A professional athlete is sharing photos of her post-baby belly to show mums they have nothing to be embarrassed about.
Stephanie Rothstein Bruce is a runner currently training for the Olympics. She shared photos of her bare tummy to show how even the fittest of bodies are affected by pregnancy.
The mum-of-two, who took time out from training to have her two children, is documenting how her postpartum body is changing on Instagram.
"Going through pregnancy and childbirth was very humbling and I felt that not many women shared the real and raw part of it," Rothstein told Yahoo.
"I can run 5:20 pace for a half marathon, but I still pee my pants, have diastasis recti [separation of your outer most abdominal muscles], 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."
"When I look down I see stretch marks that are here to stay," Rothstein wrote on a recent photo she posted of her stomach.
"I see ab muscles that need continued strengthening, legs that are powerful, and feet that are ready to fly."
"Sorry to those who find this pic gross but this shit is #keepitreal," Rothstein wrote on one of the first photos she posted of her stomach.
"I have stretch marks from two babies born 15 months apart.
"I am partly self conscious but you’ll still see me rocking my stomach in my sports bra and race kit when my body is ready.
"Lots of work to do to get these abs back together and rebuild my core. Please feel confident to post your PP bodies."
SEE ALSO:
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Changing The Way I See My Post-Baby Body
How Dr Seuss Helped Drew Barrymore Stop Feeling Like A 'Kangaroo With A Pouch'
