Tia Mowry gets real about her body after baby: 'I actually look like I'm 4 months pregnant and that is OKAY'

Erin Donnelly
·Yahoo Life Senior Editor

It’s been just two weeks since former Sister, Sister star Tia Mowry gave birth to her second child, a daughter. But she’s already pushing back against the pressure to instantly shed her baby weight.

The 39-year-old actress and writer opened up about postpartum realities in a new Instagram post. Though Mowry looks chic and refreshed in her white shirtdress and hot-pink heels, she says she’s still far from meeting the expectations that new moms face.

This is MY #postpartum. Two weeks in. Do I still have a belly yes. I actually look like I’m 4 months pregnant and that is OKAY. I wanted to shine a light on how our society creates false expectations after a woman gives birth. Ladies, it’s okay that our bodies are not PERFECT after our babies are born. Give your self time. Go at your own pace. Don’t allow people to put a time limit on YOUR body. You’ve just accomplished a miracle! #Love yourself, love your new body, embrace it. It you want to make changes than that’s your desire and no one else’s. Ps, #moms freaking rock! #fashion

A post shared by tiamowry (@tiamowry) on May 19, 2018 at 9:30am PDT

According to the former teen star, she “still has a belly” and is determined not to stress about it.

“I actually look like I’m 4 months pregnant and that is OKAY,” she told fans, adding that moms should embrace their bodies, even if they are “not PERFECT.”

“Don’t allow people to put a time limit on YOUR body,” she urged.

Mowry’s body positive message was met with praise from followers, many of them mothers with their own stories of stretch marks and not snapping back into their pre-baby shape.

She’s not the only star who has come clean about the less glamorous aspects of motherhood. On Sunday, Chrissy Teigen posed in the netted underwear moms are typically given to wear after childbirth to help them heal and deal with common postpartum issues like bleeding and incontinence. The model, who welcomed son Miles just days ago, also appears to be nursing her newborn in the intimate photo.

If you haven’t seen @aliwong’s new Netflix special, you are bad at picking Netflix specials #asianpearunderwear

A post shared by chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) on May 20, 2018 at 9:04pm PDT

The pressures on moms to “bounce back” after birth has been a hot topic of late, given Kate Middleton’s perfectly groomed appearance on the hospital steps just hours after she delivered Prince Louis on April 23.

New mother Kylie Jenner has also been accused of setting unrealistic expectations after using a waist trainer to help her sculpt her body after birth.

Meanwhile, Hilaria Baldwin, who welcomed her fourth child just days ago, is documenting her own post-baby body journey in an effort to “normalize the postpartum figure.”

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

A post shared by Hilaria Thomas Baldwin (@hilariabaldwin) on May 20, 2018 at 9:04am PDT

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