Victoria Beckham bounced back into shape just months after birth of baby Harper
It’s an unsurprising fact: women give themselves and their bodies a hard time. Now, as magazines feature photos of celebrity mums under the spotlight, such as Victoria Beckham and The Saturday’s Una Healy, looking pre-pregnancy trim just months after giving birth, more and more UK women are feeling the pressure to get their post-baby body back in shape too.
According to new research from skin treatment experts Bio-Oil, one in six women put pressure on themselves to get their bodies back into shape after having a baby.
The Patient Confidence survey found that only 2 per cent of women loved their post-pregnancy body compared to a third who said they feel less sexy post-birth. It also revealed that three quarters of women in the UK suffer from body confidence issues, with stretch marks being the biggest body concern during and after pregnancy.
“Women need to be kinder to their bodies after birth, and be realistic about giving themselves time to recover."
And while some women feel that stretch marks are part of being a mother, others show signs of them hindering their confidence.
Chrissy on Bio-Oil’s Facebook page said: “I had a baby in 2009 via c-section and he left me with a belly full of stretch marks. Now I am 31 weeks pregnant 
again and they have gotten worse. I am so uncomfortable in my own skin. After I had my son I used Bio-Oil and was able to look at myself again.”
Another mum, Laura, commented: “No matter how much I might dislike the aesthetic appearance of my stretch marks and scars, they tell the tale of the biggest journey my body has been on, that of becoming a Mother.”
Having a baby is a wonderful and completely life changing (and exhausting) experience for new mums, so understandably it’s no surprise that nearly half of women feel less body confident after giving birth. But, there’s more to it than a hatred for stretch marks.
Nine out of ten believe that the media is to blame, with airbrushed pictures of celebrities putting pressure on them to look perfect. Almost half of the UK’s midwives agree with this and think that celebrity yummy mummy culture is having the biggest negative influence on a woman’s post-birth body confidence.
However, over a third of midwives admitted that women are unrealistic and unprepared for the body changes that can occur during and after pregnancy, leading to a confidence dip.
Hannah Challen, a practising midwife, said: “Women need to be kinder to their bodies after birth, and be realistic about giving themselves time to recover. 
Exercise and a balanced diet will help post-pregnant bodies get back into shape, but try and give yourself a realistic time frame to do this in.
“Keeping your bump moisturised by applying a topical oil, such as Bio-Oil, during and after pregnancy will also help lessen the appearance of scars and stretch marks,” she said.
Do you think celebrity culture puts more pressure on women to look good? Tell us your thoughts in the comment box below or tweet us @FemaleFirst_UK
FemaleFirst
Shabana Adam @Shabana_FAM