Ashley Graham Opens Up About Struggles of Postpartum Recovery

There’s no sugar-coating it: Being a new mom is hard. Whether you gave birth vaginally or via c-section, it takes time for your body to recover—and to get used to baby’s constant presence. But, it’s a topic that still isn’t as talked about as it should be. Now, new mom Ashley Graham is opening up about postpartum recovery.

The 32-year-old model took to Instagram yesterday to show her followers that being a new mom is “not all rainbows and butterflies.” Graham posted a picture of her in a bathroom, sporting a postpartum belly and disposable underwear.

She wrote in the caption, “Raise your hand if you didn’t know you’d be changing your own diapers too. After all these years in fashion I never could’ve guessed that disposable underwear would be my favorite piece of clothing but here we are! No one talks about the recovery and healing (yes even the messy parts) new moms go through. I wanted to show you guys that it’s not all rainbows and butterflies! It’s been tough, but my friend Chelsea and ceo at Frida Mom is making waves and starting honest conversations. It’s unbelievable the obstacles we still face talking about what women really go through. All their stuff she sent me has been a life saver.”

Graham is referring to the rejected ad from Frida Mom, which was rejected by ABC and the Oscars for being “graphic.” The rejected ad has been making waves across the internet, highlighting the importance of discussing and supporting the realities all new moms go through.

Graham, as a new mom, is no doubt still recovering and healing herself, having given birth only three weeks ago. She and husband Justin Ervin welcomed their baby boy on January 18 and introduced him to the world in a recent episode of Graham’s podcast, “Pretty Big Deal.”

The longtime champion of body positivity, spent her entire pregnancy normalizing the changes women go through, from stretch marks to weight gain. It’s no surprise that now, in her fourth trimester, she’s highlighting important issues that are seldom talked about—and we’re glad she is. Postpartum recovery isn’t easy, and it deserves to be talked about—messy parts and all.

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