NEW mum shocked when she was approached by a body wrap consultant

Mum shares how she was appalled when she was approached by a weight loss consultant while shopping with her brand new baby.

Kelly Diane Howland shared on Facebook last week that she was approached by a lady selling a body wrap products for weight loss. The main issue is – Kelly was shopping with her brand new baby. This attitude is never acceptable.

Kelly shared, “I am shopping in Target with my obviously fresh baby. I’m a brand new postpartum mum. A woman approaches me and chats me up the usual small talk about “how old is she?” and “how much does she weigh?”

And then she asks The Question. “Have you heard of It Works before?” I tell her that I know what it is but I’ve never utilized it. She proceeds with artificial shock and surprise and gives me her card and her spiel.”

Kelly explains why this is not acceptable,
“I’m not upset this company exists. And I’m not even upset at this woman because she could be absolutely charming and just trying to hustle her own living and I have respect for a woman with guts to do that.”

Let’s not pretend that approaching me specifically was a coincidence. Because it’s not like she ran up to every female at Target to hand out her card. But she did come to me – with my baby billboard of being brand new postpartum.

We all know that this culture hammers into postpartum women a lot of physical insecurity about their bodies after delivering their miracles from their wombs. I don’t think I have to spell out for a single woman the cultural pressure that postpartum mothers face regarding their physical appearance. We know. We all know. She knew. And that’s why she approached me.”

Kelly adds, “Can we PLEASE not perpetuate the pressure, the impossible expectations, and therefore keep alive the insecurities that we newly postpartum women face regarding our new and changing bodies as we enter motherhood?

Instead of leaning into superficial ideals imposed upon us, can we PLEASE start bucking the system and instead start praising each other for being the amazing, life giving, creation birthing vessels that we are?

Can we just offer each other adoration of the amazing things that we’ve accomplished and see our physical changes as marks of phenomenal accomplishment that only our sex has the privilege of experiencing?

My body doesn’t need to be wrapped or squeezed or changed. It needs to be valued and revered for the incredible life it just brought into this world. THAT is beauty and THAT is all it needs.”

Her post has gone viral with over 16,000 shares and 42,000 reactions.

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14 Comments

- - mom94125 said
  - 10 Oct 2017
    5:13 pm
….but it could go both ways right? the seller could have been more tactful and the new mum could be a little less sensitive because maybe some mums actually would want to get back in shape after their baby arrives. The seller obviously wasn’t a mind reader or she would have left the woman alone. i didn’t worry about these things until i was ready and my baby was over a year old but i wouldn’t have taken this gesture personally either.

- - jacqbeckett said
  - 19 Jun 2017
    11:38 am
thats a bit harsh of the woman. firstly congratulations on your baby but i dont know why a lady would approach to you and sell her products. i would guess it would be okay if she went to the lady if she was interested but not the other way around. there has to be better respect for those who just had a baby or toddlers. imagine if she approached to a lady who was pregnant? that would be bad arse!

- - tessie said
  - 05 May 2017
    2:34 pm
I can’t believe the gall some people have. I can understand this person promoting the business but to go out of her way to approach a woman with a newborn is just atrocious. If Kelly was interested she would have approached the woman herself. Now if she was handing out to everyone, different story. I’m sorry you had to put up with that Kelly. I just want to say Congratulations Kelly on your new family member.

- - june11 said
  - 03 May 2017
    3:01 pm
I think it is distasteful especially under these circumstances. You don’t expect or want to be approached by a person selling such ideas. You don’t want to be treated as though you are fat, specially when it’s stretched skin – not fat at all. It would only escalate Depression, not do any good.

- - Kath said
  - 22 Apr 2017
    9:15 am
WOW, that’s just absolutely incredible, the sheer audacity of that woman. She should be ashamed of herself, I understand she’s trying to make a living, but there’s a ___________ that you shouldn’t cross!

- - mom101628 said
  - 21 Apr 2017
    3:50 pm
It took 9 months for your body to expand – let it have at least 9 months to contract again.

- - Ellen said
  - 21 Apr 2017
    4:16 am
This woman who approaches this fresh new mum with her weight loss talk clearly isn’t very sensible and doesn’t seem to realize how her words and attitude cut like a knife. When she would have thought a little bit, she would have known that 1. postpartum bodies need time to recover and heal 2. hormonal changes in the body enabling us to breastfeed and care for our bubs 3. postpartum bodies need time to bounce back in their previous shape 4. her words will cause hurt as postpartum mums are extra sensitive and emotional

- - rachel1970 said
  - 20 Apr 2017
    7:46 pm
How disgusting, that woman should be ashamed of herself. The lady with the baby looks amazing and she should be so proud of what amazing things her body has done and is continuing to do, not be shamed as she has a tummy-for goodness sake, she JUST had a baby

- - nealsq said
  - 20 Apr 2017
    6:09 pm
that is disgusting, I would feel so insulted vy this woman

- - mom81879 said
  - 20 Apr 2017
    5:20 pm
Oh dear, not good at all. As if a brand new mum isn’t feeling non confident with her own body issues. More thought from the seller would have been goid

- - youngoldlady said
  - 20 Apr 2017
    4:26 pm
A lot of women are feeling like when will my body finally go back to normal ( what is normal any way) after all this. But to approach a new mum about it, is something else. The mum has other things on her mind , so not pile your message somewhere else.

- - mom93821 said
  - 20 Apr 2017
    3:36 pm
I would have given a curt but polite response to an uninvited approach by a random stranger. It is quite invasive to approach anyone in this way and in particular a new mum with her bub.

- - mom70876 said
  - 20 Apr 2017
    1:23 pm
Wow, nothing is sacred these days!

- - mom112217 said
  - 20 Apr 2017
    1:10 pm
Not a lovely positon to be in and approached for weight loss!