Motherhood is the most wonderful experience I have ever had. However, I think that their romanticization has skyrocketed thanks to social networks and that this is not healthy because it directly affects our self-esteem in a very negative way.
However, and after a long stage of idyllic photos and express postpartum, the trend is changing . Now there are more and more celebrities who dare to show the true face of pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and parenting… images that help us ordinary mortals to reconcile with our reality and alleviate some of the guilt for not reincarnating the perfection we see in those snapshots.
Ashley Graham’s stretch marks
Ashley Graham has us accustomed to extremes that go from super glamorous photos to others that suddenly show reality like this one. It’s been one of her most popular photos on her entire account, so we already know that reality baths (here in the form of stretch marks ), are great for all of us.
The Fatigue of Pregnancy, by Kate Perry
Choosing baby essentials is exhausting, especially if you have a 9-month-old belly (like Kate Perry did). I remember that when I saw this photo I thought it could have been me in the childcare section of El Corte Inglés…
Amy Schumer’s postpartum
That this is one of the photos with the most “likes” of the actress and comedian Amy Schumer, says a lot about the claims that society needs regarding postpartum (really, who wants a makeup artist to come in to make you look perfect? have you ever given birth to your child?). You only need to read some comments to see that many of us have felt identified with Amy’s gesture of not understanding what is happening.
Marisa Jara’s diaper change
This photo of Marisa Jara is one of my favorites because as soon as I saw it, I identified with her . I think this is real motherhood: the one that shows unbuttoned pajamas as proof of a woman’s determination to breastfeed her newborn baby, a clean face that doesn’t have time to go through a makeup session, and a mane that follows the Same way.
Peta Murgatroyd’s postpartum belly
The dancer, who later also took breastfeeding with humor, showed this selfie in front of the mirror eight days after giving birth. “Many people think that a woman should immediately return to her pre-birth weight. That is not the truth for most. The woman’s body is amazing and resilient,” she wrote alongside the photo.
The photo after a birth, by Alma Obregón
Alma Obregón is very authentic (this is amply reflected in her Instagram profile), and a sample is this photo that she uploaded from the birth of her third daughter. There’s no makeup, no touch-ups, no rosy cheeks, no gestures similar to what you put on when you walk out of a spa. It is the tired face that we all surely have after giving birth.
Jenny Mollen’s caesarean section
The American actress Jenny Mollen showed the scar that the caesarean section left on her still bulging belly two weeks after giving birth… another of the images that are not usually shown on social networks, but that speak for themselves of what means a birth.
Chrissy Teigen’s postpartum panties
Another celebrity who was encouraged to upload a photo without filters after giving birth was Chrissy Teigen. I like it because it exudes naturalness… especially because it does not claim any type of “real motherhood” in the accompanying text.
Tania Llasera’s postpartum belly
Another publication that went viral at the time was this photo of Tania Llasera where she showed the state of her abdomen seven weeks after childbirth . It is true that each body is different and that there are women who lose their swelling right away, but I think that this is the exception to the rule.
Sadia Slayy’s wrinkled belly
The beauty influencer Sadia Slayy showed her belly nine months after giving birth to her son Aydin, arguing that it is necessary to put aside that image of perfection that many expect of us and embrace our reality… especially after having created lifetime.
Ashley Graham’s Breastfeeding
I couldn’t stop sharing this other beautiful and very authentic photo of Ashley Graham. This one in dim light, nursing one of her babies and holding the other is a beautiful sight that anyone would identify with.
Kate Hudson’s postpartum abdomen
Kate Hudson is another celebrity who has wanted to share an image of her postpartum body a while ago. Without makeup and unapologetic, she spoke about the importance of self-care, saying that balancing parenting and personal time is the most challenging thing in the world.
Alaia Baldwin expressing milk
Alaia Baldwin’s Instagram profile is very glamorous. That’s why this photo was so surprising expressing milk while in the emergency room for gastroenteritis. Those of us who have breastfed know that there is a moment when either you put the baby in, or you express milk, or you feel that your breasts are going to burst , so it is a very authentic moment in a mother’s life.
The dark circles of María Castro
Dark circles tend to become the hallmark of many recent mothers and this photo of María Castro shows it. Tiredness, night awakenings and all the responsibilities that coexist with our role as mothers make our appearance change, but few dare to show it in a public photo.
The tired face of Samanta Villar
Samanta Villar is one of the celebrities who has openly said that motherhood is not ideal and that when children arrive, quality of life is lost. Obviously, it generated a lot of controversy at the time, although many people have later said that it has simply mentioned something that is true and that all mothers have experienced.
