--- description: Find out how Dancing with the Stars' Peta Murgatroyd feels about her post-baby body. title: Peta Murgatroyd: This Is What a Post-Baby Body Really Looks Like image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt14781e493cf76c9e/6988b5b47cdbacdda9d56cc7/peta-murgatroyd-pregnancy-weight.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [motto](/tag/motto/) ## motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Peta Murgatroyd: This Is What a Post-Baby Body Really Looks Like by [Blake Bakkila / People](/author/people/) ## Blake Bakkila / People Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 17, 2017 2:34 PM CUT  INGLEWOOD, CA - MARCH 12: Dancer Peta Murgatroyd arrives at Nickelodeon's 2016 Kids' Choice Awards at The Forum on March 12, 2016 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic) INGLEWOOD, CA - MARCH 12: Dancer Peta Murgatroyd arrives at Nickelodeon's 2016 Kids' Choice Awards at The Forum on March 12, 2016 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)Axelle/Bauer-Griffin—FilmMagic by [Blake Bakkila / People](/author/people/) ## Blake Bakkila / People Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 17, 2017 2:34 PM CUT [Peta Murgatroyd](http://people.com/tag/peta-murgatroyd "undefined") is embracing her post-baby body. Murgatroyd, 30, and her [fiancé ](http://people.com/celebrity/maksim-chmerkovskiy-and-peta-murgatroyd-are-engaged/ "undefined")[Maksim Chmerkovskiy](http://people.com/tag/maksim-chmerkovskiy "undefined"), 36, [welcomed Shai Aleksander](http://people.com/babies/peta-murgatroyd-and-maksim-chmerkovskiy-welcome-son-shai-aleksander/ "undefined"), their first child, on Jan. 4 in New York City. And when it was time to leave the hospital on Thursday, the [_Dancing with the Stars_](http://people.com/tag/dancing-with-the-stars "undefined") dance pro’s body didn’t exactly “shrink right back,” as she described in a candid Instagram posted on Sunday. “Real life: I took this photo 8 days post birth,” she wrote. “I left the hospital looking 5 months pregnant. Many people think a woman should shrink right back to her pre-birth weight immediately. That is just not the truth for most.” She continued: “The female body is incredible and resilient, but healing and strengthening take time. Now it’s time for patience and hard work. Lots of love to all the new mamas out there on the journey. #yesihaveascrunchieinmyhair #shaiiswortheverypound.” And while the new mom is sharing her body transformation, the couple has decided to wait to show pictures of their baby boy. “We can’t wait to share him with you, but for the first most crucial weeks of his life we’re just keeping him for ourselves and soaking up these moments,” Murgatroyd [wrote on Instagram](http://people.com/babies/peta-murgatroyd-shares-first-update-on-healthy-son-shai/ "undefined"). “Thank you for your patience and all of your love.” Chmerkovskiy echoed the sentiments on Instagram, writing, “I don’t let too many people come see my son and I don’t want to put any of him on social media just yet. @petamurgatroyd and I just want to enjoy our little family, together with our loved ones, and take in all the precious moments which we’ll never get back.” The _DWTS_ couple have been dating on and off [since 2012](http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20599537,00.html "undefined") and announced their engagement in December 2015. _This_ [_article_](http://people.com/bodies/peta-murgatroyd-shares-photo-post-baby-body/ "undefined") _originally appeared on_ [_People.com_](http://people.com/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4636157/peta-murgatroyd-post-pregnancy-body/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4636157/peta-murgatroyd-post-pregnancy-body/"},"headline":"Peta Murgatroyd: This Is What a Post-Baby Body Really Looks Like","datePublished":"2017-01-17T14:34:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:04:24.305Z","description":"'I left the hospital looking 5 months pregnant'","url":"https://time.com/4636157/peta-murgatroyd-post-pregnancy-body/","keywords":["motto"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt14781e493cf76c9e/6988b5b47cdbacdda9d56cc7/peta-murgatroyd-pregnancy-weight.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Blake Bakkila / People"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt14781e493cf76c9e/6988b5b47cdbacdda9d56cc7/peta-murgatroyd-pregnancy-weight.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Nickelodeon's 2016 Kids' Choice Awards","caption":"Nickelodeon's 2016 Kids' Choice Awards","creditText":"Axelle/Bauer-Griffin—FilmMagic","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4636157/peta-murgatroyd-post-pregnancy-body/","name":"Peta Murgatroyd: This Is What a Post-Baby Body Really Looks Like"}}]}] ```