While snapping back quickly after having a baby has become something celebrated in pop culture, many celebrities are beginning to speak out against it. Celebs like Beyoncé, Tia Mowry and more have opened up about the pressure to shed their baby weight fast and get back to their pre-baby body.
While there is nothing wrong with having that goal, it could be dangerous if you do it too quickly. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) lists when you can exercise after giving birth.
For example, if you had a C-section, you should wait at least six weeks before exercising again and if you had complications with your pregnancy, you should also hold off on exercising until your doctor gives you the green light.
However, societal pressures and social media can make one feel like they have to lose the baby weight ASAP and while there have been women, celebs and non-celebs alike, that fell victim to that way of thinking, here are four women who simply said nah.
Tia Mowry
Tia Mowry has spoken about feeling pressured to snap back after giving birth to her two kids, 10-year-old son Cree and 3-year-old daughter Cairo, on more than one occasion, but more recently she shared an Instagram post where she called out "snapback culture" and celebrated her body before and after birth.
"Pregnancy was such a special time in my life and I loved it and my bump! I also loved my body before pregnancy," she said.
"We're led to believe we should love one over the other. But it was important for me to be super proud of BOTH bodies instead of feeling pressured to be a part of the snapback culture."
"I think instead we can look at our bodies and love and acknowledge them for keeping us alive and keeping our babies alive! Mamas, we can allow our bodies to just BE while we nourish them (and our little ones!) with good things, instead of buying into the snapback culture.💗"
The Sister, Sister star has also detailed her weight loss journey on Instagram.
Beyoncé
In 2018, Beyoncé wrote a piece in Vogue about how she approached getting her waist snatched with each pregnancy. In the essay, the "XO" singer revealed that after she gave birth to her first child Blue Ivy, she actually pressured herself to lose the baby weight in three months, but when she had her twins Rumi and Sir, she put her health first.
During her pregnancy with Rumi and Sir, the singer had toxemia, which causes high blood pressure and can be dangerous for the mother and the baby, and she had to get an emergency C-section.
After that traumatic experience, the Grammy award-winner decided to sit still and enjoy motherhood while also embracing her fuller frame.
"After the C-section, my core felt different. It had been major surgery. Some of your organs are shifted temporarily, and in rare cases, removed temporarily during delivery. I am not sure everyone understands that. I needed time to heal, to recover. During my recovery, I gave myself self-love and self-care, and I embraced being curvier. I accepted what my body wanted to be."
Kelly Rowland
While Kelly Rowland's body has been looked at as "motivation" for many women to hit the gym, the mother of two shared a real look into the body post-pregnancy.
After giving birth to her second son Noah at the beginning of the year, Kelly revealed that she had diastasis recti, which is a separation of the abs that meet down the middle. She also opened up to Billboard about being a mother of two boys and not putting pressure on herself.
"I still don't know how to be a mother of two, exactly, but I'm figuring it out. It's going to be a unique experience -- Titan's not like anyone else's on this planet, Noah's not like anyone else on this planet. I'm still navigating myself through motherhood."
"So the less pressure I put on myself and allow myself grace -- because I'm not going to get it right every single time – I think it's only fair to just breathe and use your instincts to navigate your way through. But I've learned not to put so much pressure on myself and to let my creativity flow."
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington was very adamant about having downtime after giving birth. When speaking to People, the Scandal actress recalled an upsetting rumor about her working out a week or two after the birth of her son Caleb.
"It was rumored somewhere that I was working out a week or two after he was born and it really upset me, actually. I never talk about rumors in the media, but I was really sad that somebody printed that because I felt like, 'Oh, that makes women feel like they have to start working out' — like, 'Oh celebrities work out right away.' And I was like, 'No way!' "
The Emmy-nominated actress said that her doctor required that she not partake in any physical activity for six weeks and she followed the doctor's orders.
"It was really important to me to have that downtime and then start working out slowly, which I'm still doing, I am still slowly getting back into it."
Featured image by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Variety