Post Baby is there too much pressure to be perfect?

After a fantastic afternoon spent with FirstTimeMum1 and the combination of intellectual conversation with that of the usual Mummy conversations regarding poo and sleep (or rather the lack of it!) I got thinking about how much we expect of ourselves, especially after our first child. 

Now in my opinion, FirstTimeMum1 has got it sussed, she radiates confidence and baby H behaving like an absolute star while we nattered and ate cake with Boo and Elvis suggesting she really is doing something right! But we very quickly got on to the topic of weight, and how we’re both more *ahem* curvy than we used to be. Now, realistically, I have no excuse, Elvis is One! I have had over a year to recover from his birth, and Christmas was great but really no reason to be such a glutton. H is only 4months, and his Mummy looks like a young Nigella, fresh faced and feminine, she’s doing far better than I did after I had Boo! In fact I’m not sure I made it out of a tracksuit until 6months after his birth!! 

I looked at pictures of Ulrika Johnson last week, and was slightly stunned at how aged and almost frail she looks at the moment, I couldn’t help but seek out older photos of her, and look at this curvaceous woman who looked considerably younger and certainly looked much happier – do not think I am criticising her for being thin, I’m just expressing my opinion that she looked utterly gorgeous curvy.

 Do I feel pressure to be slim? Yes, indeed I do, I work in an environment where appearance is everything. I do believe that I’m healthier when I weigh less, and I certainly have a lot more energy. But is there really anything wrong with a Mum treating themselves to an extra bar of chocolate if it gets them through the sleepless nights and the sudden realisation that you cannot even go to the toilet without it being a military operation anymore? Surely it is better to comfort yourself with those extra calories than by other means?