New mums are always put under so much pressure to lose baby weight, but as we all know it isn't the be all and end all. Becoming a mum is one of the most exciting times in your life, but it is also intense and overwhelming, the last thing any woman needs is to force herself to shed weight that was gained during pregnancy, weight that helped your body protect your baby and let them grow.
New mum Millie Mackintosh has shared an empowering photo of her postpartum body and the mum looks completely beautiful. Alongside the photo, Millie opened up about how her body made her a mother and that is what matters most.
"With Sienna nearing 10 weeks old nothing has given me more purpose than knowing that a small life depends entirely on me to feed and nourish her as she grows. I try to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle and I count myself lucky that throughout my adult life I’ve felt and identified as pretty body confident but now all that has changed along with every other aspect of my life, which makes me look at my body in a totally new light and it’s been a big adjustment!
"Fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothes seems a long way off and I have no intention of rushing into ‘getting my body back’ but it would be a lie if I said I feel totally happy and at one with my body post pregnancy. The process has been made a lot harder by some overly strong and hurtful comments online about my appearance (as much as you try and ignore them). I’m in awe of what my body has achieved over the last year but I find it hard not seeing the girl I know to be me looking back at me in the mirror."
"I now see photos of myself pre-pregnancy and remember thinking at the time I didn’t like my body at certain angle but now I look back and think I looked great! It’s made me realise how critical I am of myself and how it’s so crucial, as women, that we learn to let ourselves off the hook.
She added, "My mantra has always been that you exercise because you love your body not because you hate it, so any movement I do now is with the intention to feel good and never to punish myself. Sienna is worth every extra inch, pound and stretch mark. My body made me a Mother and for that I'll always be grateful."
