I recently received a Facebook ad in my newsfeed for a brilliant new procedure being offered to mums. It was enticingly titled ‘Australia’s First Mummy Makeover Package.’
The makeover consisted of a little tummy tuck for the excess skin where your flesh stretched to accommodate your growing child, some liposuction across your hips where they thickened to help balance your load and post operative pilates to help improve your core.
The accompanying photograph was a flat belly with the tell-tale dashes drawn on to highlight problem areas begging to be cut back into shape.
I’m not anti-surgery. Far from it.
If you truly feel that nipping and/or tucking, lifting, plumping, smoothing or reducing will help you feel better about yourself, help elevate your sexuality, and increase your self-confidence, then go for it with great gusto.
What I am anti, however, is the suggestion that after we grow a human being inside of us for nine months until our skin is positively bursting, stretching and tearing from the inside with that creature of our loins, that the excess stomach skin, added fat and thickened hips are so undesirable that we should cut it out of our very bodies.
It’s insanity.
I feel like the world has gone mad for suggesting such a thing.
We are not meant to look youthful and nubile forever.
Our bodies tell the stories of our lives and we should hold our heads high and own the tales our skin can tell.
Each scar carries a paragraph, each purple or silvery mark like a tiger’s stripes show our journey from child to woman to mother, and we gracefully, graciously head towards the final twilight of our bodies as they eventually fade like flowers.
I was angered by this ad in my feed, and I was disgusted by the use of an image that was obviously ‘aesthetically pleasing‘.
I was moved to create something that highlighted the beauty that is the body that has created another being.
The post-baby body.
Whether your child is 2 weeks, or 20, your body tells the story.
Feeling good about yourself is so important. Feeling strong and healthy in your body and mind is all interconnected, and feeling less desirable after having children is something so many women feel. Less beautiful than the old pre-baby you.
I just want to say ‘Bullshit.’
Confidence is beautiful. Bravery is gorgeous. An ability to laugh at yourself is to die for.
You must remember you made a person.
You are an alchemist.
You are magnificent.
A humungous thank you to the beautiful ladies who participated in this post. Your bravery and honesty was both humbling and empowering.
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50 Comments
Beautiful concept, I love it
Thanks. I love it too.
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So beautiful, so powerful. I am in awe of how freaking amazing the whole “growing a baby” thing is, and I totally respect my body for having done it twice… But nearly five years after my first baby, I still can’t quite find my body to be beautiful anymore, and that makes me so sad.
These pictures and the words written on the ladies are simply beautiful and honest. And I have book marked this post to serve as inspiration for those days when I can even bear to see my reflection.
Thank you so much for posting, and a big BIG thank you to the wonderful ladies who love themselves enough to show us that post-baby bodies (no matter how long ago!) are beautiful, and tell the TRUE love story of a mother and her child(ren)
Perfect. I’m thrilled you can feel it.
Dan, this is truly amazing! You have captured everyone so beautiful. I have tears looking at this.
I had tears compiling it!
Beautiful hun. So amazing. There is so much art and beauty here. I love my post-baby body. It’s not perfect, but I am proud of it and grateful for it xx
We are amazing works of art. Sometimes we just forget.
Ugh, I’m a crying mess. It is incredibly moving to see the beauty and bravery of these women – and the vision you had to being them to us. Amazing – all of you. xxx
I know, huh? They were awesome…. I just held the camera.
Danielle, many of your blogs have made me cry for various reasons. This one because it was powerful and beautiful, and yet more evidence of your beautiful soul. Trust yourself as these women have trusted you. Always your very proud and still tearful Mama.
I love you, Mama Bear xxx
This is fantastic Danielle, just awesome! I love it!
Thanks Kylie. I’m very chuffed with this piece, but I couldn’t have done it without the brave, nudie ladies!
This was amazing. it’s hard to look in the mirror at my battle scars. It’s hard to love my body where the extra skin lives and everything is squishy. But this.
This reminded me what my body did not once, but twice in two years, and what I now have. Thank you.
you are a magnificent alchemist!
Oh this is just magnificent, what a great service you have done for so many mums out there! My post baby body isn’t much different, well apart from udders, but thankfully I’m no longer obsessed with it – well, not always. These women rock my world, xx
Fark, you’re AWESOME! Can we like, run away together and elope? Pretty please? x
As long as I don’t have to have more kids. That shit plays havoc on your body. 😉
Dan. I loved this so much, yesterday I was talking to a friend about life and how great it is, except for my expanding bits getting me down, seeing your pictures and reading you article has made me realise how beautiful we all are, those women looked gorgeous and u inspire me with your words.. Dan your brilliant x x
You are so gorgeous, Max. Always was, always will be. Be kind to yourself. xxx
PS I try to inspire the kindness to myself with this post too. I ain’t impervious!
STANDING OVATION BABE!!! I agree with Melissa, so powerful and beautiful, great stuff, really good. Your Mama’s message made me cry. I’ve never had the incredible privilige of being pregnant, creating a life outside of yourself. The entire concept just blows my mind and I APPLAUD all women who are blessed with the courage and the strength it takes to not only give birth, but to watch your heart run around outside your body after bub is born…. and forever after that (best description of motherhood I’ve ever heard!) As for learning to love your bod CRIKEE, I carry a coupla’ extra pounds :o) , a lil’ cuddly (ya’ know ) but I try SO hard for that not to define who I am. Hell, if I’d procreated I’d be pretty blown away with myself/ourselves!!! Having said that, I have a tattoo of a tortise on my inner thigh sort of (don’t ask.) I haven’t seen it for 7 years and I don’t give a shit. Give me the gift of love, every time. GO SISTERS!!!
PS, back off Grace :o)
My Mama’s message made me cry too! Thanks for the love, San. You never fail to bring a smile and a warm fuzz.
Danielle, my goodness, this is too much! BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL! I’m applauding you in my kitchen. The sentiments scribbled on these women were just perfect. SO so good xx
Yay, kitchen applause! I love that x
Just beautiful. As a mum goig through some post baby body issues, I really needed to read this. Thank you 🙂
Awwww shux, thanx hunny, I am feeling warm and fuzzy tonight, must be the red…. yummy :o)
Love this. I have chronic, recurring varicose veins and carry all my weight in my legs, I have ALWAYS hated my legs. Last week I (naughtily) made a comment about my bad legs in front of Miss 4. “I love your legs, Mumma” she said, “they have rainbows on them”
This is beautiful I’ve seen it shared in my FB feed a few times and I’ve finally made it here. My favourite pic? The one with the closeup of the stretch marks. For me nothing defines the remarkable way our bodies expand to grow our babies … and then contract back afterwards.
And the sentiment that a healthy body is a sacred thing is not lost on me either.
Gorgeous xx
Very artistic and strong message. Enjoyed this post.
I go through phases of loving my post baby body and loathing it. I think I really needed to see this at this point in time because I was started to get a bit down again. I especially love the one about wanting her daughter to love her body, it made me realise how important it is that I don’t ever speak negatively of my body in front of her.
Such a beautiful post 🙂
Aww bless. I just read the comment from your mum. Just gorgeous. This is a fantastic post. The effort you have gone to to voice your opinion is impressive. It’s artistic and beautiful and I love it. My favourite is the one which says I need my girls to love themselves. I am very conscious of how I talk about my body in front of my girls for this reason.
“He was knitted together in my womb” soooo incredibly powerful and beautiful. Love this post hun. Power to us Mothers and our imperfect bodies xx
Perfect imperfections.
xxx
Wow. This is so powerful and beautiful. Crying a bit here!
Wow, wow, WOW! What a powerful message, love it!
Thanks so much xx
Gorgeous photos and women – congratulations to you and thanks to all.
Big thanks to them, huh? Such courage.
Thank you for this beautiful post. After three kids I certainly don’t look like 18 my husband married and struggle with it daily. This was a great reminder that we are not made to look like that forever. The women in your pictures are beautiful.
[…] I mean, geez. She even got me to take my kit off for the interwebz. But that’s another story. […]
Love it! Absolutely brilliant. I’m not yet a mum, but I’m excited at the notion that one day I’ll grow a life inside of me (and that my body can do that)! I mean, woah, that’s big!
This is so very awesome! We have used our bodies for the most important thing, I just wish we would be a little kinder to ourselves. Beautiful images of beautiful women. xx
[…] The stories of our post-baby flesh – the brillant Danielle from Keeping Up With The Holsbys, along with some brave and beautiful women, shares some truths about how we feel about our post-baby bodies. Stunning photography and amazing sentiments. She’s one clever lady, that Holsby. […]
I am so blown away, so awed by every amazing woman pictured here. This is every woman, this is what makes woman and motherhood so sacred. Bravo, this is beautiful. Every stretch mark, every ounce of flesh, beautiful.
[…] year I had the pleasure of shooting a number of nearly naked women in my lounge studio for my Post Baby Body project. It was such an honour and a delight to work so closely with bodies, but I had never before had the […]
Your photos of women and their post-pregnancy bodies made me cry. Thanks so much. I’ll keep trying to love myself better than I was loved by those that left me and my body behind.
You must, Willie. You must. How anyone else treats you must pale in comparison to how you treat yourself. Don’t let them taint your feelings about yourself, sister x