Dear Media, Weight Gain Post Pregnancy Isn’t Shocking, It’s Natural

Post-pregnancy weight gain is something all new mums deal with after they welcome their bundle of joy in their lives. But is it fair to fat-shame a new mum and compare her post-pregnancy body with the one before it? Do people not realise that such comments can distress a new mum, who already has a lot on her plate? Which is why anyone who fat shames a new mother should be ashamed of themselves.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• New mother and actor Neha Dhupia called out a media house on Twitter for fat shaming her in an article, "Neha Dhupia Shocking Weight Gain Post Pregnancy At Femina Stylista West 2019”.
• What is so shocking about Neha Dhupia’s weight gain? Is she the first woman on earth who gained extra pounds post pregnancy?
• Every woman’s body is different. Thus its response to something as monumental as pregnancy is different.
• No sooner has a woman gained even a pound due to any reason, there will be someone who’ll point it out to her.

New mother and actor Neha Dhupia called out a media house on Twitter for fat shaming her in one of their articles. “Neha Dhupia Shocking Weight Gain Post Pregnancy At Femina Stylista West 2019,” read the headline of the article in question. One doesn’t even need to read beyond this headline as it is enough to outrage our sensibilities. Just what is so shocking about Neha Dhupia’s weight gain? Is she the first woman on earth who gained extra pounds post pregnancy? Or do style magazines expect female celebrities to stay shipshape, even after nurturing a child in one’s uterus for nine months?

Thank you , next! pic.twitter.com/c3T9bJWN46

— Neha Dhupia (@NehaDhupia) February 2, 2019

While there are women who do manage to get back into shape quickly after childbirth, it is not possible for all. Every woman’s body is different. Thus its response to something as monumental as pregnancy is different. What matters most after childbirth is a lot of rest, being happy and healthy to enjoy this new phase. Pregnancy and new motherhood aren’t easy, to put it mildly. Which is why new mums need to focus on their well-being first and foremost. Weight loss can always wait, but I guess, nasty comments from judgmental people cannot. No sooner has a woman gained even a pound due to any reason, there will be someone who’ll point it out to her. Sometimes out of unnecessary concern, and sometimes just to show disapproval.

We made a human being in this body and no matter what condition that process leaves it in, we ought to be proud of it.

The truth is once you become a mother, you seldom go back to your pre-pregnancy body. The scars, the stretch marks and the flabby skin, along with copious deposits of fat are there for the rest of our lives. But we made a human in this body and no matter what condition that process leaves it in, we ought to be proud of it. Hell, those around us should be proud of it too, let alone accepting.

Fat-shaming a new mum can harm her mental health. It can shift her focus from caring for herself to getting slimmer. She can end up resorting to desperate measures which may not be good both for her and her child’s health.

As Dhupia said in her reply, “Fitness is a priority, and not ‘fitting into’ society’s standards regarding looks.” Which is so true. Besides, fitness doesn’t always mean being thin or shapely. Being mentally fit is as important and being physically fit. And to be in a good place mentally, women should learn to shoot down any nasty comments regarding their appearance which comes their way. It is the only way to remind people that it is their superficial standards of beauty and insensitivity to a new mother’s health which are shocking, and not post-pregnancy weight gain among women.

Also Read : “Leftover Women” And The Cult Of Nagging Relatives

Yamini Pustake Bhalerao is a writer with the SheThePeople team, in the Opinions section.  The views expressed are the author’s own.