Last week, actress Nikki Reed showed off her unbelievably toned-abs just one month after giving birth. Now another mom is in the news for her post-baby body — and it’s resonating with women everywhere.
In an Instagram post published August 20, Kristen Sullivan, shared side-by-side photos. The image on the left was taken three days before the mother of two from New York welcomed her son Gavin on July 27. The one on the right was snapped at three days postpartum.
“I’m sharing this to show moms that sometimes it doesn’t matter if you’re thin, ate right and exercised during pregnancy, sometimes your body grows in such a way that simple doesn’t allow you to ‘bounce back in fridge 3 weeks,”the 35-year-old continued. “I feel like all I’ve been seeing is new moms sharing their amazing postpartum bods, 11 days after birth, 2 weeks after birth, etc. And while that’s wonderful for them, for many others, KNOW that it’s not realistic.”
Sullivan noted that she suspects she has diastasis recti, also known as abdominal separation, which can cause a woman to look pregnant for years after giving birth. But before she begins physical therapy, she’s going to give her body a chance to recover.
“Did you SEE how far my belly stretched?!” Sullivan marveled. “There is no race to bounce back moms. We’ll get there!!”
Sullivan, whose sons are 3 years old and 4 weeks, has no regrets about making the side-by-side pictures public. “For new moms dealing with their hormones and all the pressures of being a new mom, they should know that they aren’t alone,” she tells Us Weekly. “I ate right and exercised throughout the majority of my pregnancy. Women need to know that sometimes you can put in all that work and still not get your pre-baby body back right away or even at all and that’s OK. Our main focus after giving birth should be to rest, recover and bond with our babies.”
But Sullivan believes all body types should be embraced. She adds: “That includes those fabulous ladies who are lucky enough to look the way they want so soon after birth.”
