It's no secret that society has some outdated opinions surrounding women's bodies and pregnancy.
While we see some celebs "bounce back" after giving birth, this isn't realistic. Some celebs even helped debunk this by sharing their refreshingly honest postpartum bodies.
Now it's the average mama debunking this thanks to the Instagram account, Take Back Postpartum. Come get inspired by these beautiful photos!
This mom took this photo completely for herself, as a way to remind herself that she's strong and brave.
It doesn't matter that her jeans no longer fit when her baby boy is out into the world.
While some celebrities "bounce back" from giving birth, that's not realistic. This mom shared this photo of herself one day after giving birth.
"Belly still swollen from extra fluid, stretched skin and muscles, and a uterus that had grown to the max," she wrote.
“How is this considered ugly? This is #Motherhood. My story, marked (literally) all over my abdomen. This is what two healthy babies and two miscarriages in 11 years looks like for me," this mom wrote.
"As a society, we are so conditioned to hide our postpartum bodies, to be ashamed of loose skin and stretch marks and saggy bellies and breasts," this mom wrote.
"Theres so much pressure to bounce back, suck it in, cover it up... But the stupidest part is that most of us have it, to some degree or another!!"
As you can see, this mom's stomach was stretch-mark-free before giving birth.
That wasn't the case afterward, and she's fine with it! "What matters most is that cute little face that we get to call our own."
"'Get your body back after the baby is born,' they say. I wasn’t aware that my body ever left," this mom wrote.
"If anything, each pregnancy brings me closer to my body. I mean, sure there’s some extra pounds. But that’s the beauty of the postpartum body."
"This picture was taken hours after Cash arrived & it shows the reality of how much your mind, body & soul change after bringing life into the world," this mom wrote.
"Stretch marks, saggy skin, exhaustion, a body that will never be the same... but 1000% worth it for the reward I received."
This photo goes beyond stretch marks or a few extra pounds. It shows a mom whose body isn't fully hers anymore. It belongs to her breastfeeding baby and her little ones who adorable take up the bed.
"Labor and birth and early motherhood will be painful, hard and depleting; leaving you with a body you may not know so well, or feel so good about," this mom wrote.
"The path of adulthood is textured and often, uphill. But. You are incredible. You are soft, and precious. Giving, and nurturing. Beautiful and sensual.
"Three days after Naia was born @gavinhicks took this photo of me in adult diapers, baby bump still present, greasy hair, and took the camera away from his face to tell me I’m beautiful," this mom wrote.
This mom is super grateful for her body that nourishes her babies. While she wrote that her boobs are two different sizes, she explained that she feels her energy coming back.
"This is a rare picture of me, doing my thang, trying to get ready #momlife #pumplife. How many of you mamas are pros at juggling multiple tasks? Cause I’m not 😪 hence why my bathroom is messy, closet is unorganized, but this is real life," this mom wrote.
“This is postpartum. Swollen breasts, swollen, empty stomach, peri-bottles, bloody underwear and pads," this mom wrote.
"I’m tired, my body hurts and I’m not doing great at the week of strict bedrest I told myself I needed. But my heart is so full of love and appreciation and awe.
This mom summed up motherhood in a nutshell! It means eating your meals whenever you can find a spare moment. It also means multitasking like a total rockstar!
"My body worked bloody hard to grow a baby for 9months and it’s going to continue working hard to look after a newborn," this mom wrote.
"No pressure over here to fit back into my pre pregnancy jeans and I’m going to celebrate that with this photo of me rocking my best bod."
"The physical remnants of the life it was just growing. Still enlarged, yet vacant," this mom wrote.
"Organs that made room for baby finding their way back to their original positions, creating the feeling of phantom kicks as if little feet were still inhabiting that space."
This mom is against the notion that women can just "bounce back" after pregnancy. She said that eating healthy and working out is no guarantee that your body won't be affected.
"I find myself wishing I could go back to my 'pre-baby body' but my 'pre-baby body' was 18 years old!" this mom wrote.
"Not only am I not a teenager with all that lovely energy and metabolism, I’ve grown and given birth to three ACTUAL human babies."
"Motherhood changes us, physically, mentally and emotionally," this mom wrote.
"Some of these changes permanent, most temporary, remember you’re not alone. Welcome to the club mama, we got you."
