. My fat stayed exactly where it was despite feeding a big fat boy for over a year. Another thing to fail at!
And I had some friends with babies my age that got slim again very quickly and I found that hard too. I was very self-conscious.

I couldn't give a running fart about whether a celeb has put on or lost weight pre, during or post pregnancy.
They obviously do, as image is their life, but it bears no relation to mine.
It is a shame that women may perceive that there is more pressure to be "back to normal" whatever that is post natally, immediately, but whether that is really celeb lead or whether it's another fence we've as women developed for ourselves to leap over I have no idea. We spend so much time trying to be everything for everyone and doing it perfectly that it wouldn't surprise me.
I'm too busy getting my norks out feedng the baba, and chained to the cooker trying to feed the others and thinking about getting back to work to even worry about losing weight. It would be nice though.....

I am in the camp of those who don't give a toss about slebs, pregnant or not

However I know a lot of people wouldn't fart unless they'd read that some no-mark was into farting this season. I'm not sure that is the slebs fault per se. I mean surely it is up to them if they want to get back into shape quickly. Presumably their careers depend on looking slim and attractive(well some of them).

If people feel bad about themselves because of something slebs do I think that the people themselves need to examine their motivation in life and their self-esteem.

I put on over 4 stone when pregnant. About 2 months after giving birth (and after losing 2 stone without any dieting), DH rather unhelpfully pointed out that Heidi Klum had been on a catwalk in a bikini 8 weeks after her son was born Obviously he realised this isn't normal, but still at magazines suggesting that it is.
Anyway, within 6 months of giving birth I had actually lost 5 stone and felt great, all through limited dieting and a lot of breastfeeding

I went from 8 stone to 9.5 during pregnancy, but then lost it all almost straight away. However that's just the way I am. I think for celebs to bang on about losing their baby weight and even to bring out videos encouraging women to lose it in a set time period is irresponsible.

If you breastfeed especially the extra weight can be very handy and you should't be dieting whilst breastfeeding. Seeing these superskinny mothers makes me wonder if they do breastfeed their babies - I think not.

It's unrealistic and downright dangerous to suggest that new mothers should lose all of their baby weight in a few weeks. In a feminist era I also find it unsettling that women still feel the need to look good at all times or somehow she's a failure.

i did not put much weight on with dd cos i was sick all the way through. i seem to remember it just came off and i was pretty much back to normal.

with ds i could eat and eat i did and i got fairly big i suppose. after i had him the weight did not drop off but it was just before christmas. i started at slimming world in the may wearing maternity trousers.

i dont think the pressure was from celebrities but more that i did not want to buy a new wardrobe and my eating habits were just terrible. i lost nearly two stone and have put a stone back on (ds is two in nov)

I think it is setting yet another precedent that us ordinary mortals cannot possibly live up to. Moreover, it's unnatural - our 'baby fat' is there for a reason.

I felt alot of pressure to lose weight. I only had a tiny bump, but put on weight breast feeding and went from pre-preg size 8-10 to post baby 14-16.

I felt huge pressure to lose weight, but refused to diet as I was breast feeding, even joined a gym, and went 4 times a week but didn't lose a pound.
I kept saying '9months up, 9 months down', but I didnt really mean it. I just felt people were judging me for putting on the weight, or being too lazy for not losing it. I was eating more, but I was always so hungry! It was a vicious circle - was iserable cos i was overweight so i ate to cheer myself up.

Eventually I lost the weight when I stopped breasst feeding at 10 months, and I'm glad now that I didn't succomb to the pressure as I gave my dd the best start in life, and i plan on BFing DC2 (Due in 2 days) but I will be watching what I eat, going for more sensible options than strawberry cheesecake!

"On the back of this article The Sunday Telegraph have asked what Mumsnetters think out the pressure on women to stay in shape during their pregnancies."

Wait a minute, I've read that article and as much as it's the DM it's a sensible article, research showing if you RESTRICT your calories during pregnancy to less than your body needs then there might be consequences to your child, if you eat a sensible diet where calories in = calories out then the majority of women will not put on a huge amount of weight during pregnancy that is not baby related and it is well known that staying fit can make the labour easier.

As people have already stated celebs jobs are to look good, they can have healthy pregnancies without putting on loads of weight, continue exercising and once the baby is born they have a support network of chefs and personal trainers to get back into shape made easier by the fact they probably didn't allow themselves to get out of shape during the pregnancy.

exactly ljkk, it's their JOB to look good. when accountants go back after maternity leave i'm sure they're not particularly inclined to be honest about the fact that placenta brain has left them unable to add 2 and 2 together.

I didn't feel any pressure myself when I was pregnant, however I hate reading in magazines about how well celeb X has done in losing 4 stone in 2 weeks. It does my head in.

I don't care what slebs look like, pre- post- or other-partum. I don't care if they look like scrawny skeletons or hippos. They aren't role models to me, they don't matter to me, I don't understand why anybody cares about them.

But I will observe... With their money, they should be able to afford to look 'good' after having a baby, it would surprise me if they didn't, given their livelihood is usually their looks, they have to take great care about that asset.

I think its made worse by the celebs themselves saying that the weight jsut dropped off them, bfing is the micracle cure for weight loss after pregnancy etc etc etc...
It would be refreshing for them to actually admit what it takes for them to lose the weight...hey it would be good if they would all tell the truth about what they eat rather than claiming that they all eat like horses and can't put the weight on!
(and yes I realise that people do exist like this but really, every single female celeb in the whole world???)

I am quite encouraged by celebs that do get fat (like Catherine Zeta Jones and Liz Hurley) and I wish I could afford their combo of maternity nurse, trainer and chef to get the flab off afterwards, frankly.

I think its pretty subtle - although I know that papers print rubbish (esp daily mail etc).. I was surprised about how mcuh I minded putting on weight and then the shape my body was in..I don't think its entirely celeb mags (although it does add to the general culture of thinking its ok to comment on women for looks/thinness) but I do think that there is a general lack of realistic sensible advice on exercise trhough pregnancy and diet/exericse afterwards..

i find it depressing that women are thougth of as so stupid by the newspapers that serves them (DM being a classic wifey's paper) that they think this stuff actually does influence our behaviour. i know a dm journalist who told me wrt to their stories 'if it's not hurting it's not working'. nice.

I was very shocked, upset and depressed by my body after having my first baby. I had no idea I was so fat, I focussed on my bump. I was still stones overweight and breastfeeding did NOT make it all melt away as I had been told. I have struggled with my weight ever since, and yes, it does get me down. I'm not sure I compared myself with pregnant/new mother celebs though - I compared myself with how I was just nine months before.
BUT I couldn't help getting so fat. I ate super-healthily, got my five a day and more, ate fish, didn't drink, loads of salad - a mjuch healthier diet than my pre-pregnant one. It was mostly changes in my hormones and metabolism that made me gain stones and stones of fat in such a comparatively short time. I think to be told that research showed I had probably damaged my precious new baby and predisposed them to a lifetime of obesity and ill health would have made me practically suicidal at that point.
Sometimes you just can't HELP gaining weight or not gaining weight in pregnancy. Yes, I know the research is valid etc, but god, it's depressing. YOu just can't win and it's all your fault!

But agree that these celebrities don;t have mormal body types to begin with so will not have a normal post pregnancy figure.

I find it disapointing that loosing baby weight seems to be equated with succeess as a mother and there almost seems to be a desire to deny the motherhood process. I can remember writing about this topic when studying and reading loads of articles in glossies by new mums and the only mention of time spent with the baby was when one celebrtity said she spent time every day using her dd as a substitute dumb bell.

I think women should not give a toss about "celebrity" Mums but unfortunately some do, and some will try and emulate.

It doesn't help when newspapers publish photos of the likes of Nicole Kidman, days before she gives birth heading off to the gym (looking stick thin with a bump that is more like the average 4/5month bump).

Those pregnant women (and they are out there)who aspire to have that sort of figure may feel that they are a failure by not going to the gym right up to birth or not working out for 4 hrs a day post-natally.

There are also celebs who almost hide from the limelight when pregnant as if theres something to be embarrassed about in putting on weight (Posh springs to mind -you see very few photos of her pregnant)

OTOH those that are photographed are deemed to be huge/bloted/overweight, with articles that mock how much extra weight they've put on.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't in the medias eyes

Effie: Strangely nobody commented on my size when I gained 5 stone. I think they were all too embarrassed! I am 5' 11' but still it was alot to gain. Some of it (about one stone?) was down to bad water retention and my ankles were like elephants. This time all I get told is "you are so small".

FWIW I am not sure how much you eat has the any relevance to how much you gain. I have eaten more healthily in this pregnancy than I do normally and I have exercised more. However my body reacts to the faintest hint of HCG by piling on the pounds.

atri: I put on 2.5 stone with DS and you wou ld be amazed at the comments I got on how big I was getting (and I'm 5'8 so it was actually not a massive amount for my frame)

Surely more people could do it if they wanted to? It's just more important if it's your job NOT to 'eat for two' etc and pile on six stone you then can't lose for ages afterwards. Their real lives are different to ours. I didn't eat much more when I was pregnant, only put on a bump and then lost it quickly. But then, I like being slim more than I like cake. Weird, I know. BTW I have no issue with people who do take ages to lose weight - we are all leading our own lives etc and slebs need to look thin etc to get paid/ avoid being trashed in tatty mags.

Oh I can say loads about this having had a 'concealed pregnancy'.

But must dash to get DS from preschool, so just posting now to put it in my active convos.

Lol at somments saying people know of others who have put on two or three stone in pregnany. That is not alot guys. It is within normal guidelines.

With DD I put on five stone... By 7 months post-partum I had lost six stone so was lighter than before I started. Six months into this pregnancy I have put on one and a half stone and I reckon that is a really good amount to have gained. If I can get to nice months with a 2.5 - 3 stone gain I will be VERY pleased with myself.