Do not compare your pregnancy to celebrities

It is hard to avoid celebrity pregnancies and the gossip that surrounds them.

It’s in the news, on social media, and people are always talking about it.

When you see a picture of a beautiful pregnant celebrity such as Meghan Markle, it’s hard not to compare your pregnancy to hers.

Stop yourself. Do not compare yourself to pregnant celebrities.

Not only are the lives of celebrities unrealistic, but they are also fabricated. For you to try to live up to those standards is dangerous.

Below are reasons why you should not compare. There is also a list of reasons why you are lucky you are not a pregnant celebrity.

They have a team dedicated to making them look good

Do you do things for yourself? Such as:

• Getting yourself ready in the morning
• Picking out your clothes
• Driving yourself around
• Creating your own schedule

If so, then you are like 99% of us out there. Some celebrities are not. They have people help them out like personal assistants, business consultants, and others dedicated to handling every detail of their daily life.

Even those who swear they do everything themselves probably have some sort of help. Have you ever heard of a nanny? Yeah, plenty of people have them to help raise their children, not just celebrities.

On the same note, we all need help. If you need or have access to help take it! Some people just get more help than others. In his case, celebrities get much more help.

Do not feel bad if women in the spotlight seem to be doing everything during their pregnancy, like launching makeup lines and performing at huge music festivals. Those ladies had more than a team to help them out. They most likely had a large staff of professionals to get it done.

Imagine what you could accomplish with just one extra set of hands helping you?

Do not compare your pregnant body with unrealistic celebrity bodies

Unfollow pregnant celebrities on Instagram or that pregnant gym lady if they kill your confidence. They have different lives than the rest of us. I am sure if you got paid to work out at a gym all day long your body would look like that too.

Keep in mind, celebrities may even have a clause in their contract that says they must stay fit and are given trainers and personal chefs to keep their bodies in shape.

If you are a busy pregnant mama, odds are you do not have an abundance of time to tone and work out your body, and that is okay. That is why you should not compare your body to celebrities or anyone else.

According to The Conversation’s article, Social Media is Putting Pregnant Women Under Pressure to Look Perfect, their research, “found that the more pregnant women used Facebook, the greater their body dissatisfaction, and the more likely they were to try and limit how much weight they gained.”

Their findings were based on unlimited access to “perfect” pregnancy photos on Facebook. That is extremely dangerous and unfortunate.

Your body is different, and your pregnancy is different. Embrace it and be thankful that your body is growing for your baby! And if you must, disconnect from social media altogether.

Those stretch marks are badges of honor.

You know how your body is soft (and not toned)? Your baby is going to LOVE it. She is going to sleep in those comforting arms and even pinch that excess fat with her tiny little hand. At that moment you will know your body was made for your baby.

I would not want it any other way.

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We only see a fraction of celebrities’ pregnancies

I have a job where I work with VIPs. Whenever a VIP comes into town for an event, we plan for months in advance! Every detail is taken care of, so when our VIP arrives, they just walk off the plane and follow an itinerary.

Nobody knows how hard we work to make everything go smoothly, not even the VIP. When people like me do their job right, you are oblivious to all the work that goes into making everything seem perfect. Although we may be scrambling to get things done.

It is the same for pregnant celebrities. You may see them in the photo op looking spectacular. Trust me, it took a village to make it happen.

Was it totally planned? Most likely.

Was the photographer who happened to catch that moment hired (or at least notified)? You bet.

How long did it take to make her look that perfect? Hours and you know she has the best of the best doing her hair and makeup.

Do you think once the spotlight is off she is still wearing those uncomfortable clothes? No, she is probably wearing something comfortable like you do in the coziness of your home.

One minute of a glamorous pregnancy can live online forever! And make women think they should be that glamorous during their pregnancy. That is not the case. Even the most candid looking moments are planned.

Only select photos are published

On a similar note, ever wonder why you only see fabulous pictures of certain celebs? This is because they have a whole team of people to monitor what is published and to prevent photos from getting released.

That is how celebrity lives get fabricated.

Even their Instagram and other social media accounts are curated. Not that anyone would knowingly post an unflattering photo on social media, but to plan and Photoshop each social media post would be extreme for the average person.

It’s the norm for certain celebs.

In reality, it’s not just famous women creating unrealistic pregnancy expectations. It is everyone who feeds into the fabrication of our lives and pregnancies online.

The average woman may not post photos of her pregnancy struggles because that is not what people want to see. Instead, we like, and thumbs up, beautiful pictures with everyone at their best.

Just know the same way you are not going to post a pic of your morning sickness – neither is anyone else, besides that is personal.

The lesson here, keep in mind all women are going through pregnancy struggles. Whether we see it or not.

Be happy you are not a pregnant celebrity

Having a fashion-forward pregnancy may look impressive in photos, but the reality is far from it. My privacy far outweighs the price celebrities’ pay for being in the spotlight at all times. Read on for a few reasons why you are lucky you are not a pregnant celebrity.

#1 Screw those heels I’m tired

You could not pay me enough to wear heels during my pregnancy.

When a celebrity is wearing heels while pregnant, I feel for her. She may look great and like everything is fine, but I am hoping at the end of the day she is okay. Or hoping she changed her shoes as soon as the cameras were turned off.

No matter how much I elevated my feet and drank water my feet would swell especially during the last months of pregnancy.

If you can rock those heels while pregnant more power to you – being expected to wear heels while pregnant like a celebrity, that is a different situation. If you have a dress code where heels are required, I would recommend you talk to your boss about it.

Be safe with everything you do. Sometimes getting hurt is not worth the risk of wearing heels while pregnant.

Be happy if you do not have to wear heels during your pregnancy.

#2 Unattainable expectations

Even though celebs like Markle are picture perfect while in the public eye, they are still scrutinized to the max.

Did you see those headlines about how Markle broke royal protocol by touching her belly? Could you imagine going through your pregnancy not being able to rub your belly?

We live in times where the urgency for people in the spotlight to be perfect is the norm.

Being pregnant for the average woman is stressful enough. I would not want to go through a pregnancy under a microscope.

Be happy you do not have to be “perfect” during your pregnancy.

#3 The world compares her to other pregnant celebrities

One reason you are fortunate that baby royalty is not growing in your belly is Kate Middleton. Imagine being pregnant right after her? Let alone being compared to her in the media at a worldwide level?

We are talking about the woman who walked out of the hospital hours after giving birth looking stunning.

That situation must be tough to handle.

Or for the Kardashian/Jenner’s – if they get bloated they start getting surrounded by pregnancy rumors. Let alone when they do get pregnant, they are always compared to one another other. From their clothes to their bellies it is nonstop.

Imagine waking up to a TMZ story reporting your pregnancy weight? No thanks.

Be happy the media does not compare your pregnancy to celebrity pregnancies.

#4 You do not get to be a parent

I think most of us take for granted our right to have our pregnancy and give birth the way we want. As well as how we raise our children.

But for Markle, she is going to raise her child while following royal protocol.

I am not an expert in this field – but I am sure there are all sorts of rules for everything, such as who will be the baby’s pediatrician, the name and even what preschool he or she will be attending. That child’s life is virtually planned out already.

Be happy you can raise your child the way you want.

#5 Battling with weight expectations

Gaining weight during pregnancy is something all us moms have to come to terms with. It happens, whether it is just belly weight or we gain it all over the body.

For most of us, we can lose weight within our own timeframe. Although, many of us do feel pressure to lose it fast.

However, when you are in the spotlight, those expectations are emphasized. Now, celebrities get their pre-pregnancy bodies back so fast, losing weight immediately is an expectation for all celebrity mamas.

Sometimes you look at these women and question whether they actually gave birth, it’s mind-blowing.

I am grateful that I do not have to face those expectations. I took it easy after giving birth – did not worry about my weight for a good year and lost it at my own pace.

Be happy you can lose your pregnancy weight at your own pace.

Final thoughts

To sum everything up, no matter how glamorous someone’s life or pregnancy may look on the outside – nobody but that person really knows what is going on in her life.

Outer looks do not equate to happiness or healthiness.

Comparing your pregnancy to celebrities and other people just drains you and can lead to potentially unhealthy habits. Taking a break from social media or the internet can be healthy for your pregnancy.

In general, it is not worth comparing yourself or your pregnancy to others. The best thing you can do is be healthy for your baby.

Appreciate your life and be thankful for everything you have.

Bask in your privacy, enjoy your anonymity, and go out without makeup because you can! Most of all enjoy your pregnancy and new motherhood.

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