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Somewhere along the line, Patriarchy convinced women that our bodies were made solely for their aesthetic pleasure. At some point, we forgot that our bodies are amazing machines that create life and move mountains, and instead came to the conclusion that it is our obligation to maintain our bodies by standards set by society. Women like Ciara and Teyana Taylor have slayed our entire lives by showing off their miraculous post-baby snapback bodies; and though these women give us inspiration, it's important to set #BodyGoals that reflect your own reality.

Ciara said that she worked out two or three times a day with a trainer to lose the 50 pounds of baby weight that she had accumulated during her pregnancy, and Teyana Taylor said she was able to reveal her post-baby snapback after only 6 days because of her extensive workout regimen before, during, and after her pregnancy.

The images constantly perpetuated in the media may lead some to believe that a quick recovery from 40 weeks of pregnancy is the standard, but stars like Tia Mowry-Hardrict say f*ck your standards, we've entered into an era of creating our own. She wrote in an Instagram post:

"This is MY #postpartum. Two weeks in. Do I still have a belly yes. I actually look like I'm 4 months pregnant and that is OKAY. I wanted to shine a light on how our society creates false expectations after a woman gives birth. Ladies, it's okay that our bodies are not PERFECT after our babies are born. Give yourself time. Go at your own pace. Don't allow people to put a time limit on YOUR body. You've just accomplished a miracle! #Love yourself, love your new body, embrace it. It you want to make changes than that's your desire and no one else's. Ps, #moms freaking rock! #fashion."

Tia's confession reminds women everywhere that the only expectations that you're held to are your own. In 2016, the actress opened up about how her journey to self-love came through navigating the road not usually taken: embracing her scars.

Along with dealing with the newfound nooks and crannies on our postpartum bodies, many women, including Tia, must learn to find beauty in their c-section scars.

"I call my pooch Cree. I have a caesarean scar, and I love that scar. It reminds me of the moment where I gave birth to a human being."

So often we see our scars as undesirable, when really they should be worn with valiance because they are war wounds. It is no easy feat to give birth to another human, and our scars are imperfectly perfect reminders of that victory.

As mothers, as lovers, as women, Tia reminds us to find beauty in our imperfections. She is proof that our insecurities are no match for the confidence we find in embracing a positive self-image. She continued:

"I'm not as thin as I used to be, but that's OK. I'm who I am, and I just want to encourage moms to embrace those changes. Those changes didn't happen in vain. We all go through cycles. That's life. We don't have to be perfect, so embrace your imperfections."

Your postpartum body may be different from Tia Mowry or Teyana Taylor, but it doesn't make it any less "normal". Despite popular belief, pregnancy and childbirth is some real sh*t, and your body needs time to recover.

Set #BodyGoals that realistically embody your reality and that are conducive to your lifestyle.

Featured image via Tia Mowry/Instagram

 

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