‘It’s not all rainbows’: Ashley Graham on the ‘messy’ realities of early motherhood

Ashley Graham, who gave birth to her son Isaac just a few weeks ago, has said life post-partum “is not all rainbows and butterflies”

Model Ashley Graham has long been an advocate for body positivity and self-acceptance, and nothing has cemented that like becoming a mother. The 32-year-old gave birth to her first child, Isaac, on January 18 and since then, she has opened up about the “messy” realities of life post-partum.

“Raise your hand if you didn’t know you’d be changing your own diapers too?” she said in a new post on Instagram. “After all these years in fashion, I never could’ve guessed that disposable underwear would be my favourite piece of clothing – but here we are!

“No one talks about the recovery and healing (yes, even the messy parts) new moms go through,” Ashley continued. “I wanted to show you guys that it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. It’s been tough, but my friend Chelsea (CEO at Frida) is making waves and starting honest conversations.

“It’s unbelievable the obstacles we still face talking about what women really go through,” she said. “All the stuff she sent me has been a lifesaver.”

 

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A post shared by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@ashleygraham) on Feb 10, 2020 at 6:14pm PST

Frida, a brand set up by Ashley’s friend Chelsea Rosen Hirschhorn, helps new mothers be ‘post-partum prepared’ – selling things such as comfortable postpartum underwear, witch hazel perineal healing foam, instant ice maxi-pads and perineal comfort cushions. Small items like this can make a huge difference to mothers trying to feel more like themselves again.

While Ashley admits it’s not always easy, she wouldn’t have it any other way. “Nothing prepares you for just how magical and intense giving birth is,” she wrote on social media. “I’m so grateful that I was able to deliver naturally in my home with my husband by my side for all six hours of labour. Holding my baby for the first time is a moment I’ll never forget.”

 

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A post shared by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@ashleygraham) on Feb 4, 2020 at 1:15pm PST

‘Embracing my new body every day’

This isn’t the first time Ashley has spoken out about the realities of early motherhood. In August, while she was still pregnant with baby Isaac, she shared a candid photo of her stretch marks on Instagram. “Same same, but a little different,” she captioned the image at the time.

She posted something similar in October; this time a video of her growing bump with the caption, “Getting bigger and bigger and trying to embrace my new body every day. It’s a journey and I’m so thankful to have such a supportive community.”

 

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A post shared by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@ashleygraham) on Aug 18, 2019 at 9:07am PDT

Baby Isaac, who was born weighing 7lbs 5oz in January, is said to have opened Ashley’s eyes “to just how amazing this world really is”.

Photo: Ashley Graham, Instagram

Read more: Kate Upton opens up about breastfeeding and the pressures of early motherhood

Read more: Maternal mental health: ‘As soon as my son was born, fear and dread took over’

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