Mum shares photos three weeks after giving birth to show what a post-pregnancy body is really like

Glossy magazines often give people the idea that pregnancy bumps deflate perfectly into a flat stomach after giving birth.

This pressure on women to look toned and tanned after pregnancy is why mothers speaking up about their bodies is so very refreshing.

Instagram blogger Kristen Sullivan ditched the filters to reveal how she looked after giving delivering her second child, Gavin.

Sullivan's caption was equally honest and open, writing:

The left pic is 3 days before I delivered Gavin (my 2nd child), the right pic is 3 weeks postpartum.

I'm sharing this to show moms that sometimes it doesn't matter if you're thin, ate right and exercised during pregnancy, sometimes your body grows in such a way that doesn't simply allow you to "bounce back" in friggen 3 weeks. 

Unsurprisingly, the post has been liked over 3000 times and the comments are glowing with both praise and understanding

One mum thanked Sullivan for sharing - and said that pictures of celebrities post-pregnancy gave her unrealistic expectations.

Thank you for sharing...

I still have the pouch and my family has made me feel awful about it

I thought I would bounce back because I was young

but it has nothing to do with age 

Read Sullivan's full post below:

It took me 4 days to decide whether or not to share this. But recently there have been moms reaching out to me based on some things I've shared, so here goes. The left pic is 3 days before I delivered Gavin (my 2nd child), the right pic is 3 weeks postpartum. I'm sharing this to show moms that sometimes it doesn't matter if you're thin, ate right and exercised during pregnancy, sometimes your body grows in such a way that simply doesn't allow you to "bounce back" in friggen 3 weeks. I feel like all I've been seeing is new moms sharing their amazing postpartum bods, 11 days after birth, 2 weeks after birth, etc. And while that's wonderful for them, for many others, KNOW that it's not realistic! While I won't be totally sure till 6 weeks, I have a strong feeling that I've got #diastasisrecti (separation of the abs), in which case I'm determined to get the PT I need to heal. I've also been wearing a postpartum corset for extra support. But in the meantime, I'm giving my body a chance to breathe. Did you SEE how far my belly stretched?! There is no race to bounce back moms. We'll get there!!

HT kidspot

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