Mum’s brave letter to her postpartum body has struck a chord with everyone
Growing a baby and giving birth can be tough on a woman’s body, not to mention emotionally draining and incredibly exhausting. Meanwhile, recovery can be slow and your body never quite the same again.
What a woman’s body achieves during pregnancy and childbirth is truly amazing. And instead of mourning the physical changes, we should be thankful.
One mum has bravely shared a picture of her postpartum body on Instagram, giving it the recognition it deserves – and her followers are both impressed and genuinely grateful.
Letter to my body
We are often quick to criticise our postpartum bodies, but this mum took a different approach with a beautiful letter that expressed what many are reluctant to think.
The post beautifully acknowledges what an incredible achievement it is to have a baby – one that we are often quick to forget, particularly once the baby is born.
“First of all I don’t hate you,” she wrote. “On the contrary, I’m so so proud of you. You have been through a lot. You grew a whole human.”
An amazing achievement
The mum describes what her body actually did, and when put into words, you can’t help but agree what an impressive feat it actually is.
“You kept her warm and safe and let her grow until she was ready to go it on her own,” she wrote. “You made room for her, then let her go, with selfless bravery. You nourished her as long as you could and I’m proud of that too. You didn’t fail. You did amazing things.”
Not quite the same
The mum recognises that her body is now different. But instead of looking at those changes with disgust or unhappiness, she sees them as part of her and her baby’s journey. And while the photos of the woman’s belly clearly show the markings of pregnancy and childbirth, she has posted them proudly for all to see.
“You might be different than you used to be, but you aren’t ugly, damaged, or scarred,” she says. “You are marked with a roadmap of the life you created. Postpartum body, you are beautiful, and I am proud of you.”
Just what we need
Naturally, the response to the post was huge with nearly 900 likes and a wave of comments, all thanking the mum for her beautiful, inspiring thoughts and honest postpartum belly pics.
“Totally looks like my tummy,” said one follower.
“Thank you for this. Incredible,” wrote another.
It certainly struck a chord with a great many women, currently going through a similar stage, dealing with the aftermath of childbirth and their postpartum bodies. For many, it comes a relief. Women often feel so much pressure to bounce back to their pre-pregnancy shape, but this is not always possible, nor is it something we should necessarily aspire to.
Having a baby is truly amazing, and like this mum, we should feel proud of our bodies. We should congratulate and thank them for bringing our children into the world. We shouldn’t worry about the fact it looks a bit different or might not be bikini-ready by summer.
“I wish I could like this a thousand times,” said one enthusiastic follower. And I have to say, I wholeheartedly agree.
