Celebrity Baby Fat

What hope in hell do regualr women have when celeb after celeb bemoans the "loss" (even if it is temporary) of their figures when pregnant? I mean, what did they expect was going to happen? They would have toned abs and the baby would slot comfortably beside or around it? I have the current issue of FAMOUS (because there's some lovely FrockYou editorial in there) and in this one flimsy issue we have: Jessica Alba "never felt less sexy" and "wanted to get rid of all the weight" (it's called giving birth love, you'll drop 4kgs or so immediately); J-Lo "I'm Fat and Ugly" - she's "depressed" that after 5 months her baby weight from her twins hasn't shifted, even though she was "doing well" initially, losing 18kg after 4 weeks thanks to rigourous exercising. WTF?! I guess if you can swan around in ball gowns days after the birth, you also have time to commmit to a strict exercise regimen immediately after handing your babies over to a team of nannies. Ashlee Simpson, who I'm not sure why is famous, is "freaking out" over her expanding body, has a personal trainer to make sure she gains no more than 16kg, and is "frumpy" and miserable. Even K-Ho, apparently expecting her 2nd, is worried about the timing a pregnancy could have on her "career" (wasn't Dawson's Creek axed like 10 years ago? and I don't imagine the Cruises take a calculator to the supermarket to stay within budget) and the fact she would have to lose the baby weight again. OMG. Now obviously, all this is just tabloid gossip but some of it is direct quotes and I've read about it elsewhere. It's disgusting - not the weight, but the pressure to act like you can give birth, jump up and squeeze into a fabulous, up to the minute outfit, and look exactly the same as you did before. No matter about feeding, settling, or you know, parenting. Of course women gain weight when they have babies, how else are you meant to have them? Do Hollywood think you can just go choose one like you can your next handbag or Oscars frock? And of course, we can point and laugh at the celebrity zoo, but unfortuantely what these people say and do and look like impacts us. Suddenly, 'normal' women are expected to shed any excess kilos immediately, always look trim and trendy, as well as keeping up a career and being a doting mother. Celebs might have teams of hired help but most people don't. Why should we have to try to live up to that? Who gives a stuff if you have extra flab on your belly after you've had a baby? Aren't you more concerned about watching your baby grow, loving it, hugging it, feeding it and watching it react to you? It would be really refreshing if Nicole or Angelina or somebody would have their baby and stand up and say "look at me and my new figure. I don't have time to work out and I don't want to, because I want to spend time with my child. I'm looking after myself and the weight will come off when it's ready, or when I'm chasing a rampant toddler about the place. If you don't like it, lump it (lol)".

I'm all for the adage "if you look good you feel good" but it also works in reverse - a proud new mum whose face shows happiness, contentment, lack of sleep, joy, bewilderment, and a thousand other emotions is incredibly fetching. And real.