Why 2015 Was the Year of the Postpartum Body

Updated on Dec 11, 2015 at 4:34 PM

This year won't just go down as the year of Kylie Jenner's lips and Instagram filter baby names; it was also the year of postpartum bodies for moms across the world. From brave women baring their bods to encourage other new moms to accept their changing physiques to controversial ad campaigns that were seen as both mom shaming and empowering at the same time, the past year had no shortage of viral tummy selfies. And whether this new trend is more about humblebragging or giving a better sense of what the postpartum mom looks like, one thing is for sure: 2015 was all about the body-image celebration.

This Mom's Viral Vacation Photo

With just one simple vacation pic, lifestyle blogger Rachel Hollis empowered more than 17,000 women to comment with their own stories of body image (especially post childbirth), another 482,000 to "like" it, and almost 70,000 more to share it on their own pages. Along with the visual of a confident woman being able to enjoy her time at the beach sans cover-up, this mom's powerful message encouraged other mamas to flaunt their bodies with pride. She wrote:

I have stretch marks and I wear a bikini. I have a belly that's permanently flabby from carrying three giant babies and I wear a bikini. My belly button is saggy . . . (which is something I didn't even know was possible before!!) and I wear a bikini. I wear a bikini because I'm proud of this body and every mark on it. Those marks prove that I was blessed enough to carry my babies and that flabby tummy means I worked hard to lose what weight I could. I wear a bikini because the only man whose opinion matters knows what I went through to look this way. That same man says he's never seen anything sexier than my body, marks and all. They aren't scars ladies, they're stripes and you've earned them. Flaunt that body with pride!

Bugaboo's Controversial Ad Campaign

Whether it was because of the skimpy outfit the model was dressed in, her unrealistic physique for a new mom, or the striking contrast of the male model's more conservative look, women were not pleased with Bugaboo's ad campaign for the company's new running stroller — and they weren't afraid to voice it. The product, which targets new moms, incited an uproar across social media for the extreme postpartum body image it's promoting. One user posted on the company's Facebook page:

So thaaaat's what I have been doing wrong.....I need to jog with my baby in a Bugaboo to get my beach body back.

The Reason This Mom Wanted to Wear a Bikini

The last time Jen Simon was comfortable sharing a photo of herself in a bikini was back on her MySpace page (aka a long time ago). But after reading countless websites and listsicles telling her why she shouldn't wear a two-piece bathing suit (let alone share the photo as proof), this mother of two decided to post the simple reason she wears one: because she prefers them. Jen wrote:

After all, common knowledge dictates that I'm going to embarrass myself by how bad/old/uncool/fat/frumpy/mom-like I look. Or, alternately, I'm just posting it to "show off," hoping to bask in the accolades from old high school acquaintances and friends of my parents. I wear a bikini because I dress like a person and not a "mom."

This Fit Mom Swimsuit Calendar Controversy

According to Fit Mom, there's no excuse for being out of shape, and she's even selling a calendar of other fit moms to prove her point. Maria Kang, a self-proclaimed "mompreneur" and fitness enthusiast, has a passion for postpartum fitness (sans excuses), and while she is advocating for moms of all fitness levels to strive for a healthier lifestyle, the No Excuse Mom movement has left many feeling fat-shamed and bullied. Kang said:

I am incredibly proud every year when I get to showcase everyday women who represent health, balance, perseverance, strength, and confidence. They are not fitness models, paid athletes, or celebrities — they are living the average grind and making health happen despite their daily challenges. I've seen thousands of transformations in my years leading the No Excuse Mom Movement and nothing represents strength in motherhood more than what you receive in this calendar.

This Mom Who Got Real With Time-Lapse Pictures

Blogger and mother of two Julie Bhosale wanted to drive home the importance of paying attention to how your body feels post childbirth rather than how it looks and used her own body to prove her point. In a series of snapshots that showed how her body recovered over the days and weeks after birth, Julie tried to show that, despite what the media is saying, there is nothing wrong with you if your body doesn't magically bounce back immediately after birth. Julie wrote:

You live in a society that pushes images at you every day of women who have given birth and just "bounced back" — great for them (truly, that is great, Kate Middleton, you are amazing!). But this is such a small minority. For most of us, our bodies change, and change a lot. It is scary, it is hard, it can be downright disgusting and upsetting, but it is real and normal. Although I am a qualified health professional, I am also a mother and my body has also not just "bounced back." We are starting to see a shift in the media and online with more women sharing the often hidden and unspoken realities of childbirth and the effect on your bodies.

This Dad's Appreciation of His Wife and Her Body

With his personal essay about how unfair it would be for him to judge his wife's postpartum body, Brett Ortler stands up for the mother of his two children and what women go through to bring a child into the world. In an attempt to put it into perspective for guys who think that just because they are married to a woman, what her body looks like automatically is his business to comment on, Brett wrote:

Think about this way: if one of your beer-league softball buddies is laid up from work for months, gains a lot of weight in the process, and then has to undergo a major abdominal surgery, I can guarantee you'd never find yourself wondering aloud about his abs, scars, or less-perky pecs. That's because you'd be too busy high-fiving him and saying, "Dude, you lived!" The only difference between that scenario and a pregnancy is, assuming all went well, your partner not only survived but also miraculously produced a human.

This Mom's Honest Postpartum Moment

Three days after having her son, Danielle Haines decided to share a photo of herself in an extremely delicate state — without makeup or a pretty dress — and the resulting picture is just as beautiful as it is powerful. This raw and relatable moment became a source of inspiration for new mothers that they'll make it through this temporary stage and just existing with your newborn child can be the most beautiful time of their life. Danielle wrote on Facebook:

This is a picture of me 3 days postpartum. I was so raw and so open, I was a fucking mess. I loved my baby, I missed his daddy (he went back to work that day), I was mad at my mom, my heart hurt for my brother because my mom left us and now I had a little boy that looked like him, my nipples were cracked and bleeding, my milk was almost in, my baby was getting really hungry, I was feeling sad that people kill babies, like on purpose, I had not slept since I went into labor, I didn't know how to put my boobs away, my vagina was sore from sitting on it while nursing constantly, I was kinda loosing my mind.

This Photographer's Viral Postpartum Photo Shoot

Natalie McCain, a Floridian photographer and mother of two, created The Honest Body Project to help women learn to love their bodies and themselves. Inspired by Humans of New York, each of Natalie's portraits is accompanied by a moving story from the women in the photos. Natalie understands that these moms' photos and honest quotes are going viral because every woman has insecurities about her body, especially post pregnancy. She said:

The portraits I take are only half of what makes this project powerful because the backbone of the project are these amazing stories the women share with me.

This Mom's Message About Her Perfect Body

While people debate whether the postbaby belly photo is a humblebrag or a way to empower new moms, former American Idol contestant Kimberly Henderson got in on the trend to give people a better sense of what the postpartum mom actually looks like. The single mom made waves after posting a photo of herself — her shirt pulled up to reveal her stomach — on her Facebook page, writing:

Everyone always compliments me on how I have such a 'perfect' body after four kids. I decided to upload this pic and leave my belly 'unedited' [and] 'unphotoshopped' because I used to struggle with accepting my body after kids. I used to have a six pack before my babies.. And now even though I work out I know its not going to make my loose skin tight.. Or my stretch marks disappear ever lol and I'm ok with that because everyday I get to wake up to 4 beautiful smiling faces and I'm reminded that they are worth this flabby belly and they are worth these stretch marks.

This Celebrity's Unfiltered Selfie

Since Hilaria Baldwin celebrated her pregnancy by sharing cute snapshots of her growing bump (and considering that one was even perfectly executed in lingerie), many were shocked when she posted a less glamorous pic two days after giving birth. Even though the selfie of her postpartum tummy is relatable to almost every new mom, the fact that Hilaria was nervous to share it is exactly why she felt she needed to. The mother of two wrote:

I hope you understand my intention here: I believe it is important to accept and love our form after going through a bit of a battle bringing life into this world.