This Mum’s Pictures Are A Powerful Reminder That No Two Pregnancies Are The Same

Popular Aussie blogger, Laura Mazza, has shared powerful proof that there’s no “right” way to look while pregnant.

The 31-year-old mum-of-two-and-a-bit (her third child is currently cooking) posted side-by-side images on Facebook showing how her body has changed during her different pregnancies.

“I love side by side photos but mine are never the “right” way society deems it should be,” Laura wrote.

On the left she was 14 weeks pregnant, and despite having a virtually flat stomach Laura says she thought she looked “huge”.

“I was embarrassed at how bloated I looked I spent time hiding my stomach even though people knew I was pregnant. I even wore spanks to a wedding because I was afraid of how jiggly I looked. I wanted to get to the right size before I celebrated my bump. I was embarrassed that my husband had this blimp of a pregnant wife and all these people would constantly remind me that I’m gonna have to work hard to go back to my pre-body. That I better not eat too much… I look back and that makes me sad.”

On the right, Laura is pictured at nine weeks along.

“I’m double the size of the first. There’s no muscles in there, I didn’t lose the baby weight after the first kid, nor the second, and after this kid I won’t rush to lose the weight after this one either. The baby is a size of a pea, and in there’s some noodles, some banana lollies and about a kilo of watermelon… doesn’t look like a bump should at 9 weeks, but I don’t care. I won’t hide my little pouch. It’s growing a baby and I should be proud of it.”

The Melbourne-native says pregnant women are under incredible pressure to conform to what others think they should look like.

“I see it all the time, women who think their bumps are too small or too big. Who have people constantly commenting on their pregnant bodies. Constantly saying “you’re sooooooo tiny!” Or “you’re soooo huge!” like it’s okay to comment and a growing baby makes it free for all.”

“And judgement from ourselves of how we are meant to look. The perfect body and the perfect bump that’s alllll bump, but not too big right? (And not too small… otherwise you must surely be starving your baby.)”

I see you, new mama. I know what you're going through is tough right now. I know you're feeling alone, you're tired. Some days you are struggling. I know there's a part of you that misses when you were just pregnant, when there were no wondering about cries at 3am, and you could sleep… well as good as you could with a watermelon attached to you. When no one was judging you for the way you parented, when there was no pressure about how to do it – just pressure from the babies kicks to your bladder, but that was easier than what you're feeling now ? I know you wait desperately for their little eyes to close, those little beady eyes that are so large staring at you that you fear will never close I know you feel so distant from your partner, you both used to be so cool, now you argue over who's more tired, or your both panicking about why the baby's crying. You watch him leave the house so easily and that hurts. It's taken a little toll on you guys even though you made something together and in a weird way your love is stronger. I know you struggle to leave the house. Who wants to go anywhere when you have to pack a 10 man tent, a whole wardrobe and a baby store and bring a little time bomb that could explode at any moment… I'm talking poo explode here too. I know you are wondering if you're doing it right, If you're screwing them up because you didn't hear them cry when you tried to show for 5 seconds. But you are. And… I promise you it'll get easier There will be a day those eyes will close and they won't open until the next morning, you'll be shocked but it WILL happen There will be a day where they'll look at you and smile, even when you think you've messed it all up, they'll smile and your heart will feel whole again There will come a day when they can tell you what's wrong! All those tears will make sense, and they'll just need a cuddle from you 99% of the time, and the cookie you were hiding from them to eat later There will be days you and your man will go on dates, you'll have nights out with the girls or you'll even blissfully shop for groceries alone, and your mind will just be on your babies…the rest on tehlink in bio x

A post shared by The Mum On The Run (@themumontherun_) on Oct 22, 2017 at 2:14am PDT

But this time around, Laura isn’t hiding her body away. 

“It’s brought me children, it’s gone through battles, it’s had cancer scares with lumps in my boobs, it’s fought mental illness, it’s wrestled with no sleep and been a home to three kids. Worrying about how big I look surely does it an injustice.

I am a woman, I am a mother. I’m not a perfect size 0, one day I might be but at the end of the day, I’m a perfect mother to my children and future children. I am happy, my children are happy and to me that is all that matters in life.”

Hear, bloody, hear. 

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