Post-partum body shaming
WOMEN across the world are body shamed every day because they do not fit someone’s idea of physically appealing. And unfortunately, not even recently post-partum moms get a pass, as they are expected to bounce back quickly after pregnancy, in the same way that some celebrity moms seem able to.
This has caught the attention of quite a few women of influence including international celebrities like Tia Mowry, who herself is just a few weeks post-partum. In a post shared with her fans on Facebook, the Sister Sister star shared a picture of her post-baby body in a bid to discredit societal expectations that women’s bodies should simply snap back immediately after pregnancy. Comparing her postpartum look to how she did while pregnant, Mowry said she looks like she is around four months pregnant and said that it was okay, as she encouraged other moms to embrace their not-so-perfect mom bodies.
But this was easier said than done for the women below that we spoke to, who found embracing their bodies to be especially hard, when the criticism was coming from friends and family.
Camille, 32, receptionist:
I remember it was last year about this time and I gave birth to my first child via caesarean section and it was very difficult for me to move around because of the bleeding and stuff. Anyway, after about four weeks when things were getting back to normal, I was cooking and cleaning up the kitchen and saw my boyfriend staring at me. I asked what was the problem. He said to me, “Babes, you should check out the gym in Linstead because the baby fat is going to get uglier on you. Get back your figure.” I was so shocked.
Tanice, 29, marketing specialist:
I was out with my two-week-old I think at the time, in the supermarket. A man in maybe his early 40s walked up to me in the aisle and asked me if I was sure there was not another one in there. To add insult to injury, this man told me that he was ready and available to be my fitness instructor because no girl as gorgeous as me should be stuck with a pouch.
Alicia, 39, teacher:
I remember when I had my second child, you know how some women tend to be bigger, and I fall into that category. I was juggling a job working from home, my toddler, and my four-week-old son, and so my mom offered to come and help. Anyway, one day while breastfeeding my son she goes, “I hear breastfeeding helps you to lose weight but that alone cannot help, you need to find a way to get off these baby pounds because I don’t know why you allowed yourself to get so big. If you’re not careful your husband is going start looking at other women if he hasn’t already started because this is a lot of weight“.
Tina, 27, store manager:
I remember wanting the salt water from the beach so bad because in my mind I thought it would help me to heal. I had a gorgeous bikini that I hadn’t worn before and was really excited to finally try it. Anyway, we get the beach and I soak up the sun a little and was ready for the sea. When I took off my cover up one of my friends said, “Ewww…” I covered up again and asked what’s wrong. I was so embarrassed when she said, “You should have chosen a one piece because you are really shrivelled”. It was painful. I’m much tighter in the abdominal area now, but if I had the confidence I do now two years ago, I would have put her in her place.
Dizzy, 35, entrepreneur:
I recall my husband poking my belly and saying, “But honey, it looks like this little fellow is now a permanent member of our family”. I was a little confused so I said “what?” And the man said, “This belly”. I laughed really hard at first because of how he said it, but it really hurt especially coming from him, who was dying to show off to his friends that he was not firing blanks.
