NYT: Can a Mom Get a Break?

[pamela]

Hilary Duff had a baby?!

That's the only Thing about this article that surprised me.

[heyjude]

Is this where we bitch how we haven't lost the baby weight yet and damn the media for thinking we should have by now? Sign me up for that.

Signed,
It's been 8 months and yeah, I'm still fat.

[aw]

Maybe it's because I'm in the rural Midwest, or because I don't read celebrity magazines or watch television, but I don't feel this pressure at all. I've been having babies and/or nursing for five years straight now. My body has fluctuated back and forth between looking pudgy and looking normal. And in between I don't ever feel like anyone is judging me for my body or how quickly I bounce back.

If anything, I feel like becoming a mother has given me more confidence in my body than ever. I'm not as thin as I used to be and I never will look like I did before I had kids again. But I'm fine with that, because I live in reality and am surrounded by normal women who all deal with the same reality. It probably helps that I have a husband who looks at my post-partum body and tells me how proud he is of what my body has given us. The shape of my body just isn't an issue.

In some ways I pity women who live this lifestyle and are surrounded by women who are putting pressure on them to look a certain way or are judging them for their bodies.

This article is a reminder to me of how important it is for me to keep this culture away from by baby girl as she grows up. I want her to be surrounded by women who are normal and healthy, and who will help her to create a normal body image. I think staying away from the television and the celebrity trash is key.

[sunny]

aw, your kids are so cute! I think the pressure is becoming more universal but california is definitely a place unto itself. my friends who've moved to LA are obsessed with fitness and looks per my facebook stalking. it's hard to say chicken-or-the-egg (e.g., do superficial people move to LA or does LA make you superficial?) but honestly when everyone else looks a certain way of course you feel intense pressure to fit in and yes they have all lost weight since they've moved there.

[NitaX]

One, I think that we do have some unrealistic expectations as to how one should look post baby. You aren't going to look like fashion/hollywood celebrities 4 months post baby because ? you don't have a personal chef and trainer. You don't have an entourage of nannies and hired hands to help you with a newborn so that you can spend 2 hours a day working out.

I haven't seen a gym in well over 10 yrs. Why? Because most gyms near me don't have childcare options. So, if I want to workout, I've gotta make do with a dvd and a jogging stroller. And that's cool because it saves me money.

Second, I think there needs to be some room for other opinions in this piece. My desire to get back into shape post baby doesn't have anything to do with me looking at magazine covers and thinking, I need to look like Jennifer Garner or who the hell ever after I drop this baby. I workout. I do it because I'm no good to my kids if I'm out of shape and worrying if I might have a heart attack. Do I want to look like a MILF? Hell yeah. I'm vain and I acknowledge that. But, bigger than that is a family history of high blood pressure and diabetes that takes people clean the fuck out. I workout to make sure I can be around to see my future grandkids and possibly even great-grandkids.

[emmybean]

Aug 18, 2012 22:37:04 GMT -5 NitaX said:

Second, I think there needs to be some room for other opinions in this piece. My desire to get back into shape post baby doesn't have anything to do with me looking at magazine covers and thinking, I need to look like Jennifer Garner or who the hell ever after I drop this baby. I workout. I do it because I'm no good to my kids if I'm out of shape and worrying if I might have a heart attack. Do I want to look like a MILF? Hell yeah. I'm vain and I acknowledge that. But, bigger than that is a family history of high blood pressure and diabetes that takes people clean the fuck out. I workout to make sure I can be around to see my future grandkids and possibly even great-grandkids.

Mostly this.

I lost the pregnancy weight so I could keep up with MPT. I work out 5-6 days a week and look like I do for me. If I would have tried to do it for any other reason I would be a bitter fucking failure.

[WOT?*]

Aug 18, 2012 14:29:06 GMT -5 heyjude said:

Is this where we bitch how we haven't lost the baby weight yet and damn the media for thinking we should have by now? Sign me up for that.

Signed,
It's been 23 years and yeah, I'm still fat.

Amended for me.

[robin]

Yeah, I started working out as soon as I could post baby b/c it made me feel better. It got me through horrendous days as a sahm of colicky twins who didn't sleep. it gave me energy. My post baby body was a bonus, but I didn't give a shit how I looked, I was just too hard headed to take meds for my anxiety and wanted to control it myself.

Anyhow, I just kind of laughed at this tl;dr article considering the source. Isnt she cause for some self loathing by post pregnant women?