Bey keeps it real by embracing her mum bod
Queen Bey just got a whole lot more real
Last week, women got a body confidence boost, thanks to the walking trend-maker that is Beyoncé. In a blisteringly honest tell-all interview, the singer opened up about nearly dying a year ago after she gave birth to twins Sir and Rumi, and how she learned to embrace her post-pregnancy “fat upper pubic area” – affectionately known in internet circles as a FUPA.
“To this day, my arms, shoulders, breasts and thighs are fuller,” Beyoncé, 36, told US Vogue. “I have a little mommy pouch, and I’m in no rush to get rid of it. Whenever I’m ready to get a six-pack, I will go into beast zone and work my ass off until I have it. But right now, my little FUPA and I feel like we are meant to be.”
The star, who gave birth to the twins in June 2017, had a traumatic pregnancy, suffering with toxaemia [pre-eclampsia blood poisoning]. She was on bed rest for a month and her weight went up to 15st 8lbs. She explained, “My health and my babies’ health were in danger, so I had an emergency C-section. We spent many weeks in the NICU [neonatal intensive care unit].” Beyoncé added that she had, “Been through hell and back, and I’m grateful for every scar.”
The physical toll on her body was enough to put things like weight into perspective. Beyoncé continued, “I gave myself self-love and self-care, and I embraced being curvier. I accepted what my body wanted to be. After six months, I started preparing for Coachella. I became vegan temporarily, gave up coffee, alcohol and all fruit drinks. But I was patient with myself and enjoyed my fuller curves. My kids and husband did, too.”
The new attitude was in stark contrast to six years previously, when Beyoncé gave birth to daughter, Blue Iv y. “I put pressure on myself to lose all the baby weight in three months, and scheduled a small tour to assure I would do it,” she admitted. “Looking back, that was crazy. I was still breastfeeding [Blue] when I performed the Revel shows in Atlantic City in 2012.”
The former Destiny’s Child star also spoke candidly about the role Jay Z had played, saying, “My husband was a soldier and such a strong support system for me. I am proud to have been a witness to his strength and evolution as a man, a best friend and a father.”
It follows a roller coaster ten years of marriage, dogged by rumours of Jay’s affairs – which Beyoncé acknowledged made her feel “neglected, lost and vulnerable.” She admitted, “I have experienced betrayals and heartbreaks in many forms,” but added with true Queen Bey grace, “Through it all, I have learned to laugh and cry and grow.” n