Post-baby bodies don’t always look exactly like the celebrities.
And one woman is telling (and showing) it exactly how it is. She’s shedding light on the toll giving birth really takes on your body.
Professional runner Stephanie Rothstein Bruce, 32, has gone viral for her honest and inspiring photos of her post-partum body on her Instagram page @stephrothstein.
The Arizona woman is currently training for the Olympics after giving birth to her second child just six months ago. She’s aiming to qualify for the 10,000m run with the US team.
Telling Self magazine, she said: “I can run 5:20 pace for a half marathon, but I still pee my pants, have diastasis recti, stretch marks, and other postpartum issues.”
“I share this so mums and soon-to-be mums know you can still get back to your athletic self, have big goals, be a mum, have imperfections, don’t be embarrassed by them, and have confidence in yourself.”
She has now amassed more than 26,000 followers and aims to show the not-so-glamorous side of the after-effects of childbirth. She experienced diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles, during pregnancy and is working on returning her core strength.
“When I look down I see stretch marks that are here to stay, ab muscles that need continued strengthening, legs that are powerful, and feet that are ready to fly!,” she wrote on Instagram.
Take a look at her inspiring photos:
The difference between these two images was just eight days. Stephanie wanted to show the contrast to prove bellies don’t suddenly shrink post-partum.
During pregnancy, Stephanie’s ab muscles split. She’s still working on her core strength today.
Professional runner encourages others to be proud of their post-partum body
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