Another thing the blogger and designer felt judged for? Having a cesarean section — even though that was the best option for delivering Kirra safely.
“I never thought that I would be judged about something like that. I had no choice; I had to have a c-section,” she says. “I would have loved to have had her naturally, but it was just impossible.”
Patridge explains, “She was bigger than we thought and she couldn’t turn. It’s really strange to me that people are so opinionated about how someone else gives birth.”
Speaking of her c-section, the new mum says it was a lot less scary than she expected it would be.
“I was so scared. But, actually, it was so easy and practically painless,” Patridge says. “I was walking after about three days. It burned a little and it was sore, but that’s it.”
“And my scar is so small. You can’t even see it,” she continues. “Now I’m just worried about what my second will be like when we decide to have another baby, because the first one was so easy!”
The fit star says one specific postnatal activity has really taken the wheel in helping her get back into shape.
“Breastfeeding really helped. I also did squats and took Pilates. Holding Kirra was a good arm workout,” she says.
But even though she had options that helped her get back into shape, the busy mom says she felt the pressure to do so quickly after giving birth.
“When I was three months postpartum, I flew to New York City for a fitting with a designer from Pallas Couture, an Australian label. It was hard because every three weeks I was a new size,” she says. “When we did my measurements, I still had a bit of a belly, my hips were wider than they usually are, and my boobs were giant because I’m breastfeeding.”
“They designed the dress and then sent it to me a few days before my wedding,” Patridge adds. “The dress was too big and so I had to get it altered really quickly. It worked out. They did such a beautiful job.”
Though her days on The Hills are long behind her, Patridge shares that she learned some important lessons about friendship that she hopes to one day pass on to her daughter.
“Be nice to everyone. Don’t gossip. Be loyal to your friends, but let them have their space,” she says.
“Just because they have a different opinion or want to do something else doesn’t mean they’re wrong. Everyone is different. Accept people for who they are and don’t judge.”
This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.COM.
You may also like...