New survey reveals Body image is the thing that new mums worry about changing the most after having a baby!

• Body image is the thing that new mums worry about changing the most after having a baby, closely followed by their relationship with their partner, career progression and social life
• Just one in five women (19%) exercise regularly while pregnant while 37% admitted to never exercising at all
• New panel discussing contentious topic of post-partum body image featuring Giovanna Fletcher, Dr Joanna Helcke and Dr Sarah Schenker taking place on Saturday at The Baby Show in Birmingham

While having a baby is one of the most exciting times in a parent’s life, more and more women are feeling the pressure to ‘snap-back’ into shape post pregnancy. With the media filled with pictures of celebrities showing off their ‘post baby body’ – what impact does this have on the ‘NORMAL’ mum who may not have the time or budget to spend on personal training sessions, nannies and expert nutritionists?

New research from The Baby Show with MadeForMums, which returns to the NEC in Birmingham this weekend, has revealed that over half (52%) of mums said that they were worried about their bodies changing the most after birth, while 46% said it was their relationship with their partner, 27% said their career progression and a quarter (26%) said their social life.
One in three mums (32%) said their partners were surprised by the amount their body changed during pregnancy but reassuringly 86% said their partners loved their body throughout.
To help women understand the changes their body may go through during and after pregnancy – and how to cope with these changes, a brand new panel discussing body image will be taking place at The Baby Show on Saturday 14th May at 12.30pm. The panel will include expert advice from pregnancy and postnatal fitness specialist, Dr Joanna Helcke, dietician and nutritionist, Dr Sarah Schenker and icelolly.com Celebrity Mum of the Year, vlogger and author, Giovanna Fletcher.

Giovanna is one of an army of mums keen to spread the positive message of being proud of your post-baby body! As she said in one of her youtube videos on Giovannas World: “It’s fascinating that as humans we grow humans! My body has grown and nurtured two humans who are now out in the world and given me so much love and feelings that I’ve never felt before. I might have a jelly belly, I might have stretchmarks, I might not look like I did five years ago but I think the real question is would I want to look like I did five years ago and not have my children and the answer is a resounding no! The key thing is to embrace our bodies and be thankful!”
The main challenges that new mums face is finding the time and knowing just how much they should exercise – both during and after pregnancy. The Baby Show research found that just one in five (19%) women in the UK exercised regularly when they were pregnant while 37% admitted to never exercising at all.
Dr Joanna Helcke suggests that if you’re sensible with diet and exercise during pregnancy, it will make it much easier to find your ideal shape post pregnancy. She says: “Often new mums will pick up a magazine and see their favourite celebrity ‘snap-back’ into shape just weeks after the birth of their baby but this is very unrealistic for the modern day mum, which can be damaging for their confidence. Instead it’s key to manage expectations; don’t put too much pressure on yourself and go at your own pace.
“Keeping fit and healthy both during and after pregnancy will help you both physically and emotionally during this incredible time in your life but it’s important to realise that everyone is different: no one person is going to have the same birth or pregnancy so it’s key to listen to your body and let it lead the way. Whilst it is absolutely true that pregnancy is by no means some kind of illness, it does for many women, bring with it all sorts of conditions that will require exercise to be tailored, whether it be for back or pelvic pain, niggly joints, low blood pressure or carpal tunnel syndrome. Choosing exercise that has been designed specifically for the perinatal period by a specialist in this field is always going to be the best option.”
Knowing what you should and shouldn’t eat during and after pregnancy is also a sticking point with many new mums. Dietician, Dr Sarah Schenker says: “Once you have a new baby it’s often so hard to maintain a healthy diet as you’re always on the go and your baby becomes your biggest priority. Begin by eating sensibly during pregnancy; the idea that you’re ‘eating for two’ is simply a myth and it’s only in the third trimester that you should eat 200 more calories per day.
“When you are breastfeeding you need to eat 500 more calories a day as you are feeding your little one but really consider where you are getting these extra calories from – try to eat healthy snacks like nuts and fruit rather than sweet things. Time is going to be tight so try to batch cook healthy foods while you’re pregnant that you can just heat up from the freezer when your little one arrives. And, drink plenty of water – it is even more important to keep hydrated when you are breastfeeding.”

Dr Sarah Schenker, Dr Joanna Helcke and Giovanna Fletcher will be speaking on the MadeForMums stage at The Baby Show on Saturday 14th May at 12.30pm.
Wing Yan Lee, Marketing Manager at The Baby Show says: “We’re very excited that we have been able to put this panel together at The Baby Show. It’s a much debated topic that new mums really care about – and unfortunately, are often forced to feel bad about. Mums should feel comfortable in their bodies; as Giovanna says, they have done an amazing thing and the last thing they need while they are dealing with the responsibility of caring for a new baby, is to be worrying about their shape. We hope the new panel will help lots of mums appreciate the amazing work their body has done in growing a baby, while giving practical and sensible advice on how to start getting back into shape.”
For more information on The Baby Show visit www.thebabyshow.co.uk.
Opening times:
Friday 13th May: 9.30am – 5.00pm, Saturday 14th May: 9.30am – 5.00pm, Sunday 15th May: 9.30am – 5.00pm.
On the door tickets cost £20.