MEGHAN Markle has been praised for showing off her post-baby bump as she introduced Baby Sussex to the world today.
Following in Kate Middleton’s footsteps, the Duchess of Sussex didn’t hide her stomach from the cameras as she proudly stood with her “two best guys in the world”.
Speaking to Fabulous Digital, Dr Carol Cooper said: “I’m really pleased she hasn’t tried to squeeze into size 8 jeans like a lot of celebs do.
“When they do that, they’re actually doing something completely unnatural.
“They’re usually starving themselves and exercising too much, which is the last thing you should be doing when you’ve got a new baby.
“The only exercises you should be doing at this point are pelvic floor exercises.”
With the pictures some celebs post, it could be easy to think you simply ‘snap back’ into shape after having a baby.
But medical professionals insist this expectation is completely false – and your bump doesn’t just disappear when you give birth.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and Clinical Director of Patient.info, said: “The womb doesn’t shrink back to its normal size overnight.
“By the time you give birth, the womb has expanded to fit a full sized baby. It takes 6-8 weeks.
“Your body will also have been laying down fat stores to feed the baby, in case of sudden famine.”
Dr Carol agreed, adding: “You gain weight when you’re pregnant, only about half of it is the baby.
“The rest of it is fatty tissue which you put on for hormone reasons, the oestrogen and other hormones for pregnancy make you gain fluid and fat.
“You don’t lose it immediately, it takes time to get back to normal.
“Also the muscles are all loose after you’ve had a baby in there.
“The muscles are not holding your organs in quite as snuggly as they were before you were pregnant. All of that will return, but it’s a really bad thing to rush it.
By mum-of-two Lebby Eyres, 47, from London
I’m sure mums everywhere breathed a massive sigh of relief when Meghan Markle stepped out after the birth of Baby Sussex, showing off a very obvious post-partum bump.
The Duchess looked impeccable, with shiny locks, nude heels and fresh, natural make-up – but how refreshing to see, under her gorgeous white Givenchy frock, the normal, natural curves of someone who has been nurturing a baby for nine months!
As a former celebrity magazine editor, and a mum-of-two, I can’t tell you what a difference this will make to normal women everywhere, who are still made to feel that there’s something wrong with having a bulge after giving birth.
Time and time again, we’ve seen celeb mums show off incredibly flat stomachs on the steps of hospitals or in magazine shoots as they pose for their ‘baby reveals’.
But what’s not always obvious from those pap shots or glossy photos is the stuff that’s gone on behind the scenes, and how unrealistic it is for any of us mere mortals to expect to look like that after having a baby.
I’m talking, of course, about the dreaded airbrush, which can make any new mum’s tum magically flatter, or the Spanx underneath a well-upholstered dress that similarly magics away any sign of a bulge.
Or the even more dreaded ‘mummy tuck’, which celebrities often book in alongside their Caesareans – sometimes to take place days in advance of their actual due date, in order to lessen those last stretch mark-inducing days of pregnancy.
While there are some celebs, like Abbey Clancy, who genuinely do have tiny bump, there are plenty of others who employ the methods above to make it look like they’ve snapped back into their size eights.
Or, like Kim Kardashian, they simply hide away for six months while their womb contracts back to its usual size – with a team of personal trainers and dietitians help them lose the extra pounds.
But why should they feel the need to do this? As Meghan has shown, there is simply nothing more beautiful than a glowing new mum introducing her baby to the world, curves and all.
And to give credit where it’s due, she’s almost certainly following the example set by Kate Middleton, who also bravely revealed a distinct bump in the hours after George’s birth.
Bravo to both of them – and let’s hope other celebs follow suit.
It took nine months to grow that baby, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect it to take nine months – or more – to lose the weight too!
“You take nine months to get large, you’re going to take four months or more to get back to normal.”
If any mums are looking to speed things along, breastfeeding is a good place to start.
Dr Carol said: “Breastfeeding burns calories and makes the womb contract back down more quickly.
“That is the main benefit, it helps get the uterus back into shape and also means the mum loses less blood.”
Taking to Twitter, women praised: “Say what you will about the royals but the only famous women I’ve seen proudly and publicly show off their post baby bellies have been Kate and Meghan.
“Not so long ago I was under the illusion that a pregnancy bump immediately flattened after labour.”
While a second lady gushed: “I’m so pleased Meghan has appeared clearly still with a bump! YES to this! #royalbaby”.
And a third said: “Adore the fact Meghan Marke looks so much more like most normal woman postpartum.
“Obvs she is glam AF here, but she actually looks like someone who just gave birth. Post baby bump, the natural baby weight and that lovely new mum glo”.
We also revealed how Baby Sussex is the spitting image of his proud mum Meghan when she was a baby.
