Women are constantly bombarded by images of well-known moms bouncing back into shape in no time after having a baby.
Model Chrissy Teigen posted a Mother’s Day photo of her skinny little tummy soon after she gave birth to her and John Legend’s baby, Luna:
Plenty of moms attack the gym after having babies and chronicle their amazing progress:
And good for them!
But those who don’t have that kind of stamina — or personal trainers, dietitians, and chefs hovering over them before and after birth — might feel a twang of guilt that they haven’t “bounced back” as quickly as the moms they see on social media.
Enter lifestyle blogger, Olivia White of Melbourne, Australia, who decided to keep things real. She had been keeping readers posted on her pregnancy:
And then let it all hang out with her post-baby body:
Her photo got a lot attention, but her words did, too:
“Puffy face, droopy milk filled boobs, wider hips and belly full of stretch marks!! That’s my post baby reality, no ‘bouncing back’ here
And you know what? I couldn’t give a shit! Because I’m not the same person I was before I had babies, so why would would I want my body to reflect something and someone I no longer am?
Those droopy boobs fed my babies and grew them up big and strong. Those hips and rippled belly was home to my little babes for 9 months.
It might not be the ‘transformation’ body so many ogle or aspire to! And sure, some days I wish it didn’t jiggle so much and was a bit ‘firmer’ but then I just remember the awesome shit it’s done and cut myself some slack and go eat a cheeseburger, because we earned it.”
Her words, “I’m not the same person I was before I had babies,” resonated with women who thanked her for showing her real post-baby body:
Image Credit: Screenshot/Instagram
Another wrote:
Image Credit: Screenshot/Instagram
Olivia White told Independent Journal Review that she wanted her words to give hope to women:
“It’s not about ‘bouncing’ back because you’re not the same person you were before. You are a mother now, you carried a child/children for nine months, you worked SO hard to do that and why would you want to hide that.
You would never want to not be a mum, so why does your body have to resemble something it’s not. Embrace the changes and just enjoy motherhood without the pressure to change your body back to something!”
She said that she’s getting 99% positive feedback from her post, and she’s not paying any attention to the few haters:
“What people say about me and think about me isn’t my business! I’m not here to take on anyone’s negativity. I know that photo’s amazing, that body made babies, no one can tell me different!”
If her photo and words weren’t enough to convey it, she had one message for women who are disappointed in the way their bodies look postpartum:
“Be happy with yourself for who you are now, no matter what that looks like! Enjoy every aspect of motherhood, including your body!”
Sometimes that’s easier said than done, but Olivia wants you to remember her if you’re feeling down about your body — and recognize that you’ve got company.
The post Woman’s Unapologetic Picture Shows What Post-Baby Bodies Really Look Like, and Moms Are Thrilled appeared first on Independent Journal Review.
Source: independent journal
The post Woman’s Unapologetic Picture Shows What Post-Baby Bodies Really Look Like, and Moms Are Thrilled appeared first on .@tonygreene113.
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