28 Raw Images Of What A Postpartum Body Looks Like For Most Women Despite What Instagram May Have You Believe
If you've ever given birth, you may have thought you'd 'snap back' as quickly as Instagram might have you believe, but for many (if not most) women, this is absolutely not the case.
Postpartum bodies do not always look like the glossy before-and-after posts people scroll past on Instagram. For many women, the weeks and months after birth come with stretch marks, softness, swelling, and a whole lot of mixed feelings.
That gap between online perfection and real life is exactly what makes this collection hit hard. These women are sharing what their bodies actually look like after pregnancy, and the results are honest, raw, and far from filtered.
Scroll through, because the contrast says a lot more than a polished photo ever could.
“Exercise And Eat Healthy During Pregnancy They Say. That Way Your Body Will Bounce Back. Yeah Right!”
takebackpostpartum“I Used To Weigh Myself Every Morning”
takebackpostpartum“So Many Women Have Said To Me, ‘You’re So Small After Having 5 Kids!’”
takebackpostpartum
That kind of honesty is exactly what makes these posts stand out.
“These Stripes Mean I Carried Life Inside Of Me. I'm Not Ashamed.”
takebackpostpartum
“The Only Post-Baby Bodies I See On Instagram Are The ‘Perfect’ Ones.”
postpartumbelly
“I’ve Been Battling With Myself About This Post All Day, Trying To Get The Courage To Share.”
takebackpostpartum
“The Internet Will Make Us Believe That Women Give Birth And Instantly Jump Back Into Their Old Jeans.”
shaniciaboswell
And then the reality check lands.
“Postpartum Bellies Are One Of My Favorite Things... The Physical Remnants Of The Life That Was Just Growing. Still Enlarged, Yet Vacant.”
takebackpostpartum
“How Is This Considered Ugly?”
takebackpostpartum
“When You Fit Back Into Your Pre-Pregnancy Jeans But Your Heart Starts To Sink Because All You Can Think Is, ‘My Body Will Never Be The Same.’”
takebackpostpartum
“I Felt Nervous Yet Empowered To Share With The World A Part Of Myself That I Had Hidden From Lovers In My Lifetime.”
sereneradianceyoga
“Taken 3 Days Postpartum.”
takebackpostpartum
Some of these photos barely need a caption.
And if you thought Instagram pressure was bad, this is like the AITA about announcing before a friend with fertility struggles, and “overshadowing her joy.”
“Was Not Quite Three Weeks Old Here. I've Been Working Up The Courage To Share This Photo For Quite Some Time.”
takebackpostpartum
“Days Old, Throwing It Back To My Most Exhausted, Anxious, Overwhelmed Self.”
tintoapp
“Mummy Tummy (Yes, Women Grow Body Hair Too)”
takebackpostpartum
“I've Never Felt So Good In My Own Skin Before Now.”
takebackpostpartum
“Nothing But Sheer Amazement, Thinking About How That Little Body Fit Inside This Stomach Just Two Days Ago.”
takebackpostpartum
That mix of awe and exhaustion feels painfully familiar.
“Postpartum Is Framed In Terms Of Losing Baby Weight And ‘Bouncing Back.’”
nuanuaonline
“Louise, 29 Weeks After Giving Birth.”
sophiemayanne
“This Is My Postpartum Body. 10 Weeks After The Birth Of My Beautiful Daughter.”
takebackpostpartum
“Time Will Push You To Your Limits Faster Than You Want It To, Aging You In Ways That Make You Ache, Slow Down, Grow Tired, And Weak.”
takebackpostpartum
“5 Weeks Postpartum.”
takebackpostpartum
“I May Be A Little Softer, But Ultimately I Am Stronger, And These Marks Just Remind Me Of Where I Once Tightly Held And Grew Emilia Ren. This Body, Me, I May Not Be The Same, But If She Can Find So Much Comfort And Safety In This Body, I Will As Well.”
takebackpostpartum
“There’s A First Time For Everything, And This Is My First Showing My Mom Body That I’m Falling In Love With All Over Again.”
beauty.n.breast
“Just Before Giving Birth, At 45 lbs Over My Pre-Pregnancy Weight, I Was Pretty Concerned About How I May Feel Towards My Body Postpartum.”
takebackpostpartum
“My Postpartum.”
mothertougher
“Mother Nature's Artistic Legacy. If It's Gorgeous On Her, It's Gorgeous On You.”
takebackpostpartum
“Wonder Woman.”
yeyo.photography
These are the kinds of postpartum photos that stick with you.
Want more baby-shower tension? Read about the woman who hid her pregnancy from infertile friends.
