Why Celeb Post-Birth Selfies Are a Good Thing
jessiejamesdecker/Instagram
It's been a good couple of weeks for the fourth trimester. Three famous moms recently flaunted their post-birth bodies in beautiful, no-filter-needed shots. But unlike, say, Sarah Stage's famous postnatal six pack pic, these photos won't make you feel bad about yourself—or the fact that you're still wearing stretchy pants.
Jessie James Decker, who gave birth to son Eric on September 4, was the first to share a belly shot that showed her pooch.
The mama wrote that while she appreciates all the comments on how petite she looked, she didn't want to mislead anyone who might be "stressing" over their own post-birth weight gain. "Wanted to make sure y'all saw what my tummy looks like under the tank top and blazer," she wrote on Instagram.
To that end, Decker was honest about how much she gained this time around (27 pounds) and how much she wanted to lose (15). The mom of two was also totally forthright about her exercise plan, which sounds refreshingly doable: occasional walks and wearing a "belly waist train thingy a few hours here n there" to help with swelling from her c-section. Oh, and she says she's in no rush to shed the weight.
Just in case you need more inspiration, she wrote: "Being a mommy is so rewarding but hard work, so we need to stick together and help each other out. I'm not perfect but I do my best. That's what it's all about. So never be hard on yourself."
A few days later, Sports Illustrated model Robyn Lawley published her own post-birth selfie that showed her stretch marks, or "tiger stripes" as she calls them. (Best. Name. Ever.)
robynlawley1/Instagram
The brunette beauty shared the shot as a way of pushing back against ridiculous rumors that she was considering having an abortion because she didn't want to run the risk of skin imperfections. She said she knew her stretch marks were coming. "As they're fading into white (like all my others) I thought I might capture them. Because they are some bad ass "ª#"Žtigerstripes"¬. And I earned them," she wrote on Facebook.
She also addressed the pressure we put on ourselves to bounce back after baby. "We put an unbelievable amount of ridiculous time consuming pressure on women to care so much about their flaws they forget how truly beautiful they (you) are today," she explained. "F**k them, who cares, be you, be loud, be proud. And put your efforts into skills that rely more on your physical self."
Most recently, WNBA star and brand-new mom Glory Johnson showed off her bod six days after delivering twin daughters by c-section. Though she still looks fitter than most people I know, the superstar athlete wasn't shy about letting fans see her bandaged-up belly and ever-so-tiny pooch on Instagram.
missvol25/Instagram
Nonetheless, her message is nothing short of inspirational: She wrote, "Lets see if I can Bounce Back #CantLiftForSixWeeks #FingersCrossed #CravingAGoodWorkout #TwoWeekUpdate #GLOJOsWorkoutPlan Who's with me?"
I don't know about you, but seeing these celebrity moms' #nofilter bellies makes me feel a little better about the bumps and lumps that remained after I gave birth. The pics also a good reminder for me to cut myself some slack. After all, my body accomplished something pretty incredible: It created, nurtured and delivered another human bein, for heaven's sake. Like Lawley pointed out in her Facebook post, we mamas are warriors. "You created a life inside of you," she pointed out. "That's no easy feat."
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Bonnie Gibbs Vengrow is a New York City-based writer and editor who traded in her Blackberry and Metro card for playdates and PB&J sandwiches—and the once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch her feisty, funny son grow up. Follow her on Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.
