Celebrity Post-Baby Bodies

Gossip columnists (and most men) around the country are excitedly awaiting the post-baby body pictures of Gisele Bundchen. Mrs. Tom Brady, who gave birth to her first child in December, has already arranged a photo shoot for Brazilian jeans company Colcci. Most women a month after giving birth are just beginning to be able to squeeze back into their embarrassingly large “fat pants.”

The photo-shoot is set to take place in Boston, near her home where she has been hiding out since the birth. No doubt, the cover girl has probably been hiding with a full staff of nutritionist and trainers. But this won’t help soften the blow of jealousy most women around the country will feel. Most people realize that celebrities have much more free time and resources to help them shed unwanted pounds. Unfortunately the average American woman does not have that kind of free time without children, let alone after having one.

Heidi Klum’s picture was splashed all over the internet after debuting her post-baby body. Klum rocked the Victoria’s Secret runway looking as good as ever, a mere 2 months after giving birth. These types of celebrity feats are part of what drives a normal sized woman to unhealthy dieting practices.

Another perk celebrity moms have is the time to maintain a decent pregnancy weight before giving birth. Medically speaking, the average pregnant woman should gain at least 25-35 lbs. Most women gain more and then have more to lose once the baby is born. Television is flooded with infomercials singing the praises of a variety of quick, but unhealthy, weight loss methods.

The average woman takes between 8 and 12 months to return to her pre-pregnancy weight. (WebMD) Celebrity moms bouncing back within less than 2 months creates unhealthy and potentially dangerous expectations when a new mom tries to follow suit without professional help.