A few days ago, reading the newspaper online, I came across an article featuring Rebecca Judd’s latest snap on Instagram. Judd is a Melbourne TV personality and the wife of former AFL player Chris Judd.
Her selfie showed her in a striped T-shirt and a black blazer, apparently by Balmain. She looked great.
She was also very, very skinny.
Miraculously skinny seeing she had given birth to twins 11 days previously.
Her Instagram followers were divided. Some of them hailed Judd as “Amazing” and “Supermum”. Others were less flattering. One wrote: “So your (sic) thin big deal. Whats more important to you, you being skinny or your new babies???”
And yet it would be very unfair to pick on Rebecca Judd.
She is just one of the latest celebrities reinforcing a certain narrative around motherhood. A narrative that tells us that birth and motherhood is a walk in the park.
It usually goes like this; straight after labour (and the natural labour went well by the way, thanks to those cold-pressed green juices consumed daily during pregnancy and the yoga/pilates/barre classes) the blissful new mother appears with full makeup, propped up against a pillow wearing silken lingerie or flowing casuals. Angelina-like, she gazes across a peacefully sleeping baby to meet her partner’s eyes. It is clear that not only is she giddy with love for her baby, but for her partner as well. Life has never been better. This motherhood gig is easy.
A few days later the next Instagram post appears. The glowing, svelte mother is back in her skinny jeans. The house looks immaculate. The siblings are wearing all white designer outfits.
Top Comments
I'm sorry but all she did was post a photo of herself. How is that making it look easy? It doesn't tell you she is finding it easy, it might even be the opposite. I was very skinny about 2 weeks after my twins were born (possibly the only time in my life I got to experience thigh gap...). Breast feeding twins takes a huge amount of calories. There is every chance that photo just says she's literally working her a*se off to feed her babies.
Her whole Insta feed is thinspiration. All highly curated, and hardly spontaneous. I don't have a personal problem with her - I don't know her - but I do have a problem with the way her brand is peddled, and the messages behind it. Clearly this website doesn't, given the amount of coverage they afford her.
It's unfair to subject the public to have to endure endless selfies.
Susie, you are my hero (ine) for that comment! Pithy and perfect. Thank you.