TV presenter and leading nutritionist Amanda Ursell supports the campaign for mothers to eat well

Nicole Ritchie, Heidi Klum, Halle Berry – just a few of the celeb mums who slimmed back to their former svelte shape just weeks after giving birth. According to new research over 90% of mothers feel pressured by celebrity mothers to get back their pre-baby bodies, believing they create unrealistic expectations of how new mothers should look.

82% of women think that many high profile mums ‘cheat’ their way back to a size 10 with secret surgery or because they have luxuries normal mums don’t have - time, money or personal trainers.

The research by Toby Carvery is part of a new campaign to encourage mothers to look after themselves by eating the right foods instead of starving themselves or fad dieting to get back their figures.

GMTV’s nutritionist and mother, Amanda Ursell says “the pressure young mums are under to lose weight is ridiculous. After having a child, your body needs time to adjust and it’s really not wise to go headlong in to a strict diet and exercise regime - especially when feeding a newborn. Even when your child or children are a bit older, there are no rules that say you should shrink to the same size as you were before having children as long as you aim for healthy body weight”.

The study also revealed a quarter of mums avoid going to restaurants with their families and more than a third regularly miss meals in an attempt to shed weight. It’s not just the pregnancy that makes women gain weight – 38% of women say they spend most of their time at home snacking.

Curvy mum Charlotte Church was voted the number one role model for mums followed by Myleene Klass and Davina McCall.