While the world has come a long way in terms of body positivity and inclusivity, society still has a ways to go when it comes to the pressure new mums feel to “bounce back” to their pre-baby body.
And celebrities who live their lives in the spotlight are definitely not immune to these unrealistic beauty standards – particularly in the Instagram age.
Whether it’s well-curated posts of mum and bub leaving hospital or bounce-back bikini snaps, postpartum bodies are often shared through a filter – ignoring the very real way in which women’s bodies change throughout pregnancy.
So it’s refreshing to see a growing number of celebrity mums open up about the realities of motherhood, from embracing new stretch marks and pigmentation to loving love-handles.
Keep scrolling to see our favourite celebrities open up about how they felt about their new bodies as mums.
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Tiffiny Hall
The former Biggest Loser trainer got refreshingly candid on her postpartum body and the pressures mums face shortly after welcoming her second child, a daughter named Vada, with husband Ed Kavalee.
Tiff broke down in tears as she revealed the toll her emotions have taken on her since Vada’s May 30 birth. “Even I am standing in the mirror looking at my new body, Vada’s house, my big bump. And it’s really hard to accept that it’s going to take time,” she said through tears in an Instagram video.
Tiff, who shared this postpartum body photo shortly after Vada’s birth, said her and Ed’s four-year-old son Arnold kept questioning “why her tummy is so big.”
“Bless him. He has no filter. He keeps saying: ‘Is there another baby in there mum?’ No. I’m trying to explain to him that it takes a long time for bodies to go back to normal and that it’s hard. It’s hard to accept it but you have to take one day at a time and you have to be kind to yourself. You can’t let those negative thoughts enter the brain because everything the mind says the body hears.”
Jules Robinson
In January 2022, one year after welcoming her first child with husband Cam Merchant, former MAFS star Jules Robinson urged other new mums to shift their focus away from simply becoming “thin”.
“I don’t want anyone to feel I am letting them down by losing weight,” she told 9Honey. “I’ve been a size 10 and I’ve been a size 18. I’ve always felt confident. This is a healthy choice for me. I want to lose the weight before my next pregnancy. I want to have another child so for me personally, I didn’t want to put on another 20 kilos on top of the 20 kilos I put on when I had Oli.”
Jules, who said she loved watching her body grow during her first pregnancy, said she felt “ready” to lose her baby weight eight months after having Ollie. “You have to be patient with yourself. So for the first eight months I wasn’t interested in losing weight,” she said.
Fiona Falkiner
Five months after the birth of her first child Hunter, Fiona shared a body positivity message for mothers struggling to lose their baby weight. In August 2021, Fiona shared photos of her postpartum body – one with her tights pulled over her stomach and one baring it all to remind women “how different bodies can look with just a slight adjustment of clothing”.
“To all the mammas out there struggling with self-love and body confidence, I hear you! It’s not easy,” she wrote. “On the days I struggle with my body [partner] Hayley reminds me that my tummy, or ‘Hunter’s Pouch’ as she affectionally nicknamed it, carried our beautiful son for 9 months keeping him warm and safe until he arrived in our arms.”
The former Biggest Loser star said her fiancée’s reassurance was the “perfect reminder” to be kinder to herself. “The female body is incredible! So here it is in all her glory my pouch. It’s a reminder to never compare yourself to anyone else. Just live your own life and be happy!” she wrote.
Jesinta Franklin
The model has learned to embrace her new body after welcoming two kids with husband Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin. “I’ve had two babies in the space of 13 months, which is crazy, so my body doesn’t look the same as it did before, but I feel differently towards it now,” Jesinta told the Herald Sun in August 2021.
“I did feel a bit different being in a bikini, but it doesn’t bother me. There’s some rolls, cellulite, stretch marks and to me that’s all beautiful.”
Jana Pittman post-partum belly
Meghan Markle
While she didn’t post a selfie, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex gained the praise of mums around the world after she decided to wear a dress that brought attention to her postpartum body (as opposed to wearing a flowing dress that would have hidden it) after giving birth to her first child Archie in 2019.
The comments poured in on the family photo, posted on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s official Instagram account. “I hope this makes people more aware that it’s normal to still look pregnant after giving birth. She looks gorgeous,” wrote one person, while another said Meghan “actually showed [her bump] with pride and showed what it really looks like after birth,” and noticed that she “isn’t hiding away until she gets her figure back.”
Alex Nation
The Bachelor alum never expected to be shamed for looking too slim after having a baby. After welcoming her second child in August 2021, the 30-year-old spoke out about receiving cruel comments on social media claiming her body wasn’t “real” enough.
“The amount of negative/nasty comments and private messages that I have received about my body is disappointing,” she wrote in a lengthy statement shared to Instagram in February 2022 – six months after giving birth. “I’m not mad, I’m not hurt. I’m disappointed that in 2022 women are still picking apart each others appearances. Still shaming each other for being too thin, too fat, too muscly, too curvy.”
Alex, who has a naturally slender build, was shamed for revealing her lean figure in photos, videos and Stories on her account. But she was quick to remind her followers that you can never judge someone’s health – physical or mental – on their figure alone, especially after giving birth.
“I carried my son for nine months. I experienced significant change, mentally and physically,” she penned.
Steph Claire Smith
The Instagram model and fitness entrepreneur initially struggled to embrace her post-baby body, but shared an encouraging message to other mothers. In June 2021, two months after welcoming her first son Harvey, Steph shared photos of her sensational curves.
“Currently in my postpartum body, I’ll be honest, I’m not feeling 100% myself. But I think that’s because I’m not that same person I was 12 months ago, and when I really think about that, I’m okay with it, as I love being the new me, mother to Harvey. I’m excited to regain my strength,” she penned on Instagram. “Looking at starting from scratch as an exciting challenge and being kind to myself along the way.”
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