This beauty blogger’s postpartum photos reveal an important truth about c-sections
There’s something truly magical about giving birth to new life. But sometimes, in our zest for the “beauty” of it all, we forget that the birthing process can be a legitimately difficult experience for many women. Which is why one beauty blogger posted photos of her body post c-section. The woman — Ruth Lee — posted a photo of her still-bandaged stomach a mere days after undergoing the procedure.
She wanted to remind women that it’s totally okay and normal to not feel your best after such a mammoth physical ordeal — despite all the pressure on women to “bounce back” a mere moments after bringing forth life.
Lee didn’t plan on having a c-section, and once back home and recovering, she took to social media to explain what she went through and how she felt.
In her lengthy and emotional post, Lee described how she followed pregnant models on social media throughout her own pregnancy, and envisioned herself easily “bouncing back” after giving birth.
"I was 25 when I gave birth. I was healthy. I was young. I stayed active during my pregnancy. I took the best prenatals, went to the gym, used every kind of stretch mark prevention you could think of. I took hours of birthing classes, read every book under the sun, and studied natural childbirth my whole pregnancy. I STILL ended up with a traumatic labor, cesarean section, scars, stretch marks, and unfortunately the inability to breastfeed long term."
She goes on to describe how she couldn’t believe that the woman in the photo was her, but that she’s ultimately embracing the changes within her body and inviting others to do the same.
“I’m sharing it because I know in my heart that there are people out there that struggle with inadequacy. That might think they are not beautiful, that they might be ruined, less worthy, or not good enough. Yours might not actually be physical scars, but maybe, a failed relationship, a difficulty in your career, a mental struggle, money issues, or just feeling lost in life. Be kind to yourself. And know that you are not alone. Comparison is the thief of joy,” she wrote.
We appreciate Ruth’s honesty SO MUCH. Because there is both pressure to “bounce” back after giving birth, and pressure to be totally and 100% accepting of your post-baby body, and so many women just end up feeling like they’re failing either way.
This is an important reminder to go easy on ourselves and to try to avoid comparing ourselves to others (even though it can admittedly be super hard sometimes). So let’s all take a minute to appreciate ourselves today…and everyday!
