Marathon Runner Mum Shows How Pregnancy Has Changed Her Belly To End Post-Baby Body-Shaming | HuffPost Life

'Have imperfections, don't be embarrassed by them.'

By

Life editor at HuffPost UK

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:
Mum's Breast Milk Changed Colour When Feeding Sick Baby
Changing The Way I See My Post-Baby Body
How Dr Seuss Helped Drew Barrymore Stop Feeling Like A 'Kangaroo With A Pouch'

Our Body Image Heroes

Serena Willliams (01 of10)

Serena Willliams was told she is "built like a man" by Twitter trolls, but that didn't stop her being super body confident."I love that I am a full woman and I’m strong and I’m powerful and I’m beautiful at the same time," she said. "And there’s nothing wrong with that." (credit:TIMOTHY A. CLARY via Getty Images)

Tess Holliday (02 of10)

Lines like this are why we love Tess Holliday: "It's okay to be yourself, even if you happen to exist in a fat body. I'm sexy, confident and give no fucks. Also, fuck anyone for saying otherwise. " (credit:Curve Fashion Festival)

Demi Lovato (03 of10)

Having previously opened up about her struggles with an eating disorder, Demi Lovato posed for an un-touched nude photo featured on the cover of Vanity Fair."I basically went from hating every single inch of my body to working on myself and trying to figure out ways to love myself and love the skin that I'm in," she said in an accompanying interview."I learned after working very hard on my spirituality and my soul and my body, I learned that you can get to a place where you love the skin that you're in and I'm excited to share that with the world." (credit:Vanity Fair)

Jameela Jamil (04 of10)

Jameela Jamil has launched an inclusive clothing range to end the plus-size divide once and for all.“I find it infuriating that in this industry, size 10 and above is defined as ‘plus size’ especially when the average dress size in the UK is a 16," she said."We really shouldn’t be putting a label on size, fashion is for all and I think confidence and happiness is more important than dress labels.” (credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)

Chrissy Teigen(05 of10)

Chrissy Teigen proved even models aren't perfect when she posted a picture of her stretch marks on Instagram.Her post promoted comments like: "I've had stretch marks since I was 12 years old at 5'9". So important for young girls and now 29 year olds to see." (credit:Michael Loccisano via Getty Images)

Kate Winslet (06 of10)

Actress Kate Winslet is determined to help her daughter develop a healthy body image."When I grew up, I never heard positive reinforcement about body image from any female in my life," she said. "I only ever heard negatives. That's very damaging because then you're programmed as a young woman to immediately scrutinise yourself and how you look.""And so I stand in front of the mirror and say to Mia, 'We are so lucky that we've got a shape. We're so lucky we're curvy. We're so lucky that we've got good bums.' And she'll say, 'Mummy, I know, thank God.' It's working, that thing that I've been doing. It's paying off." (credit:Matt Crossick/Matt Crossick)

Lupita Nyong'o(07 of10)

Lupita Nyong'o has spoken out against the lack of diversity in the media saying: "European standards of beauty are something that plague the entire world—the idea that darker skin is not beautiful, that light skin is the key to success and love."She also loves her skin, as proven by her appearance in a brilliant Sesame Street sketch. (credit:Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)

Ashley Graham (08 of10)

Model Ashley Graham refuses to be defined by her size."It’s fantastic when I’m not labeled as a plus size model in any interview or editorial I do," she told HuffPost UK Style."It makes a statement for women out there, 'look she’s not being described by her size, she’s being honoured by the things that she’s doing in the world'." (credit:Andy Kropa /Invision/AP)

Amy Schumer(09 of10)

When a film critic called actress and comedian Amy Schumer "chubby", she responded by saying: "I am a US size 6 and have no plans of changing. This is it. Stay on or get off."Brilliant. (credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Alexa Chung (10 of10)

Alexa Chung has been skinny-shamed and called "gross" by online trolls, but instead of letting the haters get her down, she's become a spokesperson for body diversity in the media."I would love to look like Daisy Lowe, but I don't... but I'm happy with how I look. Equally, I don't want to use this as an example of how young girls should look," she said. (credit:KGC-146/STAR MAX/IPx)

Related

uk parents postpartum mums Body Image new parents

Suggest a correction

|