# Could this Downton Abbey actress have been several months postpartum when this was filmed? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 21, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122 "2013-07-21T17:14:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TashaKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TashaKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TashaKitty)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/41 "2013-08-31T02:40:48Z")
No offense, but that’s what I look like when I have to, er…drop a bomb on Hiroshima… ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/42 "2013-08-31T02:41:00Z")
> [@Claire98909](#): > > And by the way, I’m not crazy, simply curious. After all the places you asked and all the responses you’ve gotten- curiosity satisfied yet? ---
**Author:** ![Claire98909](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Claire98909](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire98909)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/43 "2013-08-31T16:05:36Z")
Even if she didn’t give the possible baby up for adoption, her ex-boyfriend could have custody of it or something (they were together for like 5 years), which could explain why she plays around with a baby doll on Twitter, as a coping mechanism or something. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/44 "2013-08-31T18:12:00Z")
> [@Claire98909](#): > > Even if she didn’t give the possible baby up for adoption, her ex-boyfriend could have custody of it or something (they were together for like 5 years), which could explain why she plays around with a baby doll on Twitter, as a coping mechanism or something. Or you could be making wild assumptions based on essentially no information. What you have so far isn’t evidence of someone who had a baby. At best, you’ve shown that it’s not impossible, but there are 100’s of other more likely explanations including that she has a normal body for a woman of her age. ---
**Author:** ![TashaKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TashaKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TashaKitty)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2013, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/45 "2013-08-31T19:09:19Z")
_Ahem_, if I may: From a plastic surgery website: “Sometimes excess fat does not involve the entire abdomen. A “ **belly pooch** ” is a pocket of fat usually localized to the lower belly. This is different from a potbelly due to being overweight. The belly pouch **occurs in people of normal weight who just happen to accumulate fat in this area**. This person is an ideal candidate for liposuction.” [http://i.imgur.com/qbaoYYT.png](http://i.imgur.com/qbaoYYT.png) And a simple Google search of “belly pooch” yields these images: [http://i.imgur.com/RGbN8qY.png](http://i.imgur.com/RGbN8qY.png) [http://i.imgur.com/B3JSmI4.png](http://i.imgur.com/B3JSmI4.png) [http://i.imgur.com/0pibKTr.png](http://i.imgur.com/0pibKTr.png) The biography pages of those women’s blogs make NO mention of having children, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![Claire98909](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Claire98909](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire98909)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/46 "2013-09-02T00:15:06Z")
> [@TashaKitty](#): > > _Ahem_, if I may: > > From a plastic surgery website: > > “Sometimes excess fat does not involve the entire abdomen. A “ **belly pooch** ” is a pocket of fat usually localized to the lower belly. This is different from a potbelly due to being overweight. The belly pouch **occurs in people of normal weight who just happen to accumulate fat in this area**. This person is an ideal candidate for liposuction.” > > [http://i.imgur.com/qbaoYYT.png](http://i.imgur.com/qbaoYYT.png) > > And a simple Google search of “belly pooch” yields these images: > > [http://i.imgur.com/RGbN8qY.png](http://i.imgur.com/RGbN8qY.png) > > [http://i.imgur.com/B3JSmI4.png](http://i.imgur.com/B3JSmI4.png) > > [http://i.imgur.com/0pibKTr.png](http://i.imgur.com/0pibKTr.png) > > The biography pages of those women’s blogs make NO mention of having children, by the way. But in the recent picture of McShera that I posted her dress looks rather tight. Wouldn’t a tight dress have compressed, for lack of a better word, the lower belly fat? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2013, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/47 "2013-09-02T00:45:21Z")
> [@Claire98909](#): > > But in the recent picture of McShera that I posted her dress looks rather tight. Wouldn’t a tight dress have compressed, for lack of a better word, the lower belly fat? Not unless it was designed to do so. You’re still looking for anything to support your far fetched idea without actually looking at the facts at hand. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/48 "2013-09-02T01:00:38Z")
> [@Claire98909](#): > > But in the recent picture of McShera that I posted her dress looks rather tight. Wouldn’t a tight dress have compressed, for lack of a better word, the lower belly fat? No. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/49 "2013-09-02T01:15:32Z")
> [@Claire98909](#): > > But in the recent picture of McShera that I posted her dress looks rather tight. Wouldn’t a tight dress have compressed, for lack of a better word, the lower belly fat? Not necessarily. Why would you assume it would? ---
**Author:** ![Claire98909](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Claire98909](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire98909)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/50 "2013-09-10T23:41:03Z")
She either has a massive amount of freckles on her forehead, or she has melasma (the “mask” of pregnancy") that never went away. [http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/11/article-2216361-157477F0000005DC-165\_634x875.jpg](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/11/article-2216361-157477F0000005DC-165_634x875.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/51 "2013-09-10T23:44:54Z")
Seriously, seek professional help. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/52 "2013-09-10T23:59:54Z")
> [@Claire98909](#): > > She either has a massive amount of freckles on her forehead, or she has melasma (the “mask” of pregnancy") that never went away. > > [http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/11/article-2216361-157477F0000005DC-165\_634x875.jpg](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/11/article-2216361-157477F0000005DC-165_634x875.jpg) Or she just has freckles. Enough. Stop it. ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/53 "2013-09-11T00:37:17Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Or she just has freckles. > > Enough. > > Stop it. Her forehead should say “this space for rent.” ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/54 "2013-09-11T00:41:18Z")
> [@want2befree](#): > > Her forehead should say “this space for rent.” Who, the actress or the OP? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/55 "2013-09-11T00:48:06Z")
> [@Claire98909](#): > > She either has a massive amount of freckles on her forehead, or she has melasma (the “mask” of pregnancy") that never went away. > > [http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/11/article-2216361-157477F0000005DC-165\_634x875.jpg](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/11/article-2216361-157477F0000005DC-165_634x875.jpg) One gets the same melasma from long-term birth control pill use, fair-skinned women more than others. If you haven’t sustained a head injury, I’d look into doing so if I were you. ---
**Author:** ![TashaKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TashaKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TashaKitty)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/56 "2013-09-11T00:48:37Z")
LOL. You’re aware that redheads aren’t the only people in the world who can be covered in freckles, right? ---
**Author:** ![TashaKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TashaKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TashaKitty)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/57 "2013-09-11T00:55:02Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > One gets the same melasma from long-term birth control pill use, fair-skinned women more than others. > If you haven’t sustained a head injury, I’d look into doing so if I were you. But the thing is that it doesn’t even look like melasma at all. It simply looks like freckles. Unless I’m mistaken, isn’t melasma essentially large “patches”? ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/58 "2013-09-11T01:02:04Z")
> [@TashaKitty](#): > > But the thing is that it doesn’t even look like melasma at all. It simply looks like freckles. Unless I’m mistaken, isn’t melasma essentially large “patches”? Sorry I wasn’t clear; I meant the same melasma one can get during pg one can also get from long-term BCP use. My bad! I didn’t even look at the picture b/c I genuinely do not care to argue w/ the OP about what they’re ‘seeing’. This is a very odd fixation, unless they’re a secret potential baby-daddy to the actress in question. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/59 "2013-09-11T01:25:22Z")
> [@Claire98909](#): > > She either has a massive amount of freckles on her forehead, or she has melasma (the “mask” of pregnancy") that never went away. > > [http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/11/article-2216361-157477F0000005DC-165\_634x875.jpg](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/11/article-2216361-157477F0000005DC-165_634x875.jpg) Oh good God what is wrong with you? This is \*such \*a weird fixation to have. ---
**Author:** ![TashaKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TashaKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TashaKitty)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2013, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122/60 "2013-09-15T20:25:42Z")
> [@Claire98909](#): > > Even if she didn’t give the possible baby up for adoption, her ex-boyfriend could have custody of it or something (they were together for like 5 years), which could explain why she plays around with a baby doll on Twitter, as a coping mechanism or something. Can’t believe I missed this gem! Something tells me that if her ex-boyfriend (since when do fathers get custody anyway?) was raising their “child”, it would be way more difficult to keep it secret than if she had “put it up for adoption”. As for the Twitter thing, I just looked through her Twitter and saw the posts you’re referring to, and they’re actually hilarious! She’s just being ridiculous and having fun with her friends. Jeez. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-downton-abbey-actress-have-been-several-months-postpartum-when-this-was-filmed/664122.md?page=4)