A mom is sharing her post-baby body on Instagram in an effort to let other mom's know it's OK to put yourself first after you give birth. But not everyone is seeing her post as an empowering, body-positive message. Instagram influencer Nicole Knight shared snapshots of her toned postpartum body, revealing her amazing bounce back after two kids. But the mom also got real about how her body has changed since her daughter was born and is now urging other moms to make time to take care of themselves — while flaunting her flat abs.
The new mom first started posting pictures of her post-baby body just two weeks after she gave birth to her daughter, Zephi.
And has been updating her 18,700 followers about her postpartum "bounce back" ever since.
But in a recent before-and-after photo, Nicole got candid about how her body has changed after her second baby.
In a post on her Instagram account on January 7, the mom showed a side-by-side compilation of her body during her pregnancy and now weeks after. "10 weeks postpartum, it still amazes me how incredible our bodies are!" she wrote. However, the 25-year-old mother of two didn't shy away from the fact that her body is still not exactly the same as it was before she had her second child.
Nicole wrote that she's recently started training again, "slowly regaining my fitness and strength. I am still 4kgs [about 8 pounds] heavier than my pre pregnancy weight," she added. "Scales really don’t mean anything as weight is distributed differently through our bodies throughout different experiences."
Nicole also shared a video of her loose skin to remind women that pictures can be deceiving.
In another slide in her post, the new mom showed a video of her stretching and pulling the extra skin on her stomach. "After carrying two babies I still have a lot of excess skin — and it will most likely stick around forever," she wrote. The mom continued that even though her body is no longer as "perfect" as it used to be, she doesn't feel bad about how her body has changed. "A lil bit of excess skin for two beautiful babies is a pretty fair trade," she added.
In the end, the mom said she decided to share the "real" pictures to motivate other moms -- but it's been met with mixed reactions.
Speaking with The Daily Mail, Nicole explained that she's proud of her body, even though it's gone through major changes in the past few years. "I shared the photo to hopefully inspire other moms, and show them it's okay to still put themselves first and look after their body during and post-pregnancy," she explained.
Online, some women were cheering Nicole for taking the time to make herself a priority.
Many women applauded Nicole for being "real" about her post-baby body flaws.
We all have our imperfections, but if you're used to looking a certain way, it can be hard to admit that your body is different after having kids.
And others applauded her for looking so amazing despite her loose skin.
These supporters saw nothing but positivity and inspiration from her post.
Lord knows that your body is just going to keep on changing and surprising you as you get older.
Although many social media followers who love Nicole are completely inspired, this isn't necessarily the motivational message that new moms need.
The pressure on new moms to "snap back" is real and it's painful. There's nothing wrong about wanting to get in shape as soon as your doctor says is safe. But it's also equally important to embrace, accept, and love your new postpartum body the way it is. Instead of comparing ourselves to others and perpetuating an idea of unrealistic standards, new moms need to be reminded that "bouncing back" can mean something different for everybody.
Hopefully a main focus after birth will be on appreciating all that your body did and gave you instead of hating it for what it isn't. New mamas, Nicole is right that you deserve to to put yourself first — but never think that means changing who you are or what you look like!
