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Fitness Mom Gets Real About Belly Flab, Sex Life Post-Childbirth

Fitness mom Alexa Jean Brown is getting candid about the realities of life after childbirth.
Fitness mom Alexa Jean Brown is getting candid about the realities of life after childbirth. (Photo: Instagram/Alexa Jean Brown)

“I was completely self-conscious to be naked in front of my own husband…”

Alexa Jean Brown is getting candid about the realities of life after childbirth.

“Postpartum reality. We don’t talk about this issue enough,” the fitness blogger said in a recent Instagram post, which received well over 113,000 likes in three days.

“Not only are our bodies completely out of sorts, we’re exhausted, we’re changing into new people, and don’t get me started on our emotions,” the 26-year-old blogger wrote, alongside four photos that showcase her belly. “No longer can we we keep these things to ourselves and secretly suffer.”

The Arizona mother of two describes giving birth as one of the most amazing things she’s ever accomplished, but it hasn’t stopped her from feeling insecure about certain areas of her body.

”Most days right after giving birth were beautiful. But there were also days of complete sadness and just gloom. And if we’re being completely honest, I was completely self conscious to be naked in front of my own husband and I didn’t want to be intimate with him,” she confesses.

Post partum reality. We don't talk about this issue enough. Not only are our bodies completely out of sorts, were exhausted, we're changing into new people, and don't get me started on our emotions. No longer can we we keep these things to ourselves and secretly suffer. Don't get me wrong, creating life is hands down one of the most amazing things I've ever accomplished in my life. I'm proud of it and most days right after giving birth were beautiful. But there were also days of complete sadness and just gloom. And if we're being completely honest, I was completely self conscious to be naked in front of my own husband and I didn't want to be intimate with him. My photo isn't the type that is on display as a “post-baby bod” featured in magazines. Society puts the pressure on many new moms to feel that their post-pregnancy bodies should look identical to their pre-pregnancy bodies. Being in front of millions daily, I felt the pressure to get my body back. I gave birth to my second daughter 3 1/2 months ago. I have a few more stretch marks, some tummy flab that won't go away. My belly button is even saggy and stretched out (one of the many things no one warns you about). If this is how I feel as a fitness person, I can't even imagine how other moms must feel. To all my momma bears, give yourself some grace, if you're feeling sad do not go at it alone, talk about it, and lastly own that body. That body created life! Look at your sweet babe and give yourself some credit.

A post shared by Alexa Jean Brown (@alexajeanfitness) on Mar 31, 2017 at 2:50pm PDT

She admits that her photo may not be the typical one featured as a “post-baby body” in magazines, but society places too much pressure on new moms to look identical to their pre-pregnancy bodies.

“Being in front of millions daily, I felt the pressure to get my body back,“ the blogger admits. “I gave birth to my second daughter 3 1/2 months ago. I have a few more stretch marks, some tummy flab that won’t go away. My belly button is even saggy and stretched out (one of the many things no one warns you about).”

“If this is how I feel as a fitness person, I can’t even imagine how other moms must feel.”

Brown touts nutrition and training advice through her fitness and clean-eating guides, but she’s also been vocal about attempting to embrace her postpartum stretch marks and belly rolls. In a previous post she discussed how halfway through the pregnancy of her second child, she saw a picture of a woman online, showing off her “flat tummy and abs” just one day after having a baby.

“Our society has put this idea in our heads that women have to bounce right back after having a baby, but that’s typically just not realistic,” she wrote, noting that stretch marks and belly rolls are perfectly normal.

“To all my momma bears, give yourself some grace, if you’re feeling sad do not go at it alone, talk about it, and lastly own that body,” Brown ends her recent post. “That body created life! Look at your sweet babe and give yourself some credit.”

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