A few short weeks ago, a little baby was delivered to a Princess. He was named George, and his mother proudly stepped out of the hospital with a round belly as she cradled her son in her arms.
Mothers around the world rejoiced — she had a baby bump! she was normal! — and the Princess took her baby home.
Fast forward seven weeks and the same Princess stepped onto a red carpet, in a glittering floor-length gown, straight out of an haute couture fairy tale.
She looked a million bucks: glossy mane, towering Jimmy Choos, and absolutely no baby weight.
And just like that the Princess became a Princess again, separated from us mere mortals by more than just a posh title.
The Duchess of Cambridge is not the only famous mother who is shedding her baby weight fast.
Kim Kardashian was pictured for one of the first times last week since the birth of her baby daughter, North, with a cinched-in belt and tight pants. Apparently traumatised over the ribbing she received for putting on weight while pregnant, the normally publicity-hungry star has been keeping a very low profile.
Meanwhile, back in reality, I went to visit a friend who has a four-week-old son. She looked tired as she answered the door, and smelt vaguely of baby vomit.
Her baby boy is terribly cute, but she is struggling with breastfeeding, the lack of sleep and the complete shock a baby entering your life creates.
Her baby belly is still there, as is the extra weight she put on all over her body.
But despite the extra weight she doesn’t look “bad” … she just looks like a normal new mum, tired but elated, heavier but happier.
She confessed she felt “fat”, and said the endless diets and exercise programs aimed at new mothers made her feel inadequate for still carrying extra weight.
It’s a sad reality when the first few weeks of your baby’s life are consumed with thoughts about how to look like your old self again.
And the truth is, you won’t ever look the same.
Maybe your breasts will be forever larger, engorged by the process of breastfeeding. Or maybe they’ll shrink away to nothing: a reminder of your prepubescent self.
Your hips might be wider, your stomach left scarred by stretchmarks. Almost certainly, the bags under your eyes will be darker, as you adjust to your screaming bundle of joy.
As well, you will have “that” friend who, like the Duchess, will seemingly pop back into shape overnight, without a fitness regime or diet in sight.
The real issue is not whether you struggle to lose your baby weight or not, it’s that it is an issue at all. Women should not be made to feel bad about carrying extra weight post-partum. If it becomes a health issue, that’s different, but pregnancy pounds occur for a reason.
Yep, the Duchess looked a million bucks on that red carpet last week, but us mere mortals can’t compare our lifestyles to hers. Plus, designer frock or not, she still has a baby that screams through the night.
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