It is the year two thousand and twenty, and yet people who've just given birth are still besieged by unreasonable expectations of how their body should look and feel after expelling a whole other human. Someone with absolutely no time for that? New mom Ashley Graham, who posted a photo of her postpartum body on Instagram along with a candid insight into recovery after childbirth.
"Raise your hand if you didn’t know you’d be changing your own diapers too," Graham, who welcomed new baby Isaac with her husband Justin Ervin in January, captioned the photo. "After all these years in fashion I never could’ve guessed that disposable underwear would be my favorite piece of clothing but here we are! No one talks about the recovery and healing (yes even the messy parts) new moms go through. I wanted to show you guys that it’s not all rainbows and butterflies!"
Throughout her pregnancy, Graham made it her mission to dispel harmful myths and unrepresentative depictions concerning pregnant bodies. Back in August, shortly after she and Ervin announced (with an acutely adorable video) they were expecting, she shared a naked photo on Instagram, with the caption "same same but a little different." The post, which featured her unretouched stretch marks, was applauded by her followers; at time of writing, it's got almost 1.5 million likes.
In October, she shared a gorgeous nude video on Instagram, writing, "Getting bigger and bigger and trying to embrace my new body everyday. It’s a journey and I’m so thankful to have such a supportive community." I suspect there's a lot of people just as thankful for you, Ashley!
For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.
Related Stories:
-
Kaia Gerber's "Off-Duty Librarian" Look Is a Win for Nerds EverywhereBookworms, this one is for you.
-
Ciara Revolutionized Pregnancy-Era Beauty with Her Latest Look
The golden look that had heads turning.
-
Mango Has the Most Luxe-Looking Coats and Jackets—And They're All Under $200
From wool coats and trendy bomber jackets to warm puffers and leather picks.
-
Sarah Hyland and Adam Devine Play 'How Well Do You Know Your Co-Star?'
The 'Modern Family' stars reunited for the 'Pitch Perfect' spinoff series.
-
The 78 Best Celebrity Couple Halloween Costumes of All Time
Honestly, we're impressed.
-
Super Rare Photos of Queen Elizabeth as a Young Woman
From childhood snapshots to portraits as a young princess, beautiful and rare photos of the late Queen Elizabeth as a young woman.
-
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla's Relationship: A Timeline
With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles has ascended to the throne as king.
-
Who Is Next in Line for the British Throne, Explained
And yes—Harry and Archie are still in the line of succession.
-
Who Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Fiancé Riley Roberts?
AOC's husband-to-be is an "easygoing redhead" who lives with her in D.C.
-
68 Times the Kardashians Posed Fully Nude and Owned It
And we mean fully nude—as in, not a shred of clothing.
-
Who Is Jonathan Owens, Simone Biles's Fiancé and NFL Player?
"The easiest yes!" Simone wrote about the couple's engagement.
