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Scroll through your social media feeds, and you will come across many new mothers reclaiming their bodies in no time. Sometimes, their posts make you believe that getting back in shape after pregnancy is child’s play. But guess what? The reality is altogether different. Remember you didn’t gain weight in a day, so the same applies to postpartum weight loss. And this period after conceiving is not easy; it has its highs and lows, but accepting and embracing how your body looks is the first step.
That’s exactly what these three celebs — Bollywood actor Neha Dhupia, fitness instructor Zoe Modgill and influencer Diipa Khosla — have spoken about in recent times. Take a leaf out of their journeys to understand the reality behind postpartum weight. Because trust us, they only preach what they practice.
During an Instagram Live on her Freedom To Feed page, Dhupia was asked if she had tips for weight loss post pregnancy. Here’s what she had to say, “You’ve got to love your body. You can’t look at your body and be like, ‘Hey, I don’t love my body’. If you’re going through that, give yourself a little bit of credit; actually a lot of credit. You have just given birth.”
She added that women have the superpower to give life to someone, so it’s important to acknowledge that instead of just chasing weight loss.
“And more than that, slowly but surely, you are fully going to be able to get around it. And whatever your weight is, just feel extremely healthy and confident about it. Don’t beat yourself up for it, please, please don’t! And don’t be in a rush to jump back,” shares Dhupia.
Modgill, in a recent Instagram post, shared how she feels that her body is slowing down, since she hasn’t worked out for over three weeks after delivering her baby. Although she makes it a point to eat healthy, breastfeeding has caused a massive increase in her appetite.
Describing her current state, she added, “My lower abdomen is still swollen, and my uterus will still take a couple of weeks to shrink. My C-section area is still numb and sensitive; turning or twisting is uncomfortable. My skin below my scar is sagging and the conscious effort to practice core engagement is not always on my mind , and many times I prefer to just let it hang, because well I’m kind of exhausted. Breastfeeding and holding baby Zai (a wriggly newborn) has made my shoulders and back very rounded and full of tension all day long, resulting in me feeling like a hunchback.”
She also explained that lack of sleep or routine in her life has been hard. Her mind is full of emotions, sometimes stress, worry and other times joy and happiness – sometimes within a 15-minute window!
“I don’t think there is anything that can prepare you for the roller coaster that is motherhood. I cannot believe that I will ever find a sense of routine or complete ease when I look at it now, but my fellow mamas out there assure me that it gets easier,” said Modgill.
She has also been open about flaunting her postpartum weight on social media.
Also Read: Dear new moms, here’s how to view postpartum weight through a positive lens!
The global influencer shared her trials and tribulations about postpartum weight and body on her Instagram page. “Curious about what a 3.5 month postpartum body may look like? Well here she is in all her bravery and strength! After receiving countless DMs from fellow mommas asking how ‘I got my body back so soon’, I decided to share the reality of how giving birth really transforms your body. To be frank I am still not used to the extra bits of skin I’m in and I am still confronted by the lingering insecurities that bombard my mind from time to time.”
While she is doing everything possible to eat healthy and following an exercise regime, Khosla said that she knows her body will never be the same as it once was, and that’s perfectly okay.
“This body was once a home to another human being. This same body that I stand in today, nurtured and developed the same baby I hold in my arms now. So how could I not be kind and patient with it? These are the battle scars of motherhood in its bare form. Although I still haven’t managed to fully accept them (especially during the summertime), I have decided to wear them with pride,” she said.
Khosla, who proudly flaunted her stretch marks and wrinkles in a picture, urged all mothers to be more honest about the ups and downs of motherhood. “Every woman will react, recover and change in a different way; in her own way, and that is not only okay. It’s beautiful. Even though I will continue to Even though I will continue to work hard to regain the physique I once had, I will also strive to wear and look whatever way I want, with pride and accomplishment!.”
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