We all watched in awe as Kate Middleton strolled out of the hospital just hours after birthing her third child, looking like the cover of a magazine.
Just about everyone was amazed by how fantastic she looked.
The expectation vs reality of childbirth however, can be so far apart, after seeing those pics. But one mom shared a raw postpartum photo to show people what it usually looks like.
The majority of people don’t actually have a team of professionals standing by to do their hair and makeup. They don’t have a private wing of the hospital, or their own medical staff to assist during labor. We don’t all walk out of the labor room looking like a million bucks. And that’s fine because our bodies did amazing things.
This is why Nat Jorge-Martin shared her raw postpartum photo.
She wants everyone to know that there’s nothing wrong with embracing the real and raw.
The caption reads, “Why would I post this picture? You can see all the cellulite on my fat legs. My stomach looks huge, like I am still pregnant. My ankles are so swollen they look like logs. You can see the pad in my unflattering hospital panties. I have no makeup on and my hair hasn’t been brushed in days. Why would I post this picture?
Because this is postpartum. This is REAL. THIS IS CHILDBIRTH.”
Nat continues, “You will not bounce back once that baby comes out of you. You will not “lose the baby weight” super quickly. Your ankles will still be swollen and your belly will still be round. And there’s NOTHING wrong with that. You just brought a baby into the world. Whether you had a vaginal birth or a c-section, a child emerged from your body and that’s a HUGE deal! I asked my husband to take this photo because it was the first time I stood up in days and the first time I held my baby all by myself, without wires connecting me to a bed. This moment was so beautiful, I got to sway side to side while holding the life I sustained for 9 months.”
“I share this photo because it’s REAL, beautiful, and in this moment I felt LOVE and happiness.”
It’s a gorgeous photo. It’s real and raw and you can feel her love and strength.
And there’s nothing wrong with celebrating realistic postpartum. Our bodies just did the most wondrous thing! And they deserve to be recognized and celebrated for that, no matter what we look like.
“Today my baby is 9 months old. As of today, my baby has lived on this earth as long as she lived in my womb. For 18 months my body has sustained her life. First, through my placenta and now through my breastmilk.”
Thanks for you sharing your powerful postpartum photo, Nat!
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