Simone Olivero
Alberta photographer celebrates the beauty of motherhood in photo series
1/19Click through the gallery to see what motherhood looks like according to Aimee and Jenna Hobbs. (Facebook/Hobbs Photography)
Click through the gallery to see what motherhood looks like according to Aimee and Jenna Hobbs. (Facebook/Hobbs Photography)![“I loved my growing belly more the second time. I looked in the mirror afterwards and loved what I saw. For I am strong and I’m a mother. I love sharing this feeling with new mothers who may be stuck looking in that mirror and feeling sad because they don’t look like they used to. Having a baby changes your body, but it also changes your heart and mind. You don’t need to look like who you were before because you are no longer that person. You are better." - Alyssa, 26]()
2/19“I loved my growing belly more the second time. I looked in the mirror afterwards and loved what I saw. For I am strong and I’m a mother. I love sharing this feeling with new mothers who may be stuck looking in that mirror and feeling sad because they don’t look like they used to. Having a baby changes your body, but it also changes your heart and mind. You don’t need to look like who you were before because you are no longer that person. You are better." - Alyssa, 26
“I loved my growing belly more the second time. I looked in the mirror afterwards and loved what I saw. For I am strong and I’m a mother. I love sharing this feeling with new mothers who may be stuck looking in that mirror and feeling sad because they don’t look like they used to. Having a baby changes your body, but it also changes your heart and mind. You don’t need to look like who you were before because you are no longer that person. You are better." - Alyssa, 26!["My body has changed shapes throughout the years, and yet again through pregnancy and my 2 years post partum. I’ve never been overly self-conscious with my physical shape, it’s been more of me feeling my body has failed me which causes the most anguish. From my ruptured appendix, to scar adhesion pain, to 36 hour labor turned emergency c-section, and now still dealing with scar adhesion pain, I have many low days hating and blaming my body for failing me. I’m still working on trusting my body.” - Zoe, 27]()
3/19"My body has changed shapes throughout the years, and yet again through pregnancy and my 2 years post partum. I’ve never been overly self-conscious with my physical shape, it’s been more of me feeling my body has failed me which causes the most anguish. From my ruptured appendix, to scar adhesion pain, to 36 hour labor turned emergency c-section, and now still dealing with scar adhesion pain, I have many low days hating and blaming my body for failing me. I’m still working on trusting my body.” - Zoe, 27
"My body has changed shapes throughout the years, and yet again through pregnancy and my 2 years post partum. I’ve never been overly self-conscious with my physical shape, it’s been more of me feeling my body has failed me which causes the most anguish. From my ruptured appendix, to scar adhesion pain, to 36 hour labor turned emergency c-section, and now still dealing with scar adhesion pain, I have many low days hating and blaming my body for failing me. I’m still working on trusting my body.” - Zoe, 27
Yahoo News is better in the app
Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories
![“I want to show my daughters that being beautiful and confident is more than what you wear, or how you do your hair. I hope that my daughters will be confident and comfortable just the way they are.” - Alexandra, 26]()
4/19“I want to show my daughters that being beautiful and confident is more than what you wear, or how you do your hair. I hope that my daughters will be confident and comfortable just the way they are.” - Alexandra, 26
“I want to show my daughters that being beautiful and confident is more than what you wear, or how you do your hair. I hope that my daughters will be confident and comfortable just the way they are.” - Alexandra, 26![“I want people to see me as I am.” - Angela, 30]()
5/19“I want people to see me as I am.” - Angela, 30
“I want people to see me as I am.” - Angela, 30![“I felt exposed at first, I felt self conscious, but then I focused on my son, his little hands holding tight to me, his legs squeezed around my hip and those eyes looking up at me, he didn’t care how I looked or that my tummy sticking out, he was just happy I was there. I was happy I was there too, I needed to do this for me, to be empowered by other women felt good, felt right, felt like a community where we were all enough and then some.” - Kai, 31]()
6/19“I felt exposed at first, I felt self conscious, but then I focused on my son, his little hands holding tight to me, his legs squeezed around my hip and those eyes looking up at me, he didn’t care how I looked or that my tummy sticking out, he was just happy I was there. I was happy I was there too, I needed to do this for me, to be empowered by other women felt good, felt right, felt like a community where we were all enough and then some.” - Kai, 31
“I felt exposed at first, I felt self conscious, but then I focused on my son, his little hands holding tight to me, his legs squeezed around my hip and those eyes looking up at me, he didn’t care how I looked or that my tummy sticking out, he was just happy I was there. I was happy I was there too, I needed to do this for me, to be empowered by other women felt good, felt right, felt like a community where we were all enough and then some.” - Kai, 31Yahoo News is better in the app
Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories
![“I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with my body.” - Kelsey, 30]()
7/19“I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with my body.” - Kelsey, 30
“I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with my body.” - Kelsey, 30![“It wasn’t until after I had my son that I was able to truly appreciate just what a body is capable of. I still have a hard time fathoming the miracle that is child birth.” - Kelsey, 30]()
8/19“It wasn’t until after I had my son that I was able to truly appreciate just what a body is capable of. I still have a hard time fathoming the miracle that is child birth.” - Kelsey, 30
“It wasn’t until after I had my son that I was able to truly appreciate just what a body is capable of. I still have a hard time fathoming the miracle that is child birth.” - Kelsey, 30![“My first few days post partum, I remember feeling so soft and womanly. I still had most of my pregnancy weight, but I loved knowing that this body just had a baby.” - Zoe, 27]()
9/19“My first few days post partum, I remember feeling so soft and womanly. I still had most of my pregnancy weight, but I loved knowing that this body just had a baby.” - Zoe, 27
“My first few days post partum, I remember feeling so soft and womanly. I still had most of my pregnancy weight, but I loved knowing that this body just had a baby.” - Zoe, 27Yahoo News is better in the app
Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories
![“I felt completely hopeless for the first months…thinking to myself "Why does it still look like I’m pregnant?!” You never see women in media with big bellies after having babies…I saw all my friends having babies and within 2-3 months they looked even BETTER then before, which seemed even more hopeless. Why was it so easy for everyone else to look ‘normal’ again but not me?“ - Chelsea, 24]()
10/19“I felt completely hopeless for the first months…thinking to myself "Why does it still look like I’m pregnant?!” You never see women in media with big bellies after having babies…I saw all my friends having babies and within 2-3 months they looked even BETTER then before, which seemed even more hopeless. Why was it so easy for everyone else to look ‘normal’ again but not me?“ - Chelsea, 24
“I felt completely hopeless for the first months…thinking to myself "Why does it still look like I’m pregnant?!” You never see women in media with big bellies after having babies…I saw all my friends having babies and within 2-3 months they looked even BETTER then before, which seemed even more hopeless. Why was it so easy for everyone else to look ‘normal’ again but not me?“ - Chelsea, 24!["I wanted to show my child and society that I don’t care what society thinks of my body. I am so over the expectations of what I should look like as a postpartum woman. My body went through an incredible journey to bring my daughter earthside and that deserves admiration. I love my curves, tattoos, stretch marks and jiggling thighs. No one said you had to.” - Kailin, 28]()
11/19"I wanted to show my child and society that I don’t care what society thinks of my body. I am so over the expectations of what I should look like as a postpartum woman. My body went through an incredible journey to bring my daughter earthside and that deserves admiration. I love my curves, tattoos, stretch marks and jiggling thighs. No one said you had to.” - Kailin, 28
"I wanted to show my child and society that I don’t care what society thinks of my body. I am so over the expectations of what I should look like as a postpartum woman. My body went through an incredible journey to bring my daughter earthside and that deserves admiration. I love my curves, tattoos, stretch marks and jiggling thighs. No one said you had to.” - Kailin, 28![“[I hope my children remember] that I was a happy, healthy mom.” - Alexandra, 26]()
12/19“ that I was a happy, healthy mom.” - Alexandra, 26
“[I hope my children remember] that I was a happy, healthy mom.” - Alexandra, 26Yahoo News is better in the app
Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories
![“Your kids won’t remember what you looked like, how much weight you lost or put on, nor will they remember what you wore. They will remember the laughter, the family time you have with them and the little moments.” - Jenn, 31]()
13/19“Your kids won’t remember what you looked like, how much weight you lost or put on, nor will they remember what you wore. They will remember the laughter, the family time you have with them and the little moments.” - Jenn, 31
“Your kids won’t remember what you looked like, how much weight you lost or put on, nor will they remember what you wore. They will remember the laughter, the family time you have with them and the little moments.” - Jenn, 31![“Growing up I was told at a young age to wear makeup. Then it was to lose weight and try to decrease my breast size. I’ve never felt confident in myself. This was important to me, as I want my daughter to know she is beautiful and to feel confident in her own natural way. I felt comfortable, amazingly beautiful, and free!” - Jenn, 31]()
14/19“Growing up I was told at a young age to wear makeup. Then it was to lose weight and try to decrease my breast size. I’ve never felt confident in myself. This was important to me, as I want my daughter to know she is beautiful and to feel confident in her own natural way. I felt comfortable, amazingly beautiful, and free!” - Jenn, 31
“Growing up I was told at a young age to wear makeup. Then it was to lose weight and try to decrease my breast size. I’ve never felt confident in myself. This was important to me, as I want my daughter to know she is beautiful and to feel confident in her own natural way. I felt comfortable, amazingly beautiful, and free!” - Jenn, 31![“My son is so big and for such a tiny woman, to have carried him inside me for 9 months and now 14 months earth side at almost 30 pounds how could I not look at what I see with love and appreciation.” - Danielle, 21]()
15/19“My son is so big and for such a tiny woman, to have carried him inside me for 9 months and now 14 months earth side at almost 30 pounds how could I not look at what I see with love and appreciation.” - Danielle, 21
“My son is so big and for such a tiny woman, to have carried him inside me for 9 months and now 14 months earth side at almost 30 pounds how could I not look at what I see with love and appreciation.” - Danielle, 21Yahoo News is better in the app
Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories
![“With being a mom of two little girls I never want them to remember their mom ‘dieting’ or 'hating her body’ this body made them. I want them to grow up seeing that their mom embraced everything her body did to give them life and to see me truly love my body and all its flaws.” - Amanda, 27]()
16/19“With being a mom of two little girls I never want them to remember their mom ‘dieting’ or 'hating her body’ this body made them. I want them to grow up seeing that their mom embraced everything her body did to give them life and to see me truly love my body and all its flaws.” - Amanda, 27
“With being a mom of two little girls I never want them to remember their mom ‘dieting’ or 'hating her body’ this body made them. I want them to grow up seeing that their mom embraced everything her body did to give them life and to see me truly love my body and all its flaws.” - Amanda, 27![“Today I can say, with confidence, that I am proud of myself, I am proud of my body, and I am proud to be a mother - flaws and all!” - Kat, 29]()
17/19“Today I can say, with confidence, that I am proud of myself, I am proud of my body, and I am proud to be a mother - flaws and all!” - Kat, 29
“Today I can say, with confidence, that I am proud of myself, I am proud of my body, and I am proud to be a mother - flaws and all!” - Kat, 29![“Growing up I always struggled with body image. Then in my early adulthood I was always just trying to get back to the body I had 3 …5…9 years ago. When I was pregnant, I truly and utterly started to love my body. What it was growing inside made me realize how beautiful it was on the outside.” - Jessica, 30]()
18/19“Growing up I always struggled with body image. Then in my early adulthood I was always just trying to get back to the body I had 3 …5…9 years ago. When I was pregnant, I truly and utterly started to love my body. What it was growing inside made me realize how beautiful it was on the outside.” - Jessica, 30
“Growing up I always struggled with body image. Then in my early adulthood I was always just trying to get back to the body I had 3 …5…9 years ago. When I was pregnant, I truly and utterly started to love my body. What it was growing inside made me realize how beautiful it was on the outside.” - Jessica, 30Yahoo News is better in the app
Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories
![To see more from the series, check out Hobbs Photography.]()
19/19To see more from the series, check out Hobbs Photography.
To see more from the series, check out Hobbs Photography.
![“[I hope my children remember] that I was a happy, healthy mom.” - Alexandra, 26](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Kq2sZ3YP3Me1F8H6.YvaOw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYzOA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/uL0Mj7mQ.3c2CybYFX.X0Q--~B/aD0zOTg7dz01OTk7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://67.media.tumblr.com/d905b0cf2d06b6458aeeffb969431a34/tumblr_inline_oezqf36aeY1qk37z0_1280.png)
![“[I hope my children remember] that I was a happy, healthy mom.” - Alexandra, 26](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/d.COsjJhkBQCp8llluiYnw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIxMDtoPTEzMQ--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/uL0Mj7mQ.3c2CybYFX.X0Q--~B/aD0zOTg7dz01OTk7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://67.media.tumblr.com/d905b0cf2d06b6458aeeffb969431a34/tumblr_inline_oezqf36aeY1qk37z0_1280.png)
All images via Instagram/hobbs_photoandfilm
“There is little doubt that motherhood is a completely transformative experience that touches every aspect of our beings, and its mark on our bodies is no exception,” write Aimee and Jenna Hobbs, two Alberta-based photographers who have launched a social media campaign to celebrate women and their postpartum bodies.
“In a society that is constantly trying to tell us that what beauty is, women are beginning to push back.”
A few years ago, the pair noticed that a number of mothers were asking to be absent from their family portraits because they were ashamed of the way they looked after having children. This was heartbreaking.
Hoping to shake the stigma, each year they gather as many awesome moms as they can for a shoot that not only highlights the beauty of postpartum bodies, but celebrates what it physically means to be a mother.
Click through the gallery to see some of the best shots from this year and let us know your thoughts by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.
