Celebrities really have a lot of pressure on them to look good while pregnant; however, the scrutiny intensifies once they’ve given birth. Many women want to know how to lose baby weight, and they turn to new celebrity moms, who always seem to lose baby weight very quickly. In fact, according to a survey of 7,000 new moms conducted by BabyCenter.com, the question of how to lose baby weight is constantly on new moms’ minds—and unlike the way celebrities portray it, it’s not easy to do.
The study found that 61% of new moms thought they would lose baby weight and be back to their pre-pregnancy body quickly, and, at most, by the time the baby turned one—but when they asked moms with one-year-olds, they found that nearly 60% hadn’t lost all their baby weight. The expectation that causes new moms to race around and wonder how to lose baby weight quickly is, in part, enhanced by the fact that celebrity moms show off their new, slim bodies right away.
New mom Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is no exception. While the media praised her for leaving the hospital in a fitting gown, without hiding her post-delivery baby bump, she’s now being criticized after she was seen grocery shopping in skinny jeans and a thin sweater, which revealed that she’s definitely got the answer to the question of how to lose baby weight quickly. The images show the duchess looking thin and having a flat stomach, with no signs that she had just given birth a month ago. A source told Us Weekly that she hasn’t been actively exercising to lose weight, but instead has lost weight from breastfeeding, doing some yoga, and spending time taking long walks while she’s staying with her parents in Anglesey, Wales. It’s a line we’ve heard before from many other celebrity new moms: that breastfeeding and just the hectic period after giving birth is really the key to know how to lose baby weight.
But while that may work for celebrities like Kate Middleton, it doesn’t work for the average mom. Even a year or two after giving birth, the survey found that 87% of new moms said their belly hadn’t returned to normal yet. And flipping through magazines of celebrities who seemingly know how to lose baby weight fast doesn’t help.
It’s important to realize that every body is different. Kate Middleton didn’t seem to gain much weight during her pregnancy at all, and you can bet that behind closed doors, she has a personal trainer to get her down to her pre-pregnancy shape—that’s something that most new moms can’t afford. Like any other time in your life, just focusing on getting down to a certain number won’t help, and will distract you from one of the most enjoyable periods of your life. Instead of worrying how to lose baby weight quickly, focus on healthy ways you can start to lose your baby weight naturally and feel good about yourself, such as by eating healthy meals, going for walks with your baby, and spending time outdoors.
You may not lose all the baby weight in a month like Kate Middleton, but you’ll feel better and stronger than ever—all while enjoying your new bundle of joy.
