Why Does Kate Middleton Still Have Her Baby Bump?

Why is the sky blue? Why does Nutella taste like it's laced with crack? Why does a woman who just had a baby still have a baby bump? All of these answers have seemingly simple answers, right? We accept the sky as being blue and Nutella tastes so good because that is how they are perceived by so many. So why don't we carry the same expectation when a woman still has her baby bump just after giving birth? A day after giving birth to Britain's newest prince, George, Kate Middleton has come under fire for her post-partum baby bump. While many saw her emerge as a glowing new mother, the internet, once again, had to go and ruin something good. 

Many posts criticize Kate for her still-extended belly, and since Kate is known for her usually lithe frame, the posts are incredibly harsh, considering, you know, she just gave birth to an 8-pound baby. Some of these posts read something like: "She's still fat. #KateMiddleTON," "Whose kid is he holding? It's obvious that skank is still pregnant," and "Kate Middleton still looks pregnant. Is that normal? I know there's 'baby fat' after bt it lks like she's got anthr1 in there."

Keepin' it classy, internet. 

The media's focus on Kate's post-baby body is appalling, with many people chiming in with "tips" for her to get back to her "regular body" (because a woman ain't regular if she ain't stick thin). Forgetting the fact that a woman can barely walk for a few days after giving birth, let alone dressing in tights, a dress, and wedge heels to present her new son to the world, and, if she's nursing, she has to be very careful about her diet, what we're failing to recognize is that Kate is still a female human being. She is not a magical creature that can just snap back to her "media approved" body after giving birth. When you have a baby growing inside of you for nine months, your belly is going to stretch. What's a woman supposed to do after giving birth? According to the media, it's this: Immediately start losing weight, what are you doing with that donut? Put that down now and give me 100 crunches-no excuses!" And here I thought it was to love the child she just brought into the world. 

Kate's post-baby bump is actually very normal, and for many women the post-baby bump can last up to a few weeks. There is about 40-50% more blood volume during a pregnancy, and that doesn't just go away overnight. Your uterus, a muscle that is affected by neither exercise or dieting, now has to shrink back to a fraction of the size it was before the pregnancy. This process starts quickly, and is sped up through the hormones that are released during breastfeeding, but it can still take up to a month. Not to mention the intestines, bladder, stomach and other organs have to re-inhabit the recently vacated space by the shrinking uterus. 

Not all responses have been negative, thankfully, as many see her move as "revolutionary" and "empowering," and that the Duchess of Cambridge has shown the world that the love of her new family is much more important than how her stomach looks after just giving birth. Her move is even seen as showing new mothers all over what a new mother looks like, and that natural can be beautiful. The world continues to fall in love with Kate Middleton, and rightfully so, as she continues to show us that she truly cares for her husband, and now her son, and that she places them in much higher esteem than how she looks.