Why do we accept the “dad bod”, but not the post-pregnancy pounds of a woman?

On TikTok, a user blasted the fact that we accept that men have “daddy’s belly” while a woman is often criticized for her postpartum body.

Normalize stretch marks and post-pregnancy pounds. In 2021, too many women are still being criticized for their weight after giving birth. Evidenced by the recent story of Wafa, candidate of Moms and Famous, who pushed a rant on social networks because of the degrading comments about her postpartum body.

On TikTok, a 32-year-old woman had had enough of the double standard regarding female and male bodies. Rachel Whippel in particular blasted the fact that we had normalized the “dad bod” (understand, daddy’s belly) while women are still judged on their appearance after giving birth. In her video, posted to her @brightnorthstudio account, she says: “Have you ever thought about the fact that society accepts so much ‘dad bod’, when it is the women who literally carry the child and bring it into the world. And as soon as they do, they are bombarded by society on how to lose pregnancy weight. Because the body of the mother who literally gave birth to a human being is not accepted, while the body of the father is. “

Shared on July 14, the video quickly went viral. It has notably led to a wave of support for young mothers, who have not hesitated to display their pregnancy pounds on the platform, notes the site. parents.com.

A movement that delighted Rachel Whippel, even if she regrets that we still have to come to this today. “It’s a mixture of emotions: the happiness of seeing women accept their bodies, the grief of the current situation, the relief that so many people agree, the anger at the misogyny that shows in the comments. and hope that things will improve ”, she told Buzzfeed. Before concluding : “Women’s bodies are not as honored as men’s. ” It is high time to normalize and accept all bodies, including the postpartum one. Mainly because he has just accomplished something extraordinary: giving life.

Elise Poiret

Journalist specializing in parenthood, Elise writes for aufeminin and Parole de mamans. She is also very involved in the fight for women’s rights. If you only have to remember …