One of the most beautiful sights in the world is a pregnant woman, because without knowing her name, her country of origin or anything about her, you know that she is about to bring a new life into this world and that by itself is extremely beautiful. The last thing that any mom should be concerned with is her body image after pregnancy.

But society places expectations on that soon-to-be-mother and even expects that she lose the weight through breastfeeding, dropping those extra pounds quicker than they were gained. Some may even go as far as to say that a woman’s body should be bikini ready just 3 months after delivery – that is, if we are keeping up with the trends we see on television or in following the most popular celebrities.

At the same time, we fail to take into consideration that these “celebrities” may have personal trainers, personal chefs, and paid assistants to help them run their personal lives. They may even hire registered dieticians, have personal shoppers and a gym in their own home for all we know. They seemingly have the money to pay people to keep them focused on one goal: losing weight.

While it is one thing to slim down, it is another thing to have enough energy to be a mom.

New mothers should be focusing on enjoying the role of mom to a new baby, not preoccupying their thoughts with body image and the critical glances of others.

The focus of motherhood/fatherhood should be on the baby’s health and wellness, how well they are eating, how much they are loved.

As dads, we should encourage positive and reaffirming conversations on how much we appreciate our wives and/or partners. New fathers should assist with doing things like going for walks or swims or whatever level of fitness/fun is needed to make sure that mom can chase, play and lift the baby – while not worried about what clothes she can or cannot fit into.

Have fun together as a couple, and as a family, and get active together. Exercise does not have to be strenuous and losing the baby weight does not have to be a competition. It can take a long time to get back to where you want to be, body-wise.

Don’t rush the experience of being a new parent, take it one day at a time and enjoy all the moments of first words, first steps, and first teeth.