‘II didn’tdidn’t wantwant toto telltell anyoneanyone andand be judged’
Stay-at-home mum Donna Lambert, 33, lives with her fire-fighter husband David,
44, and children, Jack, 17, Beau, six, and Amelie, five, in Essex.
She says, “I’ve always struggled with my weight and when I met Dave in January 2011, I was 15st and a size 18. He had an incredibly healthy lifestyle – he regularly ran and played football – so I started joining him to exercise.
“I was 11st 8lb when I got pregnant in November
2013. Beau was born in
August 2014 and Amelie followed in March 2016. After my pregnancies, I weighed 12st 9lb and wore a size 12-14. I had lots of loose skin and was really self-conscious. I felt miserable and unattractive. Then, last spring, David kindly offered to pay for me to have surgery to remove the loose skin. I was thrilled – but I also felt that people would judge me for doing it in the middle of the pandemic when people were suffering so terribly, so I kept it quiet from the majority of my friends. I knew it would be easy as I could say that I couldn’t meet up with them because of lockdown. I flew to Turkey in August with David, while the children were looked after by their grandparents. Lockdown restrictions had been relaxed so it was easy to fly, and we had COVID tests, which were a requirement. It all felt very safe.
“I had a lower body lift, lipo and arm lift which cost £6,700. The care was brilliant, and I flew home five days later.
“I was sore for a few weeks after, but I made sure I had plenty of rest – and I was so pleased with the results.
“I’ve since told friends and family that I’ve had it done and they’re happy for me. I just didn’t want to tell them beforehand and feel judged.
“Last year was the perfect time for surgery as it gave me the chance to recover in my own time. I don’t regret it for a second.”