Why Dineo Ranaka’s baby announcement shocked people

Pregnancy bodies are a hot topic in the parenting space. It’s either people have expectations of how they are meant to look, or women experience the pressure of trying to meet a body standard, especially after childbirth.

Postpartum bodies come in all shapes and sizes. However, even a month after giving birth to her child, media personality Dineo Ranaka amazed people with her postpartum body.

Dineo announced the birth of her third child with a surprise picture on social media.

The announcement was a huge shock to South Africans because not only did she not “look” like she gave birth, she never announced her pregnancy.

Recovery from birth varies, but the usual standard is 6-8 weeks. For some, though, it can take months or even years to feel better again. Childbirth is life altering and comes with changes that are at times permanent.

So, why do women have different postpartum bodies and their fat upper pubic areas (FUPA) look different?

Weight gain during pregnancy

Women gain weight at different rates during pregnancy, but according to the NHS, the average weight women gain is between 10kg and 12.5 kg. Shedding weight after pregnancy will be influenced by how much weight you gain. Weight gain is a normal and healthy part of pregnancy. Not only does it show that your baby is growing, but your body is also gearing up for producing milk.

According to Women’s Health Magazine, “gain too little – or, equally, too much – and you could be putting yourself and your unborn baby at risk of health problems.”

Weight gain also contributes to stretch mark prevalence. For moms whose tummies grow at a faster rate than the skin can handle, your elastic fibres break and you get stretch marks.

Some vanish after pregnancy, but some stick around for longer, playing a role in how a woman’s body looks postpartum.

The growth of the tummy means a woman has more skin and some moms have loose skin after childbirth, or after losing their pregnancy weight gain.

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Hormonal changes

Hormonal fluctuations happen differently for women during and after pregnancy. Not only do they control how you feel, but they can also control your appetite. This can influence how much and what you eat during and after pregnancy. When eating all the wrong stuff and more of it, getting rid of pregnancy weight can prove to be challenging.

Lifestyle choices before and after pregnancy

People who work out a lot more before, during, and after pregnancy tend to snap back a lot quicker than most. This is due to muscle memory. Once the uterus has healed and deflated, women who are used to exercising can gear up for working out again, losing weight faster.

According to Women’s Health, “this increased muscle mass will not only provide them with a heightened metabolism, helping somewhat with weight loss, but it will also make it easier to get back into training when they do return to it”.

Genes

Genetics proves that some people snap back faster than others because that is just how they are built. “If you found it difficult to keep your weight down pre-pregnancy, it is more likely that it will take a little longer to lose the weight post-pregnancy, too,” says Women’s Health Magazine.

Why do some moms continue gaining weight after giving birth?

Some women not only find it difficult to shed pregnancy weight, they continue to gain weight after childbirth. Issues of thyroid, sleeplessness and stress can be contributors.

It is important to check with a healthcare professional if you continue to gain weight after pregnancy, even though you are following a healthy lifestyle.

The ‘snap back’ fallacy

Factors such as genetics are a big reason why bouncing back to your old body should not have a standard. People are built differently, but social media has created a standard that many women struggle with.

When six weeks strikes and the body has not yet gone back to what it used to be, a lot of women question themselves.

The general expectation is that weight should vanish after the baby has arrived. In reality, it is very different and postpartum journeys are not the same.

It is unrealistic to compare yourself with people who have not shared how they lost their weight, or have more resources like full-time nannies and personal trainers helping them watch what they eat.

Your old body did not birth a child and there should not be an expectation of getting back to it. The aim is to be healthy and feel confident, and that looks different for different people.