It’s hard for me to feel sexy after giving birth three times over the course of five years. So it’s hard to imagine how I would feel in Canadian mom Mel’s shoes, as she birthed three babies in just one year. How is this possible? When her son was just 3 months old, she got pregnant with twins!
But Mel recently took part in a sexy photoshoot with her husband, Gabby, and it’s clear from the stunning images captured by photographer Trina Cary, that she has fully embraced her postpartum body. And her confidence is both beautiful, and deeply inspiring to behold.
But as Mel told BabyCenter in an email, this body confidence was hard-won. “Over the last two years I have struggled greatly with my body image,” she said. “I was truly shocked when I looked down at the new version of myself after 3 kids in 1 year.”
“I couldn’t help but compare my body to the endless images online of ‘postpartum celebrities,'” Mel says. “Not only had I lost my independence (and chance to shower alone) but I ‘lost’ what I thought my body should have looked like.”
She adds she didn’t have time to focus on herself. And it was during intimate moments with her husband that, as she says, “insecurities would creep in and bring me down.”
Wow, can I relate to that. As in, she basically stole the words right out of my mouth. So how did she get here, to this brave place, where she was able to take a photo like this one?
“I’m not exactly sure when I realized this self-hatred was not only affecting me and my husband, but if I continued this path, could have an impact on my children’s ideals of beauty and self-image,” Mel told BabyCenter. “It was time for me to take action and change my perspective.”
“Of course I always knew that the marks and skin were worth the result, but I really wanted to LOVE the skin I was in. This photo shoot was a huge step moving forward for me,” Mel confesses. “I was exposed. I was real. I was naked. I didn’t get to choose the angles and filter over my bits. I wasn’t in control anymore and it was very freeing.”
Here are the truly stunning images that showcase both a mom embracing her postpartum body, and the deep connection between lovers turned parents.
“What I was most surprised with the photo shoot was how Gabby reacted to it,” Mel admits. “He was hesitant, as most men would be, but he said the experience really helped with his body image. He said he thinks he may have gotten just as much out of the experience as I did.” Mel adds the experience was amazing for them as a couple.
Um, clearly. By the way, when I showed these photographs to my husband, he wanted to know when we could do something like this!
Mel says, “I know that not everyone can understand the art form of naked photography.” But I agree with her when she adds, “It’s a body, we all have them!”
Of course, not every day is going to be like this one, taking time to connect, naked, outdoors! “As you can imagine, Gabby and I haven’t had much time together over the past 2 years,” Mel says, but in the end, she adds “We drifted, but never lost sight of our love.”
Thank you to Mel and Gabby for your bravery to share these gorgeous, inspiring photographs with BabyCenter. Mel recently launched a business called West Coast Karma, and you can learn more about it here. You can see more of Trina’s stunningly artistic photography on her Facebook page, website, and on Instagram.
I’d like to think I would be courageous enough to take part in a photo shoot like this. Would you do it?
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