A mom-of-three has shared a ᴄᴀɴᴅɪᴅ sɴᴀᴘ of her ʙᴏᴅʏ just hours after giving birth to show how a post-ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ʙᴏᴅʏ really looks. Elise Raquel, from west Australia, posted the picture of herself on Instagram in a bid to show her 30,000 followers what a real post-ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ʙᴏᴅʏ looks like in its ‘ʀᴀᴡᴇsᴛ and ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴠᴜʟɴᴇʀᴀʙʟᴇ sᴛᴀᴛᴇ.’
Sharing the ɪɴᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇ shot of her post-ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ ʙᴏᴅʏ on Instagram, Elise wrote: ‘Let’s talk ᴘᴏsᴛᴘᴀʀᴛᴜᴍ ʙᴏᴅɪᴇs! I asked @belleverdiglionephotography to take this photo, just hours after giving birth to Willa, in my ʀᴀᴡᴇsᴛ and ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴠᴜʟɴᴇʀᴀʙʟᴇ sᴛᴀᴛᴇ. I was in ᴘᴀɪɴ and I wasᴏᴠᴇʀᴄᴏᴍᴇ by a ғʟᴏᴏᴅ of emotions. Elated to have welcomed our beautiful girl and so empowered and proud of what my ʙᴏᴅʏ and I had just done! It’s a strange feeling to look down and still see a ʙᴜᴍᴘ, even though you’re holding your baby in your arms, even after doing it three times. It’s not easy to go home with a baby and still have to wear maternity clothes. I used to feel the need to cover up in this newborn stage, I ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ want to see my ʙᴏᴅʏ in this state, so why would anyone else? It’s taken me three babies, but I’ve finally realised this ᴘᴏsᴛᴘᴀʀᴛᴜᴍ ʙᴏᴅʏ isn’t something to ʜɪᴅᴇ! I am beyond proud for what this ʙᴏᴅʏ has given and sᴀᴄʀᴀʟɪsᴇᴅ. I am thankful that my ʙᴏᴅʏ is able to carry and birth babies naturally. I am NOT ᴀsʜᴀᴍᴇᴅ of my (many) new sᴛʀɪᴘᴇsand my ᴘᴏsᴛᴘᴀʀᴛᴜᴍ ʙᴏᴅʏ. And neither should you! Let’s celebrate ᴘᴏsᴛᴘᴀʀᴛᴜᴍ ʙᴏᴅɪᴇs, in all their glory. The female ʙᴏᴅʏ is incredible and I am so proud of what mine has done!”
Her honest post has been widely praised, amassing over 2,000 times on Instagram. One follower commented: “You are so beautiful, and so are your words!!” Another wrote: “How inspirational, love this photo, totally took me back to my days and feeling somewhat the same post bubba”
