Meghan Markle’s much-awaited first public appearance after pregnancy is gaining attention for all the right reasons. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared their “first public moment as a family” with two-day-old Archie in their official Instagram handle, where Meghan looked radiant in a white sleeveless trench dress. Her decision to show off her postpartum figure with the post-baby bump and swollen feet has garnered praises in social media for keeping it ‘real’ and thereby sending across the message that real-world postpartum bodies are nothing to be ashamed of.
Meghan had already grabbed attention by not making a public appearance with Baby Sussex at the hospital entrance for pictures, as it has been the royal tradition always. By giving herself time for some recovery after the birth of her baby and evading media pressure, she reinforces the message that it is a sensitive period and that women should be given enough time for the physical recovery.
However, not all celebrities in the past have been lucky in receiving social media appreciation as they had to undergo the unrealistic pressure of looking ‘perfect’. Celebrities like Sarah Michelle Gellar, Heidi Klum, and Natalia Vodianova in the past have set the bar really high by fitting into ‘skinny jeans’ and taking to the catwalk a mere two weeks after giving birth. Celebrity and celebrity baby obsession have reached new heights where gossip columns act as fashion police to scrutinize and criticize the swollen ankles, plump thighs, baby bump and puffy faces of the new celebrity mothers.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is one among the many celebrities who faced immense criticism for not losing the postnatal weight ‘fast enough’. The growing paparazzi culture had trolled her mercilessly for not looking ‘picture-perfect’. While many celebrities suffer silently, some of them have come out in the public about their struggles. Celebrities like Drew Barrymore, Kate Winslet, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Amy Adams and many others have been vocal about the postpartum body issues. Kristen Bell confidently told The Today Show “Who cares? I didn't lose my baby weight for over a year. And when I look down, even now, at the extra skin on my belly, it's a reminder that I've done something spectacular. It's a reminder that I'm a superhero. And I'm proud of it”.
Research published by HHS Public Access established that post-partum depression can be associated with substantial weight retention in the first postpartum year. For many women, returning to pre-pregnancy weight is a challenge. Approximately 14–25% of women are at least 5 kg heavier in the first year after their delivery. However, few studies have examined the association of psycho-social factors, particularly depression, with weight retention and obesity postpartum. The above-mentioned study has reported a strong correlation between depression and BMI at 4 months postpartum, leading to myriad feelings of irritability, guilt-trip, and even suicidal thoughts.
So when celebrities like Meghan Markle unabashedly show-off their baby-bumps; widened thighs and swollen feet, they help in normalizing the postpartum bodies. These gestures from the celebrities send out the message that women are still beautiful after childbirth.