7 New Moms Get Real About How They Learned to Love Their Postpartum Body

Most moms are prepared to bring home baby. What many aren’t ready for is welcoming a new body. Giving birth is no easy task, but for these women, having children provided them with a fresh perspective on their bodies. And whether or not you’re a mom, knowing your own strength and beauty is universally inspiring. Below, seven influencers who opened up about how childbirth changed their attitude towards beauty standards.

Ali Fedotowsky-Manno

This might be my most vulnerable post on Instagram ever. I’ve gone back-and-forth 1 million times in my head on whether not I wanted to post it. But at the end of the day, I know it’s important to be open and honest about my postpartum body in hopes that it helps even one person out there who is struggling with their own body image. If you swipe to see the second photo in this post, you see that my body has changed. My skin around my stomach is very loose and stretched out, I’m 15lbs heavier than I used to be, and my cup size has grown quite significantly. @Lillyandlimeswimwear (a swimsuit line that celebrates the curves of D Cup and up women, founded by two “busty moms” ) has helped give me the confidence to get into a swimsuit and share my new body with all of you – a body that’s beautiful, strong, and loved. Head on over to my blog today as I share more photos and open up about how I’ve struggled with, but am learning to love my postpartum body. Hope to connect with all of you over on ALILUVS.com #linkinbio #AliLuvs #BodyImage #SelfLove #LoveYourself #postpartum #Postpartumbody #MomOfTwo #MotherOfTwo #LillyAndLime #Sponsored #Dcupandup

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The former Bachelorette noticed significant changes in her body after her second pregnancy. Last week, she talked about how she didn’t “bounce back” the same way after giving birth the first time around.

“My body has changed in many ways, but I think my biggest insecurities lie around my stomach and my chest,” she wrote in a blog post on her site, AliLuvs.com. “I definitely have a pouch of belly fat that wasn’t there before I got pregnant with Riley and the skin around my stomach is extremely loose. I can grab a fistful of it with my hand and stretch it out. It’s the weirdest thing! Sometimes I wonder if it will ever go back to normal. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. Either way, I’m learning to be kinder to myself every day.”

Melissa Wood-Tepperberg

This picture was taken exactly two months before I gave birth to Benjamin by my friend @alicepanikian, and I’m just about two months away from my due day today. I didn’t have professional pictures taken with my first pregnancy because I wasn’t that comfortable in my body the first time around to be honest. Pregnancy is the most special gift in the world but the journey isn’t always so beautiful. The changes your mind and body goes through is like being on a roller coaster that never comes to a complete stop. Your hormones are are at an all time high making you feel legitimately crazy at times, your inner thighs rub together like nobody’s business and this is without factoring in that summer heat, you pee every 20 minutes (literally) and occasionally pee when you sneeze/cough or laugh too hard (truth, at least I do ?), and the pressure you feel in your stomach is so overwhelming you actually feel like you could physically tip over any minute. With all this being said…I feel a different kind of beautiful than I’ve ever felt in my entire life this pregnancy. The kind of beauty that comes deep from within, knowing I’m about to bring another soul into this world reminding me of everything I’m capable of. A beauty that has taught me how empowering it is to not only be a strong woman, but a mother who loves with every single thing I’ve got. – #tbt #firstpregnancy #pregnant #pregnancy #3rdtrimester #mother #motherhood #momlife

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The wellness influencer admitted she didn’t feel comfortable enough to take many photos during her first pregnancy. But now, she writes that she has an even greater appreciation for the beauty of childbirth.

“Your hormones are are at an all time high making you feel legitimately crazy at times, your inner thighs rub together like nobody’s business and this is without factoring in that summer heat, you pee every 20 minutes (literally) and occasionally pee when you sneeze/cough or laugh too hard (truth, at least I do), and the pressure you feel in your stomach is so overwhelming you actually feel like you could physically tip over any minute,” she writes on Instagram. “With all this being said…I feel a different kind of beautiful than I’ve ever felt in my entire life this pregnancy.”

Hilaria Baldwin

I always post a photo in this mirror in my hospital room within 24 hours after having my babies (except with Carmen…I was too much of a nervous first time mama ?). I wanted to hold off the other day out of respect for the school shooting. I took this photo, Friday, the morning after this new baby was born. My purpose here is to normalize the postpartum figure and over the next days, weeks, and months, show you how I strengthen my body and return to my non pregnant self. You all came with me through my pregnancy…now it’s time to turn back into me. We all come in different shapes, sizes, and health experiences…but given the right love and care, we can feel really good within our skin. We just have to be patient and kind with our bodies. I’ll post my last two postpartum photos (Rafa and Leo) in my stories, so you can remember how we did this before. They are not glamorous, there is no filter, and I have a super sleepy face…but they are part of my real journey. I have so much respect and admiration for the human body…I hope that intention shines through and we can inspire each other to be healthier and happier. #wegotthis2018

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The yogi and mom of four gave birth to son Romeo, and promptly followed her tradition of taking a mirror selfie within 24 hours of giving birth. In the post, she talked about why she feels it’s important to de-stigmatize postpartum bodies.

“We all come in different shapes, sizes, and health experiences… but given the right love and care, we can feel really good within our skin,” she captioned one Instagram post in May. “We just have to be patient and kind with our bodies. … I have so much respect and admiration for the human body… I hope that intention shines through and we can inspire each other to be healthier and happier.”

Emily Skye

What you don’t see in the left pic is my cellulite & loose/stretched skin. So I zoomed in to show you in high definition! ? In certain lighting and positions you can see them but most of the time you can’t. The more you look for these so called “flaws” in yourself or others the more you’ll find! My advice is to stop looking for them! ??? I’ve noticed a fair amount of comments from women saying things like “you didn’t get any loose skin or stretch marks from being pregnant” – I did, but they’re just not obvious unless I take a close up pic like this! I couldn’t care less if my tummy stays like this forever – I’m proud of my body and love it for everything it does, ESPECIALLY for growing my little Mia. ??? Some stretch marks, loose skin, or cellulite don’t make me love my body any less – quite the opposite actually. ? . Striving for mental and physical health and being the best I can is my priority and I hope it’s your priority too. ? . Remember, it’s not about who has it worse or who has it “easy” – those arguments will never help you, in fact they usually become excuses that prevent you from working towards the things you really want in life. Don’t give up on yourself before you even try! Dont compare your journey, body, life etc. to anyone else’s – focus on your own journey and be proud of everything you achieve. You are capable and you are worthy. ??? . . 6.5 months postpartum ? . .

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After welcoming baby Mia, the fitness influencer opened up about experiencing body image issues. And while she says she almost didn’t recognize herself when she first looked in the mirror, her perspective has since completely changed.

“I just have so much more respect and appreciation for what my body is capable of,” she told Health. “I had no understanding of it before, but I literally grew a life, which is amazing. So the little things that before might have gotten to me don’t anymore. I don’t care about the stretch marks; I have flabby skin and cellulite. I also love the way I look now.”

Joanna Venditti

After having my twins, (my third and fourth kids), although I felt a deep sadness for the mushy, stretched, bruised and swollen condition my body was in, a part of me felt excitement and renewed. I was so thankful that my body had done the job it needed to do: carry my babies to full term. I looked at it differently than I ever had before. Although sad, for the first time since I became self-conscious as a child, I didn’t feel anger, frustration or betrayal towards my body. I was filled with gratitude. Now was the time to bring my body back to life, to strengthen and love whatever new shape it was going to take. It was like someone dropped a pile of clay in front of me and said, “this is yours to mould and nurture. A fresh beginning.” The sadness is gone and my body is mine again. But I will never forget the journey it has been on and I will constantly keep gratitude at the centre of my relationship with my body. . . . . #postbabybody #twinmom #motivation #bodypositive #loveyourself #gratitude #twinpregnancy #beforeandafterweightloss

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The blogger gave birth to her daughters Mia and Everly three years ago. In a recent before-and-after photo, she reflected on coming to terms with how pregnancy and delivery changed her body.

“Although I felt a deep sadness for the mushy, stretched, bruised and swollen condition my body was in, a part of me felt excitement and renewed,” Venditti, who has also opened up about suffering from postpartum depression, wrote on Instagram in May. “I was so thankful that my body had done the job it needed to do: carry my babies to full term. I looked at it differently than I ever had before.”

Candice Swanepoel

Waiting for him…

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The Victoria’s Secret Angel clapped back after seeing a series of photos of herself in a bikini shortly after giving birth to her son Ariel. Calling beauty standards “sometimes impossible,” she shut down the trolls who tried to ruin her beach day.

“I’m not ashamed to show my [postpartum] tummy, I am proud actually,” she continued. “I carried my son for 9 months in there, I think I’ve earned the right to have a little tummy … is it because I’m a model? Well we are normal people too so let me enjoy the beach in peace please.”

Janene Crossley

?#AD When your 5 year old sees your post-partum stomach and gives it a big ol' tummy twister while laughing hysterically and hollering, "IT FEELS LIKE BUBBLE GUM!!!!", you post that ridiculous, unflattering open-mouth pic instead of the prettier one. Oh, sweet girl… I hope you always feel confident in the skin you're in. . . . Because #PregnantWomenCan love their stretched, loose, and marked up bodies. ❤️@HerbalEssences’ new video inspires me to share this bubblegum belly of mine that will forever share my story of bringing my family into this world. The fresh crepe-paper skin means my tiny baby is nestled in my arms instead of on the inside. I'm 100% proud of this post-partum body, with its jelly abs and shriveled up skin. It made me a mother. Here's to all the bubblegum belly mamas and, hopefully, when these girls have bubblegum bellies of their own. #embracethesquish Watch the inspiring video in the link in my bio #motherhood

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When her 5-year-old compared her postpartum belly to “bubblegum,” Dallas-based blogger Janene Crossley laughed it off in an endearing Instagram post about loving her body.

“I’m 100% proud of this post-partum body, with its jelly abs and shriveled up skin,” she wrote. “It made me a mother. Here’s to all the bubblegum belly mamas and, hopefully, when these girls have bubblegum bellies of their own. #embracethesquish.”

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