Applause For Kiara Advani, Alia Bhatt's Postpartum Bodies, Shame For Patralekhaa And Katrina Kaif: Celeb Moms Need Empathy, Not Trolling

The glitzy lives of celebs are under heavy scrutiny, more often than not. From public appearances to even closely guarded private moments, everything related to a film star is up for consumption and discussion on social media. What follows is an endless cycle of judgement and criticism, sometimes even unwarranted. Actress Patralekhaa, who delivered her first child with her actor-husband Rajkummar Rao in November last year, was recently chastised by the paparazzi, who had gathered to snap her in her new mommy phase. What was highly problematic about this spotting was how the camerapersons passed unhinged comments on her postpartum body.

While Patralekhaa let the moment pass by gracefully, she later took to her social media handle to narrate how uncomfortable the remarks about her postpartum body made her feel. She even mentioned that weight gain was natural among new mothers and even called for "empathy" for the newborn's primary caregivers.

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What stands exposed is the apparent hypocrisy of the Indian patriarchal mindset. What seems expected of new mothers is to quickly get back to looking like how they did in their pre-delivery phase. In times when weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are being heavily relied upon, even for post-delivery bounce back, how justified is shaming women for taking the natural route to slim down after motherhood?

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The conundrum explained  

Kiara Advani, who embraced motherhood a few months prior to Patralekhaa, has been receiving praise online for her postpartum weight loss. People are marvelling at Kiara's "hot mommy phase" and gushing over how she has regained her celebrity-like physique less than a year after her delivery. Similar praise came Alia Bhatt's way back in 2023 when she not only quickly shed her post pregnancy weight but even resumed shooting work, looking as slim as before.

What Patralekhaa encountered in public, Katrina Kaif is unfortunately facing on social media. The Ek Tha Tiger actress delivered her first child (in her early 40s) in November last year. Her visibly puffy face and a larger frame, as seen in the scattered public appearances she has made since her baby's birth, are being dissected on the internet. Some even shamed Katrina for "not ageing well". The weight of celebrity life seems so heavy that even in their most vulnerable selves, film stars, mostly women, are being shredded for opting to live naturally. There's applause and acceptance for drug-induced weight loss, but not even a shred of empathy for wanting to embrace life as is.

Factors that lead to weight gain during pregnancy

Dr Shibani Devi, Consultant - Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Manipal Hospital, Bhubaneshwar, says, "Gaining weight postpartum can also happen due to sleep deprivation, stress, thyroid changes or reduced activity. None of this is a moral failing. It’s physiology responding to a major life event."    

Dr. Hemanandini Jayaraman, Consultant - Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Manipal Hospital, adds, "Most Indian women gain weight during the postpartum period due to ghee and sweets offered as meals to the new mother."    

The healthy and correct advice on postpartum weight loss

It is common for women to gain 11–16 kg during pregnancy if starting at a healthy BMI, Dr Devi says. For Dr Jayaraman, the number of extra kilos on pregnant women stands at 12-15 kgs, over a nine-month period. Dr Jayaraman says, "During the initial six weeks of childbirth, the mother should not look at the weighing scale much. She should instead focus on healing, especially in operation cases. Focus should be on the baby, right posture, establishing a feeding routine and handling the newborn. This, along with breastfeeding, is in itself demanding. There are a lot of hormonal changes that cause mental challenges. Some people have postpartum anxiety or depression. From 6 weeks to 6 months, new mothers should focus on strengthening themselves. This is when she can streamline her eating and lose the extra fat."

Dr Devi shares, "After delivery, you typically lose 5–7 kg immediately — baby, placenta, amniotic fluid and blood. The rest is stored as fat, fluid and enlarged uterus tissue. Over the next 6 weeks, another 2–3 kg often comes off as your uterus shrinks and fluid levels normalise. Beyond that, gradual weight loss of 0.5 kg per week is considered healthy, especially if breastfeeding, which burns 300–500 extra calories daily. Some moms hold onto 2–5 kg until after weaning."

Is med-induced weight loss healthy during postpartum?  

Dr Devi says, "No. Not without medical supervision. Most prescription weight-loss drugs are not tested for safety during breastfeeding and can pass into breast milk. Over-the-counter “fat burners” often contain stimulants unsafe for healing bodies. If there’s an underlying issue like thyroid imbalance or insulin resistance, your doctor may treat that condition, which can help weight normalise. But medication solely for aesthetic weight loss is not recommended in the early postpartum period. Nutrition, gentle movement, sleep and time are the first line.

Don't enforce a deadline on weight loss in postpartum

While the zeal to lose the extra inches quickly post-pregnancy may be strong, new mothers are advised to take anywhere around 6–12 months to return to their pre-pregnancy weight. Some bodies may want to settle at a new normal and that's justified. Contributing factors to weight loss include genetics, pregnancy weight gain, activity level, sleep, stress and whether one breastfeeds. "Crash dieting can reduce milk supply and slow healing. The focus in the first year should be recovery and nourishment, not the scale," Dr Devi emphasises.

About workout routines of new mothers, Dr Jayaraman says, "6 weeks from the time of delivery, the target should be 1-1.5 kgs of weight loss per month. After 6 months, physical workouts can be stepped up. The new mother can even go out for a more rigorous workouts like running and other cardio-based exercises."