Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai, 38, dubbed ‘the most beautiful woman in the world’ has been slammed by her native India for not losing her baby weight fast enough like other big celebrities such as Angelina Jolie and Victoria Beckham, who got their bodies back to pre-pregnancy weight just weeks after giving birth.
Aishwarya gave birth to her little baby girl Aaradhya last November and was criticised by fans after a picture of her with a double chin appeared online. Soon after, a video blog appeared which has now been viewed 500,000 times, showing before and after pictures of Aishwarya accompanied by crude elephant noises. Harsh comments on entertainment and film sites revealed an outpouring of discontent with Aishwarya’s weight and image.
Sadly, one user wrote “She is a Bollywood actress and it is her duty to look good and fit.”
Slammed by the Indian critics, Aishwarya responded with a comment that she was ‘enjoying’ motherhood.
The average gain in weight during pregnancy is 25-35 pounds, and new mums are encouraged to have a three month recovery period after they give birth before embarking on a vigorous diet or exercise routine. Bearing this in mind, the average new mummy will take between 6 months and a year to regain their pre-pregnancy weight. Aishwarya Rai only had her daughter 6 months ago but will no doubt be feeling the pressure to lose weight if she listens to critics. Unfortunately for celebrities though, twelve months is considered just too long!
The reality for most mums, is that we don't have a nutritionist on hand during our pregnancies, or an army of personal trainers or stylists to make us look beautiful when we leave the house. Instead we have a crying baby who refuses to sleep at night and a wardrobe of clothes that no longer fit. The fact is, pregnancy weight gain is unavoidable and actually helps you and your baby because your baby gets all of its nutrients from you through the umbilical cord. This means that if you are not eating properly, nor is your baby. All your body's organs are being put under pressure, including your heart which pumps extra blood to the placenta during pregnancy and your legs and back, which have to support your growing bump.
Aishwarya might have engaged in a 6 hour daily exercise routine with a personal trainer, eating only certain foods, but how much time will she have spent daily with her gorgeous new baby? Critics should really be turning their attention to celebrity mums who lose the weight too quickly after giving birth as not only do they set a bad example for new mothers, they are also putting their health, and the health of their baby at risk. Starting to diet too close after the birth can affect your breast milk supply and therefore your baby's so making sure your milk supply is well established before embarking on any kind of weight loss is so important.
In a study by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, there is new evidence that sudden and dramatic changes in a mother’s weight puts an enormous strain on the body and can harm future babies. The research taken out showed that women whose BMI (body mass index) fell by five or more units between pregnancies had a higher risk of premature birth than women whose weight remained stable. Unfortunately for mothers like Victoria Beckham, this could have posed a risk for her children. Aishwarya, like many mothers before her, is enjoying motherhood and the delights of a new baby and shouldn’t feel under any pressure to lose the baby weight until she is ready mentally and physically to do so.
To look at how long it took other celebrity mums to get back into shape after the birth of their babies, click here.
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