People
“Oh look, Mummy's still got her tummy!” New mum overwhelmed by support after post-pregnancy body shaming
By Amy Swales
9 years ago
With the increasing number of projects and viral posts focusing on positive post-partum body image, you'd be forgiven for thinking that maybe we'd finally moved on from the idea that women should feel under pressure to have their bodies look a certain way after giving birth.
Yet it appears there are still plenty of people out there who believe new mums should prioritise losing weight and having flat, unmarked stomachs over, y'know, looking after the tiny person they brewed up for nine months.
Now author Giovanna Fletcher has been “blown away” by an outpouring of support after she shared her experience of post-partum body shaming on Facebook.
Eleven days after giving birth, Fletcher explained that a “near stranger” had thought it completely appropriate to actually point, laugh and say, “Oh look, Mummy's still got her tummy”. Oh look, you're a terrible person.
“Baffled” by the exchange, she went on, “I was so shocked I laughed. But the words have stuck with me. Obviously. It wasn't left there either as there was another comment about my face ‘slimming down’.”
But in the post, which you can read in full below, mum-of-two Fletcher explained she was proud of her “bump”.
“Yes, I still have a bump. But that bump kept my little baby boy safe for a whole nine months. That bump has filled my world with even more love and light than I knew possible. That bump is a miracle worker...
“My bump will slowly go over time, but I'll never stop being thankful to it and my body for everything it's given me.”
The 31-year-old, who is married to Tom Fletcher from band McFly, has thousands of followers on social media already but has seen a huge response to her post, which she accompanied with a picture showing her bump, accruing at time of writing well over 200,000 likes and 17,000 shares.
Son Buzz was born in March 2014 and baby Buddy arrived last month.
Her words prompted many to comment with their own experiences of body shaming following pregnancy, hopefully spreading the sentiment far and wide. A G&T for this one, stat.
Follow her on Facebook here.
Images: facebook.com/MrsGiFletcher / Rex Features
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