Celeb Moms Have Unrealistic Standards For Their Bodies | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Celebrity Moms Gave Me Unrealistic Expectations For My Body After Birth — Please Don't Let That Happen To You

Their "snap back" may be faster than yours. Don't beat yourself up over it!

249
https://www.instagram.com/p/BygRZRFHqgP/?igshid=1itf6dsaebbco

Celebrity moms — Cardi B, Beyoncé, Kylie Jenner, and the rest of her Kardashian clan — are highly influential to young women all over the world. Whether they mean to or not, they shape the way that woman perceive parenthood and life post-birth. Many young women look up to these celebrities and fantasize about having a baby of their own.

Just like every fantasy, they're trying to sell, that is all it is — a fantasy. Their babies are worn like accessories and have become trendy like Paris Hilton, the early 2000s and lapdogs. What is so harmful about this, is that it puts it in people's minds that once you give birth, it is as if you were never pregnant in the first place.

When that "snap back" to your pre-baby body doesn't happen, you feel like you failed yourself.

When I found out I was expecting, I was one of the many that fell victim to the illusion. I zoomed into Kylie's Instagram photos and didn't see a single stretch mark. If Kylie didn't get stretch marks, then there is a chance I will not either. It sounds silly to think, but it is all I knew. These women made having a flawless post-baby body the norm. None of the moms on social media I followed had stretch marks. Not many people want to post their body if it doesn't meet societal standards of beauty.

It led me to believe moms don't have stretch marks.

Once I gave birth, I understood how naive I had been this entire time. Now that I attend new mom social groups I know how much moms struggle to accept their post-baby bodies. Women spend their entire lives being told skinny is beautiful. Within a matter of a few pregnant months, everything you worked so hard for is out the window. I will have a post-partum body for about 75% of my life. It is silly to think that a body I had for less than a decade is the only form of beauty.

I remember the disgust I had for the extra chunk on my thighs. Now every area of my body has an extra chunk. It is not just the extra weight gain. Every part of your body is different. I got stretch marks in areas you would never believe. My hips, my shoulders, my chest are just a few places that I feel comfortable talking about. My stomach has so many long purple lines that I close my eyes anytime I pass a mirror in my home while getting dressed.

Motherhood is beautiful, but sometimes I don't feel like it.

Social media is the queen of projecting unrealistic societal standards onto young impressionable woman and motherhood is no different. Most women cannot "snap back" like the stars in string bikinis and it's harmful to think otherwise.

Report this Content
Student Life

Library Struggles Every College Student Will Understand

Are you really a college student if you don't stay up all night studying in your pajamas?

459
sleeping in the library
Daily Fun Lists

One of the most dreaded places on campus is the library. Nothing awesome ever happens here. Usually, the only reason you're here is because you've procrastinated so long that the library is the only place you'll actually get stuff done. It gives you this feeling of sadness and impending doom. You have no idea how this is going to go or how long you'll be here, but you do know it is about to be the most excruciating experiences yet. But it has to get done, so you drag yourself to the lovely library.

Keep Reading...Show less
Illistrated image of colorful balloons and fireworks
StableDiffusion

With each new year comes new goals.

Deciding on a goal can be hard, unsure of what to change for this new year. A new goal for myself is to be happier and take care of myself more. I am a very driven person; so driven that I commit to a million and ten things.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Pros And Cons Of Having A Birthday Near The Holidays

The truth of what it is like having a birthday around the holiday season.

3892
Christmas decoration
Flickr

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! But for some people, including myself and my Dad, it can have its ups and downs when it comes to having a birthday near and around the holiday season. I personally share a birthday with my Dad two days before Christmas. Yes, Christmas Eve Eve is our birthday. Here are a few pros and cons for having a birthday near the holidays.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas Tree Lights
Pixabay

It is that time of year again. Christmastime. It is one of my favorite seasons for a myriad of reasons. Here are just a few reasons why I love Christmas. This list is in no order of importance.

1. The Christmas decorations

I am that person who will decorate directly after Thanksgiving is over. This year, my roommates and I put the tree up in our apartment before we even left for Thanksgiving break. It is a great stress reliever for me to just sit in my living room and work on the huge amount of work I have before the semester is over.

Keep Reading...Show less
girl with santa hat
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

'Tis the season to be jolly folks, and if you're anything like me, then at the stroke of midnight on Halloween your home went from wicked to winter

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments