Post-Pregnancy Photo Series Shows How Mothers’ Bodies Look After Giving Birth
Photos of women in the mass media don’t seem to leave much room for women who don’t match its heavily Photoshopped concept of beauty, but photographer Jade Beall provides a healthy counterweight, using her photography to highlight just how beautiful the bodies of mothers truly are.
Beall’s photography takes women in all of their beauty – thick and thin, smooth and wrinkly, tall and short. Her photos seem especially empowering for women who have been marked with stretchmarks by their pregnancies. On her website, she writes that her goal is “ to build self-esteem in a world that thrives off women feeling insecure“ and “to inspire future generations of women to be free from the unnecessary self-suffering and embrace their beauty just as they are.“
Her photos have generated controversy by some, and were temporarily removed from Facebook for featuring nudity, but that hasn’t stopped her!
More info: jadebeall.com | Facebook | abeautifulbodyproject.com (h/t: huffpost)
Image credit: Leticia Valverdes
598Kviews
Share on FacebookI have never seen someone that looks like me until this series. I thought I was the only one.
Load More Replies...I love it. We should see more of what women really look like, not this photo-shopped rubbish, especially after having babies.
I love this article. I love the photographs. I love anything that moves us women forward to a place of accepting ourselves and each other.
I have four children, my tummy looks like a deflated balloon, I hate it, my kids don't notice it,my husband sees more than my tummy, I have
It are your battle scars. It brought you the most beautiful gift one can get, children Be proud of the signs that show you live a full life
Load More Replies...Nice to see that this is what the majority of us realky look like after kids, all part of becoming mothers and nothing to be embarrassed of
Women love their beauty and they sacrifice it for children. Inimitable - Mother nature. Thanks for sharing :)
Lovely and real........I'm so proud to be a mother of 4 every line means I'm blessed
I have stretch marks, now faded to silver. I had them at 14 when skinny girl turned to woman.My mother, womb to 8 has none.
I think they are all beautiful. No one mother or not has a perfect body. Love yourself.Imperfections are what make us beautiful. ;)
Luv this. It's the most beautiful form of battle scars a woman could ever have.
Made me feel liberated. It's a battle everyday when you live in a world of illusions. Thank you❤
They are all beautiful!! I think all woman need to realize how truly beautiful they are!
Beautiful! Real women. Our children are such precious gifts. A few stretch marks are a small price to pay for them. I wear mine with pride
Ahh love it makes me feel so much better about myself.. dont like my body but feels more ok now!!
I have 2 children. The beauty of my tummy is on their face now. I love them, I love my wrinkled tummy too. I am a mother.
I love this. Embracing motherhood and all it entails. Our bodies our even more beautiful and amazing after bearing new life.
You'll hear lots of horror stories re. pregnancy, child birth, being a mother but people often leave out the OVERWHELMING joy & love to come
Load More Replies...Gorgeous, being really dark my belly looks like burnt chocolate cake. I love chocolate cake! That is all
There aren't enough photos around that show a real woman's body, especially post-birth. Fantastic idea! The love shows in every photo :)
Родила съм три деца, изглеждам ужасно гола, обичам децата си, и хич не ми пука, че вече не се събличам на плажа!
This is really how women's bodies look. I'm so sick and tired of Actresses and Singers giving birth and the days later having the perfect "Bikini Ready" body. All they do is have a tummy tuck right away. No woman.. and I mean NO WOMAN comes out of childbirth unscathed, unscarred or with out stretching of the skin or stretch marks. Those whom claim to are photo-shopping, lying, or BOTH
Fantastic project. I love my stretch marks because they remaining me of my beautiful girl. Love the photos:) Well done
Stretch marks and sagging belly after pregnancy are battle scars . Women should be proud of them, as well as their husbands!
Sickening... then when these babies grown up they accuse us of ruining their lives! We gave our youthful bodies to them giving birth!
Great photo series. And we guys are so lucky - I mean our prick/penis/d**k whatever has looked old and wrinkled since we were boys.
I remember feeling really depressed, thinking my tummy would never be the same...EVER. But these women are confident and inspiring! Love it!
I carried our children and gave them life. If any one looks at my body they they can tell I'm a mother. I love that! brilliant pics !
It's great to see these pictures. My baby is 6 months and I am just starting to get used to my stretch marks and accept they are part of me
It's sad that there women saying that they love their children but now hate their bodies. These photos have empowered me to love my body
THIS IS AWESOME!! I DONT FEEL SO ALL ALONE!! I HAVE A BELLY VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE IN THE PICS AND ID PROUDLY SHOW OFF ALSO EVEN AFTER 4 CSEC
beautiful,about time we had realistic pics of women post baby, take the pressure off trying to get pre baby bod back instantly, well done,
Makes me think of the times they airbrush women and forget to put the navel back in. We should also look at older women.
Such artistic and sensitively taken pictures...just wonderful...real..out of the hypocrisy and ultimate oppression of the' commercial''look
I believe that images like these have their own special beauty. If men don't like it, pay to change it. It's only fair.
motherhood is a perpetual sacrifice....sometimes is worth, sometimes not. for me it was not worth
Very normal pictures, my wife's stomach looked worse than these ladies but exercise and diet and she was soon back to normal.
Ladies can get their figure back. In time. Its good to see. It reminds us that we did recover. X
The wonderful beautiful reason causing this effect cancels out any other thoughts or comments .
I never had a baby, but I look like that, and I'm a dude, so ... maybe I can haves baby?
This has made me feel normal for the first time, I though it was just my belly that hadn't sprung back. I've been ashamed of my doughy pouch
Love!! My belly is soft and spongy too. All those women are beautiful and so are their bodies.
At full term (actually, a month overdue) I still wore my regular jeans and had only to unzip them. He was 7lbs. 6oz. and 21". Very lucky.
So many of us thought "wow, so I'm not the only one?!" THANK YOU Jade Beall for showing us we are not only ok, but can even be beautiful.<3
In this century we have all opportunities to look good, just do not be lazy. Do exercises, eat a healthy and nutrition food.
That's so beautiful the fact that they love more their children that their body
They love their children AND their bodies - and they love their bodies as they ARE.
Load More Replies...My wife after three kids doesn't look like this. She is 36 and no signs of such belly damage.
Lucky her, everybody's bodies react different to pregnancy. I'm 20 and have similar 'belly damage'. Some peoples' skin is just stretchier th
Load More Replies...I think that any woman who would forego her self esteem for the birth of her child is a selfless woman deserving of respect and honor.....
When you have a healthy lifestyle (eating clean and excercise) even during pregnancy this just won't happen
I have never seen someone that looks like me until this series. I thought I was the only one.
Load More Replies...I love it. We should see more of what women really look like, not this photo-shopped rubbish, especially after having babies.
I love this article. I love the photographs. I love anything that moves us women forward to a place of accepting ourselves and each other.
I have four children, my tummy looks like a deflated balloon, I hate it, my kids don't notice it,my husband sees more than my tummy, I have
It are your battle scars. It brought you the most beautiful gift one can get, children Be proud of the signs that show you live a full life
Load More Replies...Nice to see that this is what the majority of us realky look like after kids, all part of becoming mothers and nothing to be embarrassed of
Women love their beauty and they sacrifice it for children. Inimitable - Mother nature. Thanks for sharing :)
Lovely and real........I'm so proud to be a mother of 4 every line means I'm blessed
I have stretch marks, now faded to silver. I had them at 14 when skinny girl turned to woman.My mother, womb to 8 has none.
I think they are all beautiful. No one mother or not has a perfect body. Love yourself.Imperfections are what make us beautiful. ;)
Luv this. It's the most beautiful form of battle scars a woman could ever have.
Made me feel liberated. It's a battle everyday when you live in a world of illusions. Thank you❤
They are all beautiful!! I think all woman need to realize how truly beautiful they are!
Beautiful! Real women. Our children are such precious gifts. A few stretch marks are a small price to pay for them. I wear mine with pride
Ahh love it makes me feel so much better about myself.. dont like my body but feels more ok now!!
I have 2 children. The beauty of my tummy is on their face now. I love them, I love my wrinkled tummy too. I am a mother.
I love this. Embracing motherhood and all it entails. Our bodies our even more beautiful and amazing after bearing new life.
You'll hear lots of horror stories re. pregnancy, child birth, being a mother but people often leave out the OVERWHELMING joy & love to come
Load More Replies...Gorgeous, being really dark my belly looks like burnt chocolate cake. I love chocolate cake! That is all
There aren't enough photos around that show a real woman's body, especially post-birth. Fantastic idea! The love shows in every photo :)
Родила съм три деца, изглеждам ужасно гола, обичам децата си, и хич не ми пука, че вече не се събличам на плажа!
This is really how women's bodies look. I'm so sick and tired of Actresses and Singers giving birth and the days later having the perfect "Bikini Ready" body. All they do is have a tummy tuck right away. No woman.. and I mean NO WOMAN comes out of childbirth unscathed, unscarred or with out stretching of the skin or stretch marks. Those whom claim to are photo-shopping, lying, or BOTH
Fantastic project. I love my stretch marks because they remaining me of my beautiful girl. Love the photos:) Well done
Stretch marks and sagging belly after pregnancy are battle scars . Women should be proud of them, as well as their husbands!
Sickening... then when these babies grown up they accuse us of ruining their lives! We gave our youthful bodies to them giving birth!
Great photo series. And we guys are so lucky - I mean our prick/penis/d**k whatever has looked old and wrinkled since we were boys.
I remember feeling really depressed, thinking my tummy would never be the same...EVER. But these women are confident and inspiring! Love it!
I carried our children and gave them life. If any one looks at my body they they can tell I'm a mother. I love that! brilliant pics !
It's great to see these pictures. My baby is 6 months and I am just starting to get used to my stretch marks and accept they are part of me
It's sad that there women saying that they love their children but now hate their bodies. These photos have empowered me to love my body
THIS IS AWESOME!! I DONT FEEL SO ALL ALONE!! I HAVE A BELLY VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE IN THE PICS AND ID PROUDLY SHOW OFF ALSO EVEN AFTER 4 CSEC
beautiful,about time we had realistic pics of women post baby, take the pressure off trying to get pre baby bod back instantly, well done,
Makes me think of the times they airbrush women and forget to put the navel back in. We should also look at older women.
Such artistic and sensitively taken pictures...just wonderful...real..out of the hypocrisy and ultimate oppression of the' commercial''look
I believe that images like these have their own special beauty. If men don't like it, pay to change it. It's only fair.
motherhood is a perpetual sacrifice....sometimes is worth, sometimes not. for me it was not worth
Very normal pictures, my wife's stomach looked worse than these ladies but exercise and diet and she was soon back to normal.
Ladies can get their figure back. In time. Its good to see. It reminds us that we did recover. X
The wonderful beautiful reason causing this effect cancels out any other thoughts or comments .
I never had a baby, but I look like that, and I'm a dude, so ... maybe I can haves baby?
This has made me feel normal for the first time, I though it was just my belly that hadn't sprung back. I've been ashamed of my doughy pouch
Love!! My belly is soft and spongy too. All those women are beautiful and so are their bodies.
At full term (actually, a month overdue) I still wore my regular jeans and had only to unzip them. He was 7lbs. 6oz. and 21". Very lucky.
So many of us thought "wow, so I'm not the only one?!" THANK YOU Jade Beall for showing us we are not only ok, but can even be beautiful.<3
In this century we have all opportunities to look good, just do not be lazy. Do exercises, eat a healthy and nutrition food.
That's so beautiful the fact that they love more their children that their body
They love their children AND their bodies - and they love their bodies as they ARE.
Load More Replies...My wife after three kids doesn't look like this. She is 36 and no signs of such belly damage.
Lucky her, everybody's bodies react different to pregnancy. I'm 20 and have similar 'belly damage'. Some peoples' skin is just stretchier th
Load More Replies...I think that any woman who would forego her self esteem for the birth of her child is a selfless woman deserving of respect and honor.....
When you have a healthy lifestyle (eating clean and excercise) even during pregnancy this just won't happen
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