Sure, Kate Middleton looked great post-birth — but we can’t all be princesses

Just hours after delivering her second child, Kate Middleton gracefully walked out of the hospital with her daughter Princess Charlotte cradled in one arm. Her hair was perfect, her makeup flawless. She was in heels.

And while the initial social-media reaction to Middleton’s glowing post-birth appearance ranged from impressed to intimidated to pity — what pressure to have to look good so soon after birth! — some are wondering if her Jenny Packham-clad presentation puts unrealistic expectations on those of us who aren’t royalty.

Media outlets were quick to dissect Middleton’s appearance, attempting to explain her almost impossibly perfect post-baby look — and make it sound almost attainable to the rest of us, if only we had stylists on-call.

Us Weekly listed the members of "Team Kate," Middleton’s glam squad who helped the mom of two get camera-ready in the hours after delivering Charlotte: her personal hairstylist (who is also a trained makeup artist) and a personal assistant ready with a preselected dress and accessories — including sheer tights. (Tights! Most of us would prefer stretched out yoga pants, I’m sure.)

The Daily Mail listed Middleton’s (rumoured) skincare and makeup products of choice, and revealed the details of the Duchess’s perfect nude manicure.

ALSO SEE: How was the name Charlotte Elizabeth Diana chosen?

Mommy blogger Melissa Charles, of the site Not a Stepford Life, tells CTV News that she believes most new mothers aren’t going to interpret Middleton’s runway-worthy appearance as pressure to also look fresh and well-heeled post-birth.

“I think folks do understand that she has a lot of people standing behind her and helping her out and that her situation is not the norm,” Charles says.

“I’m willing to bet that she probably…wished that she had a normal situation where she was able to snuggle down and be with her babies and relax,” she adds.

(Here’s hoping Middleton ditched the pretty dress for something more comfortable — and machine-washable — when she got home.)

Some royal watchers, however, believe that Middleton’s pretty post-baby look isn’t completely out of the range of possibility for “commoners,” save for the whole beauty-team thing.

”My daughter had both her babies and went home within hours. All it took for her was a shower, some make-up and run a brush through her hair. You can bet Kate had a postnatal belly, she just hid it well with a lovely sheath dress,” a CTV News reader comments.

ALSO SEE: How 'old' does the royal family look?

“To be fair it’s not like she laboured for 36hrs only a couple, and whilst I’m not saying it was easy, I know after my labours (also all less than 4hrs) I wasn’t tired, didn’t have a makeup artist & hair dresser to make me look glamorous but looked as I would any other day of the week it is possible for us commoners. I do however think she’s incredibly brave wearing white immediately post baby!” one reader writes in response to a Stuff.co.nz article about Middleton’s first post-baby appearance.

“Oh for goodness sake, the Beautiful Kate has a team of people behind the scenes to assist her to look so radiant, news flash, that’s how she does it,”writes another. "However, If you take pride in your appearance then anyone can look this good stepping outside. My Mum always said to me that first impressions are what you are judged on, so for those of you who say you can’t even manage to put a brush through your hair, good lord!”

Middleton’s not the only public figure to set standards high, post-baby-wise.

Earlier this year, model Erin McNaught shared photos of her flat stomach just one month after giving birth. A fashionable Blake Lively turned heads, too, just a month after delivering daughter James. And last month, Sarah Stage, the model who found online fame for her super-fit body during pregnancy, showed off her impressive post-baby figure just four days after giving birth to her 8-pound son.

(There are also celebrities like Christina Applegate, who are honest about their struggles with losing the baby weight, and Drew Barrymore, who can’t be bothered to obsess over it.)

As a soon-to-be first-time mom, I don’t feel particularly intimidated by or competitive with Kate Middleton’s glamorous look — my hospital-bag list does not yet include heels, mascara or a curling iron — but I’m also not expecting any photographers to show up, save for my husband with an iPhone.

Maybe it would be different if I were famous.

ALSO SEE: Kate Middleton wore Jenny Packham to introduce royal baby no.2!

The media scrutiny can be cruel. Cruel enough to make a woman wear nude tights and a designer dress when granny panties and loose pyjama pants are what the body actually wants.

After giving birth to Prince George, the media zoomed in on Middleton’s post-baby belly. With this second royal baby, she opted for a bump-hiding sheath dress — and held her baby in front of her bump — instead of an empire waistline. Even Middleton can’t escape criticism, no matter how high she sets the bar for others.

Personally, I’d rather be as comfortable as possible, bond with my new family of three, and worry about looking good later. Still, it’s one thing to intellectually understand that a post-birth appearance like Middleton’s “is not the norm,” it’s another thing to be completely okay with that.

So while I insist aloud that a ponytail and a robe is all I’m going to need in the hours after I give birth, I’m also aware that, under any sort of media or public scrutiny, I’d also be quick to ditch the sweats for a compression girdle and stilettos. Maybe.

Do you feel that Kate Middleton’s post-baby appearance sets unrealistic expectations for new moms? Or should we commoners just be thankful for the opportunity to recover from giving birth away from the merciless spotlight?