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| Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
appear with their baby son outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital,
in central London July 23, 2013. Kate gave birth to the couple's first
child, who is third in line to the British throne, on Monday afternoon,
ending weeks of feverish anticipation about the arrival of the royal
baby.
|
It has been a few days since the
Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, gave birth to and presented the
future King of England – Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge. But
the moment she and husband William stepped out with their first child,
it was the new mom’s physical appearance and “post partum body” that
instantly became a talking point in tabloids, blogs and social media
platforms.
“Why Does Kate Middleton Still Have Her Baby Bump?” screamed one
headline, as another quipped: “Kate Middleton's royal baby post-bump is a
boost of confidence for new mums everywhere.” One fashion blogger wrote
“in all honesty, the dress was not pleasing to the eye, neither was the
stomach. I hope she gets her post-maternity-bod soon,” while another
tweeted “how can she look so pretty just after giving birth.”
According to data provided by Yahoo!, scores of Middleton
body-related search terms clogged the engine this week, everything from
“diet,” and “post baby bump” to “belly,” “stomach,” and “why does Kate
Middleton still look pregnant.”
But could all the chatter over how Middleton chose to “expose” her
“mummy tummy” in a cornflower blue and polka-dot bespoke Jenny Packham
dress be a signal that society’s obsession with looks is putting
unrealistic stress on mothers and women?
“The media’s neuroticism over Kate’s post-pregnant looks is
brainwashing women into thinking that they will constantly be judged and
criticized unless they meet the new standard – unattainable
perfection,” human behavior expert Patrick Wanis PhD, told FOX411’s Pop
Tarts column. “The obsession with the perfect female body is spiraling
out of control.”
 |
| Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
appear with their baby son, outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's
Hospital, in central London July 23, 2013. Kate gave birth to the
couple's first child, who is third in line to the British throne, on
Monday afternoon, ending weeks of feverish anticipation about the
arrival of the royal baby
|
British-born celebrity life and career strategist Suzannah Galland
also noted that the hoopla surrounding Middleton’s aesthetic “is truly
offensive for anyone to exploit a woman’s body, no matter what our
condition,” and that it “sends out an empty message that female beauty
needs to be redefined.”
On the same day Middleton gave birth, U.K’s OK! Magazine unveiled its
latest issue with a photo of the Duchess accompanied by the headline:
“Kate’s Post-Baby Weight Loss Regime,” complete with a six-page spread
about how the royal figure intends to return pre-pregnancy physique
along with a weight loss plan.
The tabloid’s cover story drew strong condemnation, thus a rep was forced to defend the decision.
“Like the rest of the world, we were very moved by her radiance as
she and Prince William introduced the Prince of Cambridge to the world.
We would not dream of being critical of her appearance,” said a rep for
the magazine’s parent company, Northern & Shell. “If that was
misunderstood on our cover it was not intended.”
However, it was Middleton’s decision to don a dress that clearly
showed off her “bump” that had many praising the new mother for her
“bravery,” while professionals in the medical and childcare industry
explained why the Duchess looked the way she did.
“It takes around 10 days for the womb to contract back to its normal
size,” Clare Byam-Cook, a childcare expert, told the Daily Mail while
the founder of parenting website Netmums, Siobhan Freegard, gave her
props for “dispelling the myth that all mothers should be perfect
post-partum,” although she also stated that “over the coming weeks the
duchess will work hard to regain her figure.”
(Says who?)
 |
| Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
appear with their baby son, outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary's
Hospital, in central London July 23, 2013. Kate gave birth to the
couple's first child, who is third in line to the British throne, on
Monday afternoon, ending weeks of feverish anticipation about the
arrival of the royal baby.
|
The Daily Beast’s royal correspondent Tom Sykes also went on to
declare that “this thoroughly modern royal was apparently determined to
lend a helping hand to women everywhere who have just given birth, and
shatter one of the last taboos of pregnancy – the post-baby belly.”
And while much of the coverage surrounding Middleton’s hospital
showing praises her for being “so brave” as to dare bare her belly
instead of hiding beneath a tent-like dress, or because she didn’t
recoil from the spotlight altogether the way most Hollywood stars do,
(we haven’t seen too much of Kim Kardashian lately), experts say enough
is enough.
“The focus should be on how she feels as a mother and the love and
nurturing she will express as well as the bond between her and her
newborn rather than whether or not she still looks hot,” Wanis added.
“And hot for whom?”
