40 most realistic postpartum images honoring the reality of childbirth: From stretch marks, long scars to adult diapers
Supermodel Christy Turlington and Jemima Kirke are among the mothers who are sharing powerful postpartum photos as part of a new collaboration that is bringing awareness to the realities of giving birth.
Intimates brand Knix teamed up with Carriage House Birth, a doula collective co-founded by Jemima’s sister Domino Kirke, and the Empowered Birth Project, an online initiative founded by Katie Vigos, to create the Life After Birth Project.
More than 250 women have submitted their intimate photos and stories as part of the project, which both celebrates and normalizes the postpartum experience.
Candid: Christy Turlington, 50, shared a photo of herself cradling her daughter, Grace, after giving birth in 2003 as part of the Life After Birth Project, which celebrates postpartum bodies
Looking back: Jemima Kirke, 34, submitted an image of herself protectively holding her now-six-year-old son Memphis when he was a toddler
The images featured on the Life After Birth Project’s Instagram page range from photos of new moms caring for their children to close-up pictures of their scars, stretch marks, and loose skin.
Knix recently surveyed its customers and found that 90 per cent of women received comments about their bodies after giving birth and 76 per cent felt pressure to ‘bounce back.’
Christy, 50, shared a photo of herself barefaced and cradling her daughter, Grace, in her arms after giving birth in 2003.
‘This is me pale but still smiling on day one at home as a new mom,’ she wrote in the accompanying caption. ‘Though I’d lost two liters of blood post delivery, I can’t remember being more tired or more happy to have my baby girl in my arms after 42 weeks of pregnancy.’
Jemima submitted an image of herself protectively holding her now-six-year-old son Memphis when he was a toddler while sharing a quote from ‘The Rainbow’ by D.H. Lawrence.
Postpartum: Knix founder and CEO Joanna Griffiths said she started planning the photo project just five days after she gave birth to her son in April (pictured)
Founders: Joanna teamed up with Jemimia’s sister, Carriage House Birth founder Domino Kirke (pictured with her son) and Katie Vigos from the Empowered Birth Project to create the project
‘When he heard the child cry, a terror possessed him, because of the echo of the unfathomed distances in himself,’ she wrote.
Meanwhile, Bachelorette alum Jillian Harris, 39, shared a picture of herself wearing nothing but postpartum mesh underwear in the hospital after welcoming her first child, Leo, who is now three.
‘I look back at this picture and remember it being one of the best moments of my life. I’ve never felt so content with my body, my relationship with Justin, and my life,’ she wrote.
‘I think about how full my heart was that day. How hard I worked growing the baby, carrying the baby, and then delivering our sweet Leo. Luckily with that pregnancy and delivery everything was perfect.’
Jillian, who welcomed her daughter Annie in October, said her second pregnancy couldn’t have been more different.
Throwback: Bachelorette alum Jillian Harris, 39, shared a picture of herself wearing nothing but postpartum mesh underwear after welcoming her first child, Leo, who is now three
Bachelorette’s Jillian Harris & Justin Pasutto introduce son Leo
Powerful picture: Desiree Fortin submitted a photo of herself looking down at her wrinkled stomach after giving birth to triplets
‘I love my postpartum body’: Lori Yerry opened up about self-love after giving birth to her twins
‘I had debilitating exhaustion, feelings of depression and a lack of interest in almost everything. I just wanted the pregnancy to be over,’ she admitted. ‘Luckily with both children I never experienced any postpartum depression or anxiety.
‘However, motherhood can be a roller coaster of emotions. Every morning you wake up with a bursting feeling of love and appreciation and by 10 o’clock you’re on a caffeine overdrive with nothing in your stomach and ready to run for the hills!’
The project’s three founders shared postpartum images as did Amy Schumer and Ricki Lake, though not all of the pictures have been posted on Instagram.
Knix founder and CEO Joanna Griffiths told Refinery29 that she started planning the photo project just five days after she gave birth to her son in April.
‘I wanted to create something that celebrated the strength and beauty that is the postpartum experience, that changed the narrative and encouraged postpartum people everywhere to feel seen, acknowledged and supported,’ she said.
Recovery: This photo was taken after Moriam’s son Noah was born via C-section on July 13
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Making it work: Military mom Beth Whaley and Lindsey Bliss both submitted images of themselves pumping breast milk
Working mom: Michaelle C. Solages is pictured breastfeeding on the floor of the New York State Assembly
Joanna opened up about the moment she came up with the project on Instagram while sharing a snapshot of herself putting ice packs on her swollen breasts.
‘I took this photo during a hospital visit with a lactation consultant three days postpartum,’ the businesswoman wrote. ‘She told me my breasts were the same size and just as hard as “soccer balls” and handed me two ice packs to help with the swelling.
‘Elsewhere across town in those same few minutes, a teammember stood in for me as we were honored with one of our biggest industry awards to-date. Mentally it was a battle. I could build a company, but I was struggling to feed my child. I felt like such a failure,’ she admitted.
‘The nurse provided me with nipple shields, something I knew nothing about but saved me during that first month. Every image of breastfeeding I had seen the women looked natural, at peace and happy.’
Joanna explained that when she shared the photo on Instagram, she was ‘overwhelmed’ when over 100 people responded with their own struggles. It was at that moment that she came up with the idea of the Life After Birth Project.
‘She is my Rainbow baby’: Wendy Cruz Chan shared a black and white photo of herself breastfeeding her youngest child when she was three weeks old
Beautiful: Devynn Walker submitted a touching image of her newborn fast asleep next to her
Proud: A nine-city exhibition featuring photos from the Life After Birth Project was launched earlier this month in New York City. Joanna is pictured with her family outside of the exhibit
Many of the submissions came from Knix followers who wanted to share their postpartum experiences with other mothers.
Mom Lori Yerry opened up about self-love after giving birth to her twins. In the raw black and white photo she shared, she is holding both of her children.
‘Do I like my postpartum body? Not particularly, but I am so proud of it. That it was able to carry twins to term and now it provides what they need. Every single day,’ she wrote.
‘Nursing twins is not easy. It is not often the magical, wonderful thing you hear breastfeeding mamas rave about. This is work, and there have been days I was ready to quit,’ she admitted.
‘Then I remember how amazing it really is. The fact that I have been able to continuously nourish two humans with this stretched, saggy, and scarred body of mine, since conception. And for that, I love my postpartum body.’
A nine-city exhibition featuring photos from the Life After Birth Project was launched earlier this month in New York City, the same time Knix debuted its new maternity collection.