I think most of us (especially those of us who have given birth to children of our own) can agree that it is completely ridiculous when celebrities pop out a kid and then “bounce back” to their formerly slim shapes after what seems like no time at all. Honestly, it took me at least a good six months to get back to my own pre-pregnancy weight, so it comes as quite a refreshing admission from Jenna Fischer to hear that she’s not exactly finding it an easy task to slip into her skinny jeans four months after giving birth to her first child, a son named Weston, in late September of last year. In fact, Jenna insists that not even breastfeeding has helped speed the process of losing the baby weight:
It’s been four months since Jenna Fischer gave birth, and like most new moms, The Office star is struggling to get her pre-baby body back.
“Let me please stand in solidarity with all of the women who are not a size 2 six weeks after leaving the hospital,” the 37-year-old told Us Weekly at the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in L.A. Sunday. “I thought, you read all of the stuff in magazines like, ‘Oh, I breastfed my baby and I am so skinny now.’ I am breast-feeding my baby and I am not getting any skinnier!”
“I think I’m just going to be a little bit bigger for a little bit longer,” Fischer said, “and that’s fine with me.”
The Office star wore a custom-made dress by Max Azria Atelier, which “made me look the smallest I could possibly look right now after just having had a baby,” she told Us.
Fischer, who married screenwriter Lee Kirk on July 3, 2010, said motherhood has changed her in ways she never imagined. “I love being a family. I love going from two people to three people, and it has deepened the bond between me and my husband. We love being together, the three of us. Our little unit.”
The new mom added that she was excited to get all dolled up for the star-studded event. “It took a special occasion for us to leave at first, but we have a babysitter that we really trust now, so I feel like because of that, tonight we can really relax and have fun,” Fischer told Us. “We’ll check in and make sure Weston gets to bed OK.”
[From Us Magazine]
That sucks that breastfeeding hasn’t helped Jenna lose weight. I always joked that my daughter literally sucked the life out of me during her first few months of life because breastfeeding did help me burn off some pounds, but as soon as she started a partially solid diet, I had to get back to the gym to lose the rest of the weight. For me, the trickiest part was to stop eating like a breastfeeding mother after the weaning process. Ahhh yes, I miss those days. Eating lunch for just one isn’t quite as fun, right?
Anyway, thank goodness for truly normal seeming celebrities like Jenna Fischer who have no problem admitting that they aren’t perfect. But then again, if “perfect” means looking uncomfortably thin like Posh almost immediately after giving birth, then perfection is definitely overrated.
Photos courtesy of WENN
I actually think she looks great! The dress is very flattering and she looks happy. She doesn’t look big to me at all.
Jenna should shut up there are women in hollywood that have never been a size 2 and she’s obviously not breastfeeding otherwise she would’ve lost most of her baby weight by now 4 months later
Seriously? Who pissed in YOUR cheerios this morning?
I breast fed my (now) 4 year old for a year, and I didn’t lose any weight.
I’m right there with you, Jenna!
Me too!
What? She hasn’t dropped the baby weight so she must be lying about breastfeeding?
Let’s not forget that she’s 37, this is her first baby, and she’s obviously happy taking it slow.
I breastfed all my kids. I never lost weight until at least six months later. Then again, I wasn’t using breastfeeding as a weight loss tool. I was doing it to feed my babies.
Are you crazed? Have you had children? I have had two and breastfed both for 2 years. Took me the same time as the old rule to lose the weight. 40 weeks on, 40 weeks off.
BFing does not totally burn off your weight even if you do it for a long time for many mothers. It helps, but it does not take off the weight completely for many, many full time BFing mothers.
Moronic comment.
@originaltiff, @samigirl, @tiegan, @cassius, I REALLY try to take comments like this from Courtney with a grain of salt, being as though she very obviously doesn’t have children (and most likely has never had sex).
I breastfeed both of my sons. The first time the weight fell right off. The second time I lost it all in six months, then gained 10 pounds when the little guy began eating solids. It’s definitely more difficult to get back to eating less when my body has become used to needing those extra calories when I was pregnant and exclusively breastfeeding.
I agree – that’s an absurd statement. I breastfeed both kids – heavily and often. With both it took over a year to lose the baby weight (and the shape has never been the same!) even though I was 30 and 33 at the time of each birth. I always hate hearing those Hollywood moms who say that breastfeeding and/or running around after their kids is all it took to drop the baby weight!
Because breastfeeding affects every woman in exactly the same way and if it doesn’t she is “obviously” lying!
Morticians, you’re right (like usual). She’s probably just trolling us to get a rise out of us. However, I’ve finally got to the part in my pregnancy where I’m crazy and a b*tch all the time, so I’ll take any bait thrown at me, haha.
I really hope I have the same thing going on like you…where my experiences are opposite. I’m the biggest I’ve ever been, and I’m so eager to lose some weight and start running again!
@samigirl, It seems like a lot of women have a little more trouble losing weight after the second and subsequent pregnancies. With every pregnancy we’re older and our metabolisms are a little slower. Plus, our bodies have a “memory” for the way we’ve lost weight in the past. We have a lot working against us, so don’t be too hard on yourself if it doesn’t come off as quickly as you’d like. You’re still in your twenties though, so I’m guessing you won’t have too much of a problem! Good luck and keep us posted on the progress of your pregnancy.
It took me a full year to lose all the weight I gained after my pregnancy. I also nursed my baby and the weight did not just fly off of me–no matter what I did, it just sort of hung around for about 9 months, and then without changing anything in my diet or exercise, it quickly came off by the one-year point. I appreciate Jenna’s honesty and think she looks beautiful.
Excuse me hun, but breastfeeding doesn’t necessarily burn a ton of calories for every one. I can attest to that. I breatfeed my 3 year for two years and the only way reason the weight came off was thru a strict diet and almost daily cardio routine. Still breastfeeding my 9 month old now and my nurtionist said that I will probably hang onto some extra weight until I wean. I’m a few pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight 9 months later. But I can tell you that I have had to do weight watchers and the insanity work out to get here. That “breastfeeding and the weight will fall off” is a bunch of horse shit. Just sayin.’
I was about 98 lbs before my first pregnancy. I breast fed for 18 months, and at six months I was holding steady at 120. To be fair, I was pretty underweight my whole life, and at 120 lbs I was a size 5, and perfectly happy. I kind of feel like the whole losing weight via breastfeeding thing is over played. It CAN help, definitely, but if you’re still eating like you’re pregnant, you aren’t going to lose it all. Anyway, I’m pretty sure that poster is just trolling.
Ladies and gents, please ignore Courtney, Celebitchy’s resident idiot.
Every blog has at least one, no?
@originaltiff, @samigirl, @tiegan, @cassius, et al.: DONT FEED THE TROLLS!
while i am a CHILDLESS WOMAN (said in scary pearl-clutching tones), i recognize that pregnancy is not a one-size-fits-all; some women glow, some dont, some experience the best time of their lives, some dont; there are all flavors of pregnancy and most Logical People recognize that… then you have your average troll like courtney that is obviously just trying to get everyone riled up (and it worked ladies!)
Her hairstyle is awful. Fire whoever did it. She looks greeat. Losing baby weight at 37 was a bitch for me. It’s really tough when u r over 35.
At 28 (after my first pregnancy) it was a breeze. At 31, I’m finding it much more difficult. I can’t believe 3 years makes this much of a difference!
Even from 27 to 30 made a big difference. My friend had her first a year ago and is still not down to her normal size. It does get harder.
Took me a lot longer with my second than my first.
You guys will get it off, like I said, my body at 42 is better than it has been for 15 years!
@Mort, you are definitely right about our little BFing expert, don’t know why we let it get to us. I woke up to snow this AM, makes me grouchy!
@originaltiff, your photo makes you look late twenties! I’m on the east coast and it was 60 degrees today, which put me in better spirits (or else I would have said something a little less friendly) 😉
I had my 1st at 28 & 9 months later I still have 40lbs to lose. Granted, I lived off junk food for most of my pregnancy, so I;m sure that is part of the problem
@Morticians, thanks there sweetie! You made my day. I get taken for that quite a bit. Good genes and basics. Never messed with anything, I think that helps a ton.
My rule-do not tweak face. I plan on aging naturally and hoping for the best! London’s winter weather is sucking my hair and skin dry. Cali in a few weeks!!!
Just saw my BFing friend today. Baby is almost 1 and she is still carrying extra weight, and it’s fine. There are just times in our lives when other things take priority. Not like she is big, just not skinny anymore. I think she’s gorgeous and happy.
And I am jealous of anyone in a warm climate right now! AND I have to stay up til like 5am to watch the Super Bowl. I’ll probably look old on Monday:)
I agree that age makes a tremendous difference. People also need to consider the normal body type tendency prior to pregnancy: endo-, ecto-, or mesomorph.
My first was at age 32- two years later ( two years of breastfeeding, and a piss-poor sleeper of a baby) I was still 4# heavier than pre-baby weight. At 35, pregnant with twins, it was an even greater issue… metabolism slows, and the work of loss is that much more challenging.
I like that she’s comfortable with taking more time to lose weight. Her job is to be in front of cameras and the camera adds ten pounds. Having your pictures published when you’re not feeling your best is intimidating.
You get used to seeing celebrities like Posh and Jessica Alba lose weight so fast that it seems like the norm in the celebrity world.
She looks like a normal sized woman which I guess means “fat” in Hollywood. The hairdo did not flatter her face at all and the dress was okay but I didn’t like the bead work on the sleeves.
Jenna wasn’t exactly a size 2 before the pregnancy
IMO that’s a good thing. Her role on “The Office” was to be a receptionist from Scranton. If she had been too glamorous, the character (and the show & her romance with “Jim”) would have been as fake as most of Hollywood. Her average-ness makes her more relate-able to everyone.
There should be more characters on television who aren’t lipo’ed and over-dieted and super-muscular—most of us aren’t.
I think she looks absolutely beautiful here.
So do I, MM. Just to be clear, I was commenting that the entertainment industry SHOULD have more actors with relate-able body types. It makes the characters more real, and sells a story much better.
I just can’t care about a story as much when every actor is gorgeous, perfect bodied, and no wrinkles. Reminds me constantly it’s just a story.
Thats exactly it. If you dont put on a lot of food weight (we all know pregnancy pounds are not just fat) and you take care of yourself you will quickly return to what you were before.
Umm not necessarily. It’s really different for everyone. Your body just changes. And even if you don’t breastfeed, your breasts definitely change. Breastfeeding has never helped me loose weight. I do it anyway because it has so many other advantages for our family though.
I never had children–but have the luckiest genes imaginable–never over a size 6, w/ no diet or exercise. STILL though, between 30 & 40, my body shape changed all over (even if just slightly) all on its own.
I tend to think that those who think weight loss or getting fit is easy can’t be far over 30.
I love Jenna – she looks happy, beautiful and comes off as an intelligent woman. Awesome. 🙂
Agreed, love her. I also got pregnant at 37, and it is harder to lose the weight!
I barely believe that any celeb got thin again immediately after having a baby without a personal trainer and personal chef. I breastfeed and did not get thin until I started exercising later. Usually, you aren’t really supposed to do any exercise for 6-8 weeks after having a baby, so I’m not sure what it is that these celebs are doing with their trainers, but I don’t think it’s healthy.
If someone is breastfeeding to loose wait only, chances are they are not eating enough for their baby too. Congrats for being a ‘real’ woman, Jenna, and not being one of the stars that encourage anorexia.
Love her and she looks great for 37 and no tweaking! Having your first child in your mid thirties means your body doesn’t bonce back like a twenty something. And absolutely nothing wrong with that! Go Jenna!
This makes me love her so much. So, so much. It is so sane! And normal! And lovely! To hear stuff like this is great. (And before anyone comments, no, I’m not saying we should use our pregnancy to excuse unhealthy weight gain or keeping the extra poundage on post-baby–but the idea that you’ll spend the first few months of your kid’s life trying burn off every last calorie consumed makes me kind of crazy).
Here’s the thing I don’t get about celebrities after having babies: I’m 5 weeks post-partum, 10 pounds below pre-pregnancy weight (I only gained 20 while pregnant and gave birth to an almost 10-pound baby), and my clothes STILL DON’T FIT.
I really want to know how they get their stomachs back to normal so fast. There’s a lot of excess skin hanging out on mine.
Tummy Tucks love. They do it right after baby is pulled out via scheduled c-section.
It’s gotta be Spanx…..
i am giving all my grandmother’s titbits etc today. every comment today is starting with my grandma say…..
Anyhue, here goes, my grandma and the women in her village always wrap tightly a post partum lady’s mid section for the first 3 months. They say it helps the muscles remember where they are supposed to be. It’s been passed down generationally.
i guess spanx is the modern equivalent
I was down to my pre-pregnancy weight at my 6 week check-up but didn’t fit back into my old clothes until about 2 months post-partum. Over that time my stomach muscles regained their strength and my hips went back into their regular position, and everything fit again (even though I hadn’t lost any additional weight). Give it time, it will happen to you, too!
To lose weight this way you have to breastfeed exclusively, which is very exhausting. I did it with my son for over 16 months (naturally, at some point he was eating solids, just never formula) and got skinnier than before pregnancy when the little man was 5 or 6 months old, but then he nursed around the clock!
For some of us, not even exclusive breastfeeding does it we did so for almost a year (we are an attachment parenting family) until my son showed interest in solids. No pacifiers or supplemental bottles since he left the NICU. Just luck of the draw I guess. Some friends I have were able to loose the weight quite easily without exclusively breastfeeding.
Yep, raised my kids the same way. 2 years of nursing each. Fit and healthy as a fiddle. Been on antibiotics maybe once their entire lives. Now 12 and 14!
Never had a drop of formula touch them, but I had asthma and horrid allergies, so it was important to me. If you don’t want to parent like that fine, but BFing alone sure didn’t take off my weight. It was just best for my family.
And good for her. How refreshing to hear that she is ok with not being a size 2 though she looks great to me.
I had my first child at 38 and am still struggling to lose the baby weight and she’s 2! I know for a fact that it’s about being able to exercise, which I haven’t been able to do, however my priority is my child and now that she’s older I can start incorporating some gym time into my daily routine. And I’m perfectly fine with that. To each his own.
My daughter lost all her pregnancy weight and then some due to breast feeding and severe post partum depression. She went through hell and scared us all to death. These celebs that come back after super slim after having a baby are setting an unrealistic expectation. I don’t think women were meant to be beanpoles after giving birth and if they are, then something is wrong. Good for Jenna for speaking up.
You’re generalizing, don’t you think? Just because a woman is a “beanpole” after giving birth doesn’t mean there’s something wrong. I was tall and slim – naturally so – before I had my son and I lost the weight pretty much right away and I surely didn’t starve myself. In fact during my pregnancy, I was “all belly”. Different folks… Different strokes.
No, I’m not generalizing. For a woman to be thinner after giving birth than she was pre-pregnancy is not the sign of a healthy person. Ask your doctor. If you were naturally thin to prior to your pregnancy, then it’s not unnatural for you to be thin afterwards. Most of these celebs are not naturally thin.
She’s such a cutie.
It took me 3 years to lose the weight of my 2nd child and I was running regularly. Went up from a zero to size 6 and stayed there awhile.
I’m with Jenna, breast-feeding was no help to me in trying to lose weight. In fact, I gained weight because I had heard so often that breast-feeding helps you lose that I just ate whatever I felt like and didn’t worry about it.
Losing baby weight is incredibly hard and it’s so unbelievable when celebrities do it in a matter of weeks. Good for Jenna for being comfortable with her new self and taking her time.
I gave birth on Friday. No, seriously, I JUST gave birth. You think I am worried about baby weight now or six months from now? No, not really. I am breastfeeding because my husband and I decided that is what would be best for our daughter. Baby weight comes off with a good diet and exercise, something we should be doing anyway- for the sake of our health! And I am using a sports wrap to wear on my tummy- not because I think I am gonna have washboard abs from it, but because it helps make my tummy feel less loosey-goosey.
Jenna looks amazing here, baby weight or not. She looks healthy! And that is what really should count.
Congrats! And keep your belly wrapped! I’m convinced that I wouldn’t have had a diastasis recti had I wrapped my belly.
Thanks, Mort! She’s amazing, tiring, and well worth it all at the same time.
she looks HEALTHY, and that’s what’s important for a mama with her baby. good for her, not being neurotic.
Please. There’s no magic bullet or fancy trick for this. My mom gave birth twice, well before celebrities shared their (trainer’s) tips for weight loss, and she bounced back both times. She was Jenna’s age when she had me. It’s called not stuffing your face with everything “for the baby!”, and taking the kid out for a walk in the stroller instead of watching Baby Einstein.
I was dead set on nursing my son, but was only able to do so for 6 weeks. There were many reasons that we as a family chose to switch to formula (several of them medical) & while it really was the best choice for us, I die a little inside every time I make a bottle for my son. He is the picture of health & is perfect in every way, so I really shouldn’t feel so awful about it, but I do. No matter how perfect he is, I will always feel like I failed him.
I have a TON of weight to lose & I’m convinced that nursing him would have helped, at least a little.
And I HAVE been taking him out for walks & I’ve only lost maybe a pound or two. Everyone is different, and what worked for someone may very well not work for other people.
I know it must be hard not to feel guilty, but I don’t judge people because they choose to formula feed their babies (or if they choose to not circumsize or cloth diaper or have an epidural, etc.). Just do what is best for you and yours, mama. We don’t need the so-called “supermoms” dictating what is best for us. Do what you gotta do! 🙂
Whats sorta funny is the we chose not to circumcise our son, we cloth diaper & he was born in a birthing tub! At least I got 3 out of 4 of the things I wanted
I think she looks beautiful! (and happy)
I’m glad I’m not the only one. Nursing hasn’t helped me a bit. The last ten pounds wants to stick around just like the first time.
I also don’t think it’s crazy that size two women are able to get back into their clothes after birth. Celebrities don’t really impress me though. They can afford to have a maid and a cook. They can hire a PT to come to their house while the baby is napping.
The women that do it all: work, take care of the house, take care of the babies- they impress me. During my free time I have to cook and clean. As I type this right now, the babe is hanging of the tit!
I don’t like her hairstyle, but she looks like a goddess! I love the dress, so beautiful!
I don’t know anyone who didn’t eventually lose their baby weight but for some moms like my sister she didn’t lose it until after she stopped breastfeeding. I think breastfeeding made her hungrier or something.
Also I think it’s probably a lot easier for a 24 year old to lose baby weight than a mom in her 30s.
I love that she has a healthy attitude towards motherhood. It takes courage to face the Hollywood spotlight when you are overweight. Like Pink, the singer/actress, Jenna hasn’t hidden herself away, either. But that being said, both women during pregnancy gained a lot of weight, for whatever reasons. To get ready for filming “Thanks for Sharing,” Pink made work on her fitness a top priority. She also brought her baby Willow Sage to work with her. The images of them on set are breathtaking, and full of love. I think that was 3 or 4 months after giving birth. Jenna, luckily, is in the position to do the same: bring Weston to work, and work hard to reclaim her body. She’s way too talented an actress to be cast aside by Hollywood, which unfortunately could happen. But, Hollywood loves a Cinderella story. Like Pink, Jenna can face her weight problem in a healthy, proactive way. For her career’s sake, she needs to do this before The Office wraps for the season. And, for her sake, I would love to see this happen before the screening of her and her husband’s film, “The Giant Mechanical man,” this summer. Jenna, like Pink, could serve as one of the few truly positive celebrity post-partum role models. I’m rooting for her!