Yummy Mummy Syndrome
1:30 is an unusual time for us to be awake. Well, yes, since V has learnt to sleep through the night. He rarely gets up now but it was different yesterday. He hadn’t slept at all! All he wanted was me to sing him one lullaby after another, while he pretended to sleep!
But that wasn’t all. He wouldn’t let me tie my hair. He would insist that I let it loose. He would also pull out my glasses.
Cute!
Well, hell yes!
V has his own preferences as long as his mother is concerned. He likes me wearing a large bindi as opposed to the tiny dotted variety. If he sees me with a small bindi he pulls it off. I rarely wear dresses, but when I do wear one, he blushes more than me! I also have a feeling he doesn’t like me in sarees. He likes me to wear danglers, so that he can play with his little fingers. I am not the kind to wear ones hair loose. The heat and sweat bother me. I am the good girl, non-messy look types. But my son insists I keep my hair loose and flutter it around. And really, that’s too much to ask of me!
Sigh!
With V turning two in the next two months, I have cause to worry. I am not a ‘model mom’. Neither I am fashionable, nor am I thin and fit enough like some of the other moms today. Well yes, I am plump and obese! While my expanding girth and obscene levels of unfitness worry me. What worries me more is that I may have a tough time being a ‘yummy mummy’!
Who is a Yummy Mummy?
From Liz Hurley, to Victoria Bekham and Malaika Arora Khan and Shilpa Shetty… popular culture has wowed these mummies for various reasons. From shedding post pregnancy weight to going back to their pre-motherhood day lifestyle, to being the style divas through it all; yummy mummy are made to be truly delicious.
So when our Aishwarya Rai remained unapologetic about her baby fat, and the press continue to flag her, I loved her. I respected her for taking it all unflinchingly. Being in the business where your appearance is judged at every step and your ticket to stardom is decided by your looks, it must be the special touch of motherhood that lets you enjoy life the way you are supposed to.
There are yummy mummies everywhere. Mummies in malls, in schools, on the streets, on television, on Facebook… how does one escape the pressure?
I have battled weight all my adult life. Soon after pregnancy, my protruding tummy was on the c-section and frowns started to pour, “Oh! Look at you! Your stomach has not gone in.” I scowled back and pretended it didn’t bother me. Well, at least then it didn’t bother me, now it does! I wouldn’t blame motherhood but I would accept that few months back when I really worked to lose the kilos I have failed to stick to my resolve. Yes, yes, shame shame… But while I may shed the extra kilos down the months, what worries me most is that I may not truly be a yummy mummy. Will I have un-chipped nails? What about that perfect makeup? And will I be able to strut in heels? And yes, will I be able to let my hair loose?
The joke in the house is that my husband has never really asked me to wear my hair loose. Neither has he ever asked me to wear a particular dress or colour. I am sure he doesn’t even notice my jewellery! I am not really the kinds to ‘dress up to impress the man’… and thankfully my man has never shown a particular interest or disinterest in anything particular. But my (adderall) son’s fascination for my hair, jewellery and bindi is making me take note of the little man and his pretty preferences!
Is there a pressure to look good for my son? If you ask me now, I will have to say that there is one! And I don’t know what to do about it.
We often watch this ad on the television and there’s a joke (about this one too!) in our house that I will never challenge my son. At least I won’t go running with him. Well, I started the joke! And then pictures of 60 year old Pinki Roshan pumping iron with her son Hrithik Roshan hit the news….damn!!
Why does motherhood have to be so challenging?
The TV junkie is back into the idiot box. Besides pretending to be a superwoman between work and family, Rituparna also dreams of flying free as an entrepreneur! Her son’s student, she is learning the ropes of parenting every day. Rituparna blogs at http://onboardthemommyship.
