[caption id="attachment_1657" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Photo from istockphoto.com."] [/caption] Above: A slide from 5 post-baby secrets for a flatter tummy.  Since you've had a baby, has your tummy shape been the same? (Me: Yes, but it took years. And I've only been pregnant once.) I've often wondered how celebs get their pre-baby shape back so quickly....haven't we all? I'm not so naive to believe celebs don't undergo cosmetic interventions ie. nips and tucks and suction, but I'm also not so naive to believe that celebrity moms don't start out with high fitness and nutrition levels to begin with. And then looking good is a lot easier with full-time caregivers, stylists, trainers, chefs, right? I put the question of celebrity moms and their post-baby bodies to celebrity trainer Nathan Mellalieu, owner of Studeo55 in Vancouver. He says: " [Celebrities] bounce back quickly due to a couple of reasons: 1. They are fit/ healthy before and throughout their pregnancy 2. They commit at a very high level to get back in shape. They combine nutrition, exercise and typically world-class expertise. They do this because they have the resources (time, money) but even more because they have the motivation necessary to put in the time and effort required." So what about us non-celebrity moms? How can we tune up our post-baby tummies? "Women need to be gradual both in exercise choice and intensity, easy planks from the knees are a nice start, side lying leg lifts are also a good starting point," Nathan says. My exercise of choice was (and is) Pilates. What about you? -Helen