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French Justice Minister Rachida Dati has returned to work just five days after giving birth to her first child via C-section, a baby girl named Zohra. You read that right: Five days later. And she honestly looks gorgeous.
Celeb Moms - Before and After Baby
Having a baby undoubtedly changes your body, no matter how many fitness gurus, personal chefs, and dietitians you can afford to have at your disposal. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing -- in fact, often times it's for the better!
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Gwen Stefani before becoming pregnant with her first child in 2005.
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And here's Gwen in 2006, after giving birth to her son James.
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Pre-pregnancy Jessica Alba poses on the red carpet.
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Jessica looks even lovelier after giving birth to her daughter, Honor Marie.
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Halle Berry shows off her pre-baby body.
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Having since given birth to daughter Nahla Ariela Aubry, Halle is even more gorgeous.
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Christina Aguilera before becoming pregnant with her first child in spring of 2007.
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The pop diva certainly wasn't shy about showing off her "motherly assets," pictured here after giving birth to her son Max.
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Minnie Driver before becoming pregnant.
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Lots of moms (and others) are furious, saying Dati, 43 and single, is sending a scary "you must also be Mega-Super-Iron-Mom!" message to working women everywhere. The argument could be made that Dati's rocking the Elysee Palace in Paris in heels is sending a negative message to women about how they're expected to act -- and look -- right after they give birth.
Isn't this brouhaha strikingly similar to all the lightning-fast slim down and renewed vitality we see in many celebrity moms these days. Look at Jessica! Look at
And let's not forget that Sarah Palin famously returned to work three days after giving birth to her fifth child. Though her ticket lost the election, the
For me, five days post-birth would have been totally nutso to return to work, to say the least (I seem to recall at that point asking relative strangers to come over and do our laundry). I loved my job and was in the office every day until I went into labor. Even then I called to say I might be in later on; I wasn't sure. But post-birth I felt so exhausted, weepy and disoriented that only thing I was happy doing was staring at the mini-wrinkles on my son's feet and smooching his tiny, new-skin forehead 24/7. We took a million photos, and I actually wish we had more.
Dati seems to have a complicated work life as well as personal life. There are rumors French president Nicolas Sarkozy bullied her into an immediate return, and she won't name the father of her baby (Francois-Henri Pinault, the super-rich father of Selma Hayek's baby? Sarkozy himself?).
Is this a stunt, as some pundits are accusing, or should we assume she feels this is what she has to do? Wouldn't she rather be kissing her daughter's tiny toes and forehead? Or maybe some voice inside her told her that career comes first. There's no way for us to know whether Dati actually prefers a cabinet meeting over a bedside-feeding -- or just feels so much pressure that she's on autopilot set to "save job."
Either way, it's hard to imagine this is how she dreamed her early days as a mom would be.
Sabrina Weill is editor-in-chief of PrincessLovesPink.com.
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ReaderComments (Page 5 of 29)
1-15-2009 @ 1:20PM
Bernie said...These judgmental people don't understand that everything is relative ..... here in AMERICA slave women would work in the cotton field in the south until they were giving birth. Some owners would let them have the rest of the day off .....
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1-14-2009 @ 3:27PM
moderate said...Luvmykids; just because your are unable or CHOOSE not to work after child birth does not give you the right to judge others. Your asinine comment that women think their jobs are more important because they work... what about the women who have to work? People like you have tried to hold back women for generations, what about the fathers, why do you not give them a hard time? House husbands would receive your scorn also since that is not the norm. People on post have tried to be polite and open your mind. I WILL NOT BE POLITE, SHUT UP!
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1-14-2009 @ 3:37PM
luvmykids said...Why don't you SHUT UP! Actually I do work, but ONLY when my childs father is at HOME. When you have children they should be in the Loving Arms of their Parents!
1-14-2009 @ 5:22PM
Robin said...luvmykids - I think it is you that needs to shut up. You try and make it sound like a woman's job is to a housewife and to push out child after child. Welcome to the real world honey, some women NEED to go back to work to make money. My mother did for the first 5 years of my life and I was with my grandma, I actually have no memory of any of it but my mom use to tell me. She only stopped working when my brother was born then she went back to work when I was 14 because we needed the money for bills that were piling up but you know what. I have the BEST parents in the world and they are the most loving, caring people you would ever meet. They were always there for us, never missed a birthday, Christmas, or any holiday. Sometimes I think you need to wake up and smell the coffee because not all women can be so "perfect" like you. You smell of woman suppression.
1-14-2009 @ 5:24PM
PattyAnne said...I can't believe that giving birth and raising a family has come down to this. Squirt the kid out like Pez dispenser and get back to work! I had thought those days of popping a kid and going back to work in the fields or factory were over. Apparently not, as we think we need to 'prove' our worth by abandoning our children. I didn't go back to work for 12 weeks and actually we couldn't afford for me to stay home, we just made the sacrifices so I could. I know that isn't possible for some families, but what you REALLY need and what you think you need are two different things.
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1-14-2009 @ 3:31PM
chaimsmom said...If a father returns to work 5 days after his wife gives birth is it considered newsworthy?
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1-14-2009 @ 3:44PM
cris said...I cannot believe some of the posts on here! Women, how many years did it take for us to have a CHOICE, to be viewed as equal to men? And for what, so that some can look down their high horse and tell mothers who work that they don’t love their kids as much as they should? And for others to demean someone’s choice to stay at home and be with their kids all day long? We need to support each other and realize that there are benefits to both sides of this issue, that everyone wants different things. We need to look into solving the insecurities that make us feel that we need to demean other mothers who don’t make the same choices we do in order to validate our own choices.
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1-17-2009 @ 1:37PM
Pam Mayo said...I too was on welfare for 2 months before the birth of my daughter. However 6 days after her birth I did return to my job. The father didn`t work (wouldn`t} so he watched both of the children. My son was 13 months old. I had to make the best choice and I did. Twenty three months later I gave birth by c-section plus had my tubes tied. I was back at work in 3 weeks. Eight months later I kicked the father to the curb and my sister moved in. My children are now in their 30`s and well adjusted and happy. My daughter just had her 4th , returned to work, with the baby after 3 weeks and they are both doing well.It depends on the woman and circumstances.
1-14-2009 @ 3:52PM
Betsy Segal said...If people weren't so concerned about what other people think and do, there would be no debate. DO WHAT YOU WANT! Let this woman live in peace and let her do what she wants
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1-14-2009 @ 3:55PM
Ann said...Why do people feel the need to "be like everyone else"...or " I have to do it that way too, because someone else did". We are all individuals, and we all heal differently. Whats right for some, may not be right for others. If we all learned to be ourselves, and act the way we should, live in a good way, and conduct ourselves accordingly, we'd all be much better off. Who cares if she went to work 5 days later, that is her decission. Good for her. Who cares.
Learn to do things for yourself, and not worry about what others think and say. If you live a good and decent life, then you have nothing to worry about.
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1-14-2009 @ 4:01PM
RespectAll said...Honestly, the reaction of some posting is shocking. I am sure this child is healthy and happy and that this Mother has lots of help with childcare. Like someone else posted, she also has responsibilities to the world as well as her own child.
There's also a cultural difference. Many European moms have more people to help raise the child- family members as well as nannies. It's not viewed as the Mom's responsibility only. There is more than one way to raise a healthy, happy child.
My real concern is the health of the Mom- was she healthy enough to go back to work a few days after a c-section? We should be concerned about her well being in addition to the baby's but I think condemning someone you don't know is silly.
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1-14-2009 @ 6:53PM
Chris said...We also dont know how long she worked! Did she pop in for an hour or two for some important meetings? It does not say she was back at it 9-12 hours a day 6 days a week... also, it does not say her husband (etc) is not at home with the baby. Judgemental to assume that she put her 5 day old in daycare to go back to work 50 hours a week. The baby could be with family for 3 hours while mom runs out and is back before the Vicadin wears off completely! You have no idea... And Csection or not I would be wearing heels too if I knew the media was going to be waiting to snap my photo and report about it!
1-14-2009 @ 4:04PM
MRS. CMAN said...I was a single mom when my daughter was born 14 years ago. Altho' I was on welfare for 5 months before her birth, I refused to remain the proverbial "welfare mom" and went to work 1 week after her birth. Sure, I would have rather been home with my newborn but life dictated to the contrary. Bear in mind, I had to walk to a bus stop at 6:30 a.m., take 2 buses to get her to daycare then to my job by 8 a.m., then turn around and repeat this every evening.
14 years later I am the proud parent of a strong, independent young lady who understands the concept of needs vs. wants.
Life throws us curve balls. Sacrifices in the short term for long term goals and being able to provide for our families simply take precedence now & again.
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1-16-2009 @ 12:05AM
amanda said...Kudos to you for your honesty on your reasons for returning to work. Some people here try and portray being a mother as boring, and it is the stupidest thing I have read on this post. If someone really thinks that their newborn baby is boring, they need some help. It's either PPD or a loose screw. I am a very intelligent woman with a great work ethic, but I had no problem staying home with my baby. In 4 short years, she'll be in preschool and I can go back to work then. In the meantime, I am loving my new life. And I don't judge Moms who choose to go back to work. But I do feel for the Moms who wish they could stay home. And I respect honest people most of all.
1-14-2009 @ 7:08PM
Julie Smith said...Why are we judging her? She has a new baby and needs to keep her job. She is the only breadwinner. I wish I HAD been able to stay home with my babies, but was only able to stay home with one. Good for her if she looks good and has the willpower and energy to get back to work. Yes, being with the baby is important, but what happens when you don't have a way to feed the baby because you don't have any money coming in?
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1-14-2009 @ 4:16PM
carolnaus08 said...I think women who are ANGRY or DEPRESSED because they don't look like a model/actress is just plain dumb. I also think returning to work 5 days after MAJOR surgery is NUTS!!!
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1-14-2009 @ 4:17PM
Candace said...How sad that a mother would feel "bored to death" after spending a whole 2 weeks with her child. Being a full time mother is a gift. There is absolutely NO job more important than raising a child. At the end of one's life, do you really think that a job is going to be on a persons mind? Or might it be your children....family? Going to work 5 days after giving birth, would not be something I'd be proud of.
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1-14-2009 @ 4:19PM
Boomkatte said...Back in the 1980's when I was in college studying nursing, one of our married classmates became pregnant. She continued classes until the day she gave birth. One week later, she returned to classes, clinical, the whole bit. She was a very strong individual, and did have a wonderful, supportive family. Can't anyone find something *good* to say once in awhile? Seems so many look at our failings, and there are a lot; but once in awhile, we do truly wonderful things. Kudos to this woman. Those criticizing ought look within. Does it instill guilt or feelings of inadequacy if they did not do the same? It's all a matter of choice and resources. To each their own.
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1-14-2009 @ 4:41PM
les said...How incredibly sad. Bored after two weeks with your own child. I can't think of anything so pitiful than having a child and then can't wait to go back to work.
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1-14-2009 @ 7:06PM
Crystal said...I have to agree - for someone used to being tremendously busy, sitting around waiting for a baby to sleep for hours on end for weeks on end is boring - that does not mean you dont love your kid. Some people need more to do than just watch TV all day while their kid sleeps.