Bravo Katy! Postpartum is no party for new mums
It was a week of celebs stripped down to their smalls. Between Miley Cyrus backstage in her black thong at the VMAs to Adele stirring up a cultural appropriation storm in her Jamaican flag bikini, there was one star who stood out from the usual ‘aren’t I lovely?’ preening.
Five days after giving birth to daughter Daisy Dove, singer Katy Perry posted the antidote to the Facetune Barbie doll perfection ideals of Instagram with an image of herself in a nursing bra, pumps attached, huge maternity knickers and no make-up.
While her fellow female artists thrust about on stage at the VMAs, gyrating like their lives depended on it, Katy, who missed the party this year because of said baby, found herself in an altogether different kind of bodily set up. Instead of revealing her
As the VMAs rocked on, Katy got down to the nitty gritty
designer kit, as she would have if she’d gone to the ball, Katy tagged her hair and makeup by Exhaustion, Bra by Medela and Underwear by Frida Mom.
Oh the memories of that first week after having a baby. The shock of it all. Especially the first. How differently you look at your body, your lactating boobs, your postpartum paunch, your tired eyes combined with a deep sense of appreciation for this biological miracle. Frankly, I still have my postpartum paunch and the big knickers, four years after my last.
In fairness the paunch was there before I ever had babies, possibly more to do with beer and bread than baby space. It still doesn’t stop me blaming the lads when they prod at my stomach in jest. You can’t blame Adele for showing off her flat stomach in her latest Insta post, cultural appropriation circus aside. If I ever got the flat stomach that I never had back again I would most definitely stick a shot of myself on the Gram in a bikini and pretend I was missing a festival I probably wouldn’t have attended anyway. Watch this space. After this baguette.
It’s never too late to have the stomach you always dreamed of. Or you could just revert to a one-piece and sit down in comfort and not put yourself up for validation from strangers who’ll probably sneer at your vanity. Perhaps I’ll stick with the latter. No doubt Katy Perry will eventually ‘snap back’ to her pre-baby weight (or not, who cares?) but what a gift she’s given new mums with her funny bunny post. There’s no rush. You’ve just had a baby. Give yourself a break. Your body is magnificent. You don’t have to be perfect. You’re not here to meet impossible standards. You’re wonderful just as you are.
In a further show of support for new mothers, in less fortunate situations, Katy and baby daddy Orlando Bloom have set up a UNICEF donation page ‘to celebrate DDB’s arrival’.
Daisy Dove Bloom has arrived and she’s lucky to have a momma who’s breaking down ridiculous post birth standards, one big knickers at a time.