Hollywood Setting the Stage for Unrealistic Post-partum experience?

Well, I've got a rant.  It's off-topic from cloth diapering but, in my line of work, I see A LOT of moms who, weeks after giving birth, are trying to figure out up from down.  These moms are falling in love awith their little bundle of joy.  They're in baby bliss but still trying to figure out what the new "normal" will be.  Breastfeeding is either working beautifully or barely working.  Baby is either sleeping in 4-hour stretches or not sleeping at all.  I know.  I've been there and some days, I feel like I'm still there.

That's why my blood boils when I stand in line at the grocery store and see those nasty magazines with covers blazing "Mariah Carey Flaunts Post-Baby Body" or "Jessica Alba Sheds Baby Weight."  Really??  So apparently, postpartum moms must now add the list of things to worry about, "lose all baby weight within 1 month."

So why does this make my blood boil?  Because seeing these headlines are starting to create this societal expectation that women must concentrate on returning to their post-baby figures ASAP.  This is dangerous.  If you think about what a woman goes through during pregnancy and postpartum, her body needs to be nourished.  Her body needs rest.  Her body should not be deprived of proper nutrients or put through a rigorous exercise regimen.  Further, if a mother is breastfeeding, she needs to eat to feed herself AND her baby.  Once a mom starts depriving herself of food, she starts depriving baby.

I'm not saying go on a McDonald's-Krispy Kreme-Pizza Hut binge.  That's not healthy for mama or baby either.  And I also think that exercise can be a very important part of making a mom feel better emotionally, especially if some postpartum hormones are kicking in.  I remember taking long walks with MJ was a very important part of helping me "feel whole" again after giving birth.  And, running to the gym for a little bit of away time also made me a better mom.

I just want all of you expecting moms, new moms or even not-so-new-moms to give yourself a break.  Let the dishes go dirty in the sink.  Who cares if the floors aren't vacuumed.  And for the love of yourself and your children, do not put unnecessary pressure on yourself to be "back to your old-self" within a given amount of time.