My latest feature for The Ecologist

Thanks to celebrity mums, the pressure to shape up post birth has never been higher. But don’t succumb to extreme diets; as the Ecologist’s natural fitness experts explain, slow and steady wins the race

A recent survey found that six out of 10 new mothers felt under pressure to get back into shape as soon as they had given birth. The fact is some mums do ping back to the way they were - some even find parts of them have shrunk - but for many, extra layers, larger dress sizes and a wardrobe full of undersized clothes is the norm. To make matters worse, newspapers and magazines are awash with celebrity new mums who've managed to shed the baby weight within weeks. No wonder then, that we feel so under pressure when we see A-listers parading around in a pair of thigh-skimming leather boots and a mini dress, wearing their baby (a non-crying, non-dribbling, non-puking specimen of course) as an accessory on their enviably slim hips.

While A-list new mums have been keeping showbiz journalists happy, for the rest of us, the omnipresence of super-skinny celebrity mothers has had a detrimental effect in the real world. Many women have been led to believe that snapping back into shape is easy as well as important, and are left feeling like failures when it doesn't happen as quickly as expected. Surely during pregnancy and the magical first months of parenthood we should be focusing on our babies rather than on appearance and what others think? Either way, there are natural ways to shift the baby weight that don't involve dangerous diets or missing out on precious time with Junior. You might not shift the excess pounds as quickly as Beyonce, but our post-pregnancy experts' advice will leave you feeling fit, healthy and slim - and there's no maple syrup or lemon juice in sight.



Read full article on The Ecologist site here