New mothers display stretch marks and post-baby bellies on social media

New moms are banning together to 'take back postpartum' by proudly sharing honest photos of their stretch marks and cesarean section scars on social media as a way to end fat shaming and create acceptance for the physical changes brought on by motherhood.

January Harshe, the creator of the parenting blog Birth Without Fear, was inspired to start her Take Back Postpartum Instagram account almost three months ago, right before the birth of her sixth child. After using the hashtag #postpartum and learning it was filled with spam advertisements and gimmicks shaming new mother's to shed their baby weight, she knew she needed to start a conversation. 

'It became apparent very quickly to me that this was something we'd need to continue discussing and change as a community of women,' she told Daily Mail Online.

As part of the movement, the Take Back Pospartum social media account, which already has more than 14,000 followers, celebrates real bodies by featuring photos of women modeling their stretch marks, squishy stomachs and cesarean section scars.

The idea is to take back everything about the postpartum period from the companies and the people who are shaming new mothers by making them feel like they aren't good enough.  

One photo, which was shared two weeks ago on the social media account, shows a mother named Deborah cuddling her newborn while exposing the stretch marks on her stomach.

'My bell is soft and squishy,' she captioned the image. 'Stretch marks leave textures and color all over. This was her home. This is where she grew till she was ready to join us Earthside.'

The mom continued: 'Some people might think that a body has been ruined, but I think my body has now been decorated with a symbol of motherhood. I'm a proud mama with her tiger stripes.'

And many commenters thanked Deborah for proudly revealing her post-baby body. 

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