AS MANY a celeb slips back into their size zero jeans within days of giving birth, the pressures on new mothers to look great have never been higher.

But Joannne Montgomery was determined not to bow to these pressures as she took on the Shape Up Swindon challenge back in January.

With just over five months to go until the birth of her second child, Joanne was keen to be a yummy – not a tubby – mummy.

Second daughter Nicole arrived naturally six weeks ago, and in that short space of time has already earned herself the nickname “Damian” among the family.

Joanne, from Old Walcot, is already back to wearing jeans just one size larger than usual and doesn’t believe in monitoring the scales as she gradually regains fitness.

“I would rather go on how my clothes are fitting and how I feel,” she said.

“I do want a sign sometimes though to say ‘I’ve just had a baby’ for the people you’ve not seen in a while. Just to give the message that I’m doing all right.”

Although Nicole had some problems with colic in the weeks since her birth – hence the nickname, thanks to many a sleepless night – Joanne says she owes a speedy four-hour labour to a pre-natal yoga and pilates class at Cannons gym which she attended for the last six weeks of her pregnancy. “It was all about relaxation and stretching, and flexibility, and all my friends who had done it had good births.

“It really helped at the stage when I couldn’t go running or do the bikes at the gym with my big belly.

“You have to swim before or after the class to, so it meant that if there was nothing else I’d do the class and have a swim each week.”

Joanne had been booked in for a caesarean birth but Nicole arrived a few days early and the operation was unnecessary. She has had her six week check-up and been given the all-clear to start building up her fitness gradually, from walking now to running in a few weeks’ time, and she is already back to giving swimming lessons at the Marriot.

Sweet cravings were her one downfall, as predicted back in January. Joanne said: “I definitely ate more chocolate towards the end and sweet stuff, but I told myself it’s my body craving it because the baby takes your normal sugar. Three or four weeks after I was still eating chocolate, but five weeks after I decided not to keep eating like I was pregnant.”