To think that Stacey Dooley isn't a realistic new mum role model for women

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I picked out Stacey Dooley because I've just been reading about her but I know this applies to many other celebrities. She gave birth to her daughter in January and she's already back to work and attending events. She's also posted photos of her slim post baby body and trendy, flattering outfits on social media. Obviously it depends on your experience of pregnancy and giving birth but does this image of post natal motherhood put pressure on women? To me, I see it as unrealistic for the majority of women, including myself and my own experiences. Why can't celebrities share more honest, typical reflections of early motherhood that the majority can relate to.

What do people think?

Does she need to be a role model to every woman? She's just doing what she does.

Lots of famous people only make money if they are working. It's a changeable industry. Presumably they went into motherhood knowing they would be working fairly quickly after the birth?

I think it depends on how they are promoting their recovery. If they are slim after birth it could be just luck.
I actually loose weight during pregnancy (I put on weight of the baby but loose weight everywhere else). Probably due to nausea and carrying around the baby. 1 month after my c section my stomach was completely flat. More than it is now!
It's not because I work hard or exercise, it's literally just luck of how I heal and not overeating.

I also think on the other side, you can't blame being overweight on a pregnancy that occurred 5 years ago! However, I'm not saying every mum should want to loose weight and certainly should be fully recovered before trying to do so.

Ultimately people in the public eye are more image conscious, hardly surprising when they face judgement from others.

I think there's too much emphasis on the whole role model thing in general. You see people on MN saying 'popstar X isn't a good role model for my child'. Who says they have any interest in being a role model.

This is just a different type of mum shaming. Don’t look if you don’t like it!

It is realistic, for her.

That's all that matters

Sheridan Smith made a good documentary about her struggles with mental health and pregnancy a few years back and it was so refreshing to see a celebrity share a more honest account of it all.

It's only a more honest account to those who went through the same though isn't it? Many women sail through their pregnancies and return to pre baby size in weeks so that would be their honest account.

And in the clip I saw of Stacey she was celebrating still having her bump, nothing wrong with that either

I mean no disrespect to Stacey but it was just a photo shoot advertising it was hardly "down pit"

I was in hospital with a lady who walked out wearing her size 10 pre pregnancy jeans 2 days after giving birth. It wasn't even her first child! Some women just seem to be made of elastic.

I returned to work when DD was 6 weeks old. I also weighed less at 9 months pregnant than at conception due to severe HG. Neither of those things make me a role model, both were awful and, frankly, I wish that neither of them had been the case.

She’s real and therefore she’s realistic.

I think that's unfair. I struggled after having my daughter. But after my son I was back at work 10 days later (self employed ) and was very active socially.

I think I might have altogether missed the bit where Stacey Dooley has said she’s a role model for new mums?

I’m pretty small, and even just before delivery I looked like I was just very bloated, instead of 39 weeks pregnant and about to deliver. Some months later and I was back in my old clothes. I suppose I’m not realistic. I know quite a few other women who experienced pregnancy and post-partum changes like me, maybe they’re not realistic either.

We’re all different, our bodies do different things, and nobody should be judged for their bodies - can we just please accept that at last, it’s 2023 for crying out loud. Thanks.

It’s fine for women to lose weight and look good after birth. As long as they want to do it and do not feel coerced.

I was a flabby mess for months. But I was tired and didn’t want to to prioritise exercise and am not a celeb. That’s ok too.

Celeb appearances have nothing to do with me and have zero bearing on my self-esteem. They are truly irrelevant to how I lead my life.

100% this!

My abdomen bounced back straight after birth to pre-pregnancy flatness (i.e. not actually flat) but then got progressively more baby bump like for the next six weeks or so before retracting back again like most women. Very odd. I have pictures somewhere.

Why is it Stacey Dooley's job to be a good role model for new mums?

Can't she just be a regular human being doing her mumming in whichever way she sees fit?

Her job is making documentarys and dancing in reality shows, why is her private life anyone else's business?

OhTinyBear…. Well said!

Rihanna was carrying a bit of baby weight/belly before her second pregnancy and the Internet was calling her fat.

Celebrities just cannot win 🤷🏾‍♂️

Is she trying to be a role model for other new mothers though? Or is she just existing?

It seems like when people talk about an ‘honest’ take on motherhood they generally just mean negative.

You’re literally complaining that she’s wearing nice trendy clothes? Fuck sake give the woman a break. She’s wearing what she feels good in.

Sorry but it's not her responsibility to make you feel good about herself. If she has prioritised her career and her body, that's 100% her perogative.

You do you.

YABU. You can’t hide other women away because their experience was different to yours and you don’t like it.

She’s just wearing the clothes she normally wears, doing the job she normally does isn’t she? I was thinner two weeks after pregnancy than I’d been for about 10 years… god knows why except possibly 405 hours worth of cluster feeds. I was back in my ‘normal clothes’ (albeit I’m not as fancy a dresser as her), walking dogs, meeting people etc. I was no better a person than my friend who stayed home in her joggers for 4 months, we both just did what kept us sane at that point.

I didn't think Stacey D has been doing that.

She basically hid away at first. She's self employed so has to return to work quickly. She's posted a video of her working and Kevin in the background with the baby. He's already back on tour as well.

She's promoting something that was filmed in the early stages of her pregnancy so any publicity shots most likely taken then.

I've seen her mostly in her signature baggy outfits.

I just had to Google this to see it with my own eyes!!! OMG 🤣🤣

I was back I my pre pregnancy size 6/8 clothes within weeks of giving birth. Not all women gain tons of weight in pregnancy. My tummy went back to flat pretty quickly. My experience might be less usual but it is still 'real'. Should I have avoided posting pictures?

I sort of disagree. There's been a few women I know that have popped straight back into shape and have also put the baby in daycare at 6weeks old to go out. Everyone wants and needs different things and they got slated for it. Unduly. We don't know others lives. And if influencers or Stacey who ever want to do that we shouldn't dismiss it because it's not 'the norm'. We should support women and mums. Whatever their income, size, career or choices. If their baby is warm and fed and cared for why should we be 'pissed off' 'angry' or any negative emotion. You do you