What Real Women Look Like After Giving Birth

I absolutely love this post on BabyZone that shows what a “real” women looks like after giving birth. Author Tracy Brennan said she was inspired to share her after-birth photo after seeing an image that celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe posted to her twitter. Sporting a fashionable hospital gown and a red carpet ready face, Zoe is just one of the many celebrities who have shared a “perfect” after-birth photo.

We are flooded with so many images of famous women with their newborns looking flawless (thanks to Photoshop) and being able to bounce back to their old bodies within weeks (thanks to cosmetic surgery). I feel that all these images have such a negative effect on everyone else in the world. You hear stories about a man who puts pressure on his wife after giving birth because she doesn’t bounce back quick enough and that “if so-and-so can do it, what is her excuse?”

Breastfeeding and diet aren’t the only things post-pregnancy stars use to get thin, sometimes they use plastic surgery and shapewear to flatten their tummies. That’s why I love that Brennan and her mommy friends came forward to show the world what a real mommy looks like after hours of labor or a c-section. Bottom line – birth is beautiful and with a new mommy glow you won’t need a stitch of make up. The reality is no one looks like this after giving birth to their child. Brennan put it beautifully when she says: “After delivering my sweet Olive nearly a month ago, I even looked at my husband and said, “I must look like a hot mess.” He looked back at me and said I was beautiful. (He’s a keeper!) And he’s right. Because beauty is laboring for hours on end to bring new life into this world. Beauty is that sense of magic when you get to hold your baby for the first time.” [source] It’s true birth is the most beautiful thing in the world, creating life is an amazing wonder. What’s more beautiful than a mother?