'Love your mummy tummy' is the message of a new campaign from mother of two Justina Perry, who is fed up with the body image pressure so many new mums experience.
She is encouraging mums to show off their mummy tummies and post baby bulges with pride in an online gallery and realise that having a baby belly is normal.
After reading a news report about a new miracle cream that burns away flab to help combat 'the latest body image anxiety' and that statistics show a 31% increase in the mummy tummy tuck, Justina felt something had to be done. She decided to take a picture of her own mummy tummy and put it on her website to help demonstrate that mothers should love their new shape. She's encouraging other mums to do the same.
"There is so much pressure on new mums to look good after they've had a baby, with many celeb mums seemingly back to bikini perfect bodies days after giving birth," says Justina. "I know women want to look and feel good about themselves but they're getting a skewed impression of what real beauty is from the media. I want mothers to realise that a mummy tummy is a natural, normal, beautiful thing to be celebrated, not embarrassed by."
"We want to get as many photos as possible to demonstrate that mums come in all shapes and sizes. Mothers have enough things to be anxious about. Your tummy should not be one them!" says Justina.
Here are some of the mums who've already posted their pics:
"It is so worth it! If our beautiful children don't care, why should we? He wouldn't want his mummy any other way!"
"I'm a 44 year old mum of two kids aged 6 and 3, my weight is the same as before, it's just kind of redistributed itself. My husband convinced me to send this is as he says that it's so sexy knowing that my tummy has changed entirely due to our children."
"I had two fairly big babies; 8lb 8.5oz and 8lb 12oz; thankfully both perfectly healthy and happy; and my body nurtured them through that process! Since having my second; I have trained for my first ever 10k run, attend the gym twice a week and do pilates once a week; and yet my body resembles nothing of those: "Oh; I just breastfed, did some exercise and my body suddenly became a size 8 overnight...with the abs of a teenager.." stories. I advocate a healthy lifestyle but these bodies that you see in the mags are massively reducing women's self esteem. Be proud!"
" I keep promising myself that I'll do the early morning sit-ups I need to do to get rid of that extra flap of tummy... but then when a little person comes bouncing in covering me with cuddles and kisses, I realise what matters more! I'm happy to live with a bit of a tummy rather than sacrifice that precious time with my little one!
"Harrison is the most amazing little boy and when we are snuggled up together on the sofa and he's resting on my tummy I know that extra layer is worth it."