All mums know that pregnancy and childbirth is a huge change for your body to go through, and 'snapping back into shape' isn't quite as easy as it looks – and nor should it be our primary focus.
Those early days of motherhood are tough; life is about bonding with our baby, caring for their needs and keeping ourselves healthy too. I think we can all agree that showering and dressing is quite the achievement with a newborn!
Mothers in the royal family have that extra pressure of the public gaze, which we imagine is extremely difficult to cope with while caring for a young baby.
© GettyPrincess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, and Sarah Ferguson's youngest daughter, Princess Eugenie, have both spoken on the subject of postpartum bodies in recent years, while Prince Harry has alluded to his wife Duchess Meghan's feelings on the subject too.
Read on to discover what they said…
Zara Tindall on her post-baby body
In early 2023, Zara appeared on her husband Mike Tindall's YouTube series 'Mike Drop' and opened up about motherhood.
© GettyThe mum-of-three said: "It was hard to get your body back when you've been riding for 25 years, and then your body is just completely not doing that.
"Your muscles [are] doing nothing and stretching and creating an amazing thing but it's completely different." She continued: "Trying to get your body back to where it was, I found, was hard work."
Zara, we completely understand – not that we are Olympic level athletes, but getting back into exercise post-baby is quite the project.
Princess Eugenie talks baby weight
Royal mum-of-two Eugenie joined the Table Manners podcast in 2023, and talked to hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware about her family life.
© Greg BrennanThe mum to sons August and Ernest, who she shares with her husband Jack Brooksbank, candidly revealed: "I don't know about you, but on the post-baby body thing — it sends me mad, but I find it really hard to shake baby weight."
She added: "I guess society dictates that you have to shake your baby weight and all that stuff."
It's a sad reality that women feel this pressure to shed pounds so soon after welcoming their baby. Some women find it much easier than others to regain their pre-pregnancy figures and some never do – and that is totally fine.
© Instagram/PrincessEugenieMeghan Markle's post-baby figure
Mum to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, Duchess Meghan looked radiant during her pregnancy and as a new mother.
© Getty ImagesAt the 2019 Wellchild Awards, her husband Prince Harry complimented his wife on her post-baby body, with a comment that suggested she had some insecurity in that area.
At the event Harry spoke to a 10-year-old award winner Emmie and her mum Eve, with Eve later telling reporters: "They were very lovely. When she sat down, I said, 'Oh you look amazing, and you’ve just had a baby'."
Eve revealed that Prince Harry looked at his wife and said: "See I told you!".
© GettyRoyal Correspondent Katie Nicholl also told ET about Meghan's post-birth exercise plan after she welcomed her first child.
Katie explained: "Before she fell pregnant, you know, Meghan was very fit. She was very into her fitness regime. She used to run around the park in Kensington, but she has been taking it easy. And I hear that yoga is very much on her post-birth fitness regime - nothing too strenuous."
We're pleased to hear that these royal mums have common sense outlooks on their post-partum figures and it's refreshing to hear they face the same struggles as we do.
