Caroline Berg Eriksen: Post-Pregnancy Fitness Controversy

Caroline Berg Eriksen just 3 days post-pregnancy

In the past one of the main concerns of pregnancy regarding ultra-fit women was potentially losing their figure. But today, it seems the ability to bounce back post pregnancy is the new wave in mommy fitness. Fitness writer and wife of soccer player, Lars-Kristian Eriksen, Caroline Berg Eriksen posted a stunning and provocative flat-stomach self-image on Instagram just days after giving birth.

Ironically, Mrs. Eriksen's amazing post pregnancy rebound has been met with mixed criticism. Many bloggers, news agencies, experts in social media posts around the world have put the photo under the public limelight in the past few days. Some claim Mrs. Eriksen's post pregnancy photo is yet another example of our obsession with beauty and the unrealistic expectations placed on women today.

Some accuse Eriksen's posting of her post-baby abdominals as merely nothing more than an act of self exhibitionism. The now famous photo does seem to be starting quite a bit of mixed P.R. for the fitness writer. Sarrah Le Marquand, writer for the Australian Telegraph tweeted Eriksen as a "shameless exhibitionist," but warned that the disparaging opinions regarding her photo only adds to the judgment new mothers must contend with post pregnancy.

Apart from Caroline Eriksen's post-baby photo controversy, most of the feedback has been positive with supporters congratulating the new mom on baby and fit tummy. But what does this most recent controversy about pregnancy and body image say about us as a society?

Maria Kang is a fitness blogger and mother who posted her ultra-fit post pregnancy photos on Facebook and even criticized other new moms who do not bounce back so quickly. While discussing her raw vegan diet, some wondered if Australian mom-to-be Loni Jane Anthony's diet was actually healthy for her baby. These incidents caught very little media attention leading us to ponder if the subject is less about content and more about celebrity.

Perhaps in the fray, we've all lost sight of what really matters. While it is important to stay fit the special time post pregnancy is a time for nurturing and bonding with the new addition to the family. If new mothers decide they wish to prioritize these first few days to spend time resting with their newborn who are we fitness nuts to criticize?