Millie Mackintosh says baby daughter is ‘worth every extra inch and stretch mark’ in post-pregnancy body confidence post

Katie Rosseinsky
·6-min read
Instagram @milliemackintosh
Instagram @milliemackintosh

Millie Mackintosh has revealed that giving birth to her first child has caused her to “look at [her] body in a totally new light.”

The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, welcomed baby daughter Sienna, who she shares with husband Hugo Taylor, in May.

Sharing a photo of herself in her underwear while carrying her daughter on her shoulder, Mackintosh said that she had “no intention of rushing into ‘getting my body back’” after her pregnancy but admitted that “it would be a lie” to say she feels “totally happy and at one” with her body right now.

“With Sienna nearing 10 weeks old nothing has given me more purpose than knowing that a small life depends entirely on me to feed and nourish her as she grows,” she wrote on Instagram.

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With Sienna nearing 10 weeks old nothing has given me more purpose than knowing that a small life depends entirely on me to feed and nourish her as she grows. I try to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle and I count myself lucky that throughout my adult life I’ve felt and identified as pretty body confident but now all that has changed along with every other aspect of my life, which makes me look at my body in a totally new light and it’s been a big adjustment! Fitting into my pre pregnancy clothes seems a long way off and I have no intention of rushing into ‘getting my body back’ but it would be a lie if I said I feel totally happy and at one with my body post pregnancy. The process has been made a lot harder by some overly strong and hurtful comments online about my appearance (as much as you try and ignore them). I’m in awe of what my body has achieved over the last year but I find it hard not seeing the girl I know to be me looking back at me in the mirror. I now see photos of myself pre-pregnancy and remember thinking at the time I didn’t like my body at certain angle but now I look back and think I looked great! It’s made me realise how critical I am of myself and how it’s so crucial, as women, that we learn to let ourselves off the hook. My mantra has always been that you exercise because you love your body not because you hate it, so any movement I do now is with the intention to feel good and never to punish myself. Sienna is worth every extra inch, pound and stretch mark. My body made me a Mother and for that I'll always be grateful 💗 #postpartumbody

A post shared by Millie Mackintosh (@milliemackintosh) on Jul 8, 2020 at 10:16am PDT

“I try to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle and I count myself lucky that throughout my adult life I’ve felt and identified as pretty body confident but now all that has changed along with every other aspect of my life, which makes me look at my body in a totally new light and it’s been a big adjustment!

“Fitting into my pre pregnancy clothes seems a long way off and I have no intention of rushing into ‘getting my body back’ but it would be a lie if I said I feel totally happy and at one with my body post pregnancy.”

She revealed that her body confidence had taken a knock due to “some overly strong and hurtful comments online about my appearance,” adding: “I’m in awe of what my body has achieved over the last year but I find it hard not seeing the girl I know to be me looking back at me in the mirror.”

View this post on Instagram

My Birth Experience - Despite my final trimester landing smack bang in the middle of a global pandemic, I feel very lucky that Sienna’s arrival into the world was a hugely positive experience for me. The usual fears around the birth of my daughter were magnified by not knowing if Hugo could be there to hold my hand, I was terrified about potentially catching the virus and I had no idea what to expect in Hospital with the UK in the throes of this pandemic. Sienna was breach so there was no choice but to have a C-section. I was nervous about the surgery, so I did Hypnobirthing tailored around a Caesarean delivery. I listened to a track by @themindfulbirthgroup every night before bed to mentally prepare myself for what was to come, and I listened to the same track before I went into theatre which immediately got me into a good head space. Sienna’s arrival couldn’t have gone more smoothly thanks to the amazing doctors, nurses and midwives at Chelsea and Westminster hospital. Hugo was by my side, I had classical music playing, and before I knew it my daughter was being placed on my chest for skin to skin cuddles. I found pregnancy to be such a surreal experience, it was only in that moment in theatre that it hit me how real this all was. I was now a mother, Hugo a father and our daughter was safely here, breathing gently on my chest. Because I was lying flat on the operating table I couldn’t quite see Sienna’s face, so I asked Hugo to hold her. That image of him holding her for the first time will stay etched in my memory forever. All ten fingers, all ten toes and curious little eyes blinking back at us. Any new mother’s anxieties are valid, especially when the world’s in some form of lock down, but I’ve really looked to the positives and as a result, I’ve treasured the time I’ve had with Sienna, for the three of us to navigate our new life together without interruptions and using it as an opportunity to enjoy every precious moment of this very special new chapter of our lives 👨‍👩‍👦💗👶🏻

A post shared by Millie Mackintosh (@milliemackintosh) on Jul 1, 2020 at 7:40am PDT

Mackintosh went on to admit that she was now aware of “how critical” she can be towards herself and urged other women to “learn to let ourselves off the hook.”

“My mantra has always been that you exercise because you love your body not because you hate it, so any movement I do now is with the intention to feel good and never to punish myself,” she continued.

“Sienna is worth every extra inch, pound and stretch mark. My body made me a Mother and for that I'll always be grateful.”

The star, who married fellow Made In Chelsea graduate Taylor in 2018, previously told fans that she had been “terrified” to give birth for the first time during the coronavirus pandemic, but Sienna’s arrival was ultimately “a hugely positive experience” for the couple thanks to “amazing doctors and midwives.”

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