Every day, the female body is subjected to more and more judgments from society. Social media is filled with unreal photos that can really make someone feel uncomfortable in their own skin. For women with postpartum bodies, this issue can be the most delicate. To support others, this proud mother decided to stop hiding behind filters or clothes and embrace the imperfections that truly make us special. Most mothers are not prepared for the challenges that arise after childbirth.
Danisha, a mother of four, recently began sharing her body acceptance journey on social media. At first, she felt truly ashamed and constantly tried to hide her postpartum belly, but with her latest baby, she wanted to change. “I didn’t know I would have so much loose skin and stretch marks like I do now, and no one ever talked about that, my doctors didn’t mention it,” the mother explained. “I didn’t know my body wouldn’t look the same anymore.
But I want to embrace my body, and I’m happy where I am.” Danisha believes that a woman’s body creates miracles. Seeing tons of celebrities and models posing with their pregnant bellies can give us a false picture. They can make us believe that perfection can exist and that something might be wrong with our own bodies, even diminishing our confidence to the point where we forget to love ourselves. In one of her Instagram posts, she highlighted other mothers who are loved, saying: “Don’t let society convince you that you need to be ‘fixed.’ Your body isn’t wrong, society is!”
Society expects a different image of the postpartum female body. Women are expected to quickly regain their pre-pregnancy bodies. For many mothers, this can make them feel like strangers in their own skin. Fighting against your body means losing the battle in the end, but accepting it and starting to love yourself from every angle is another kind of pure love that can only arise if the mother is completely ready to do so. The brutal honesty behind Danisha’s posts makes her even prouder of who she is.
