Over the course of nine months, a woman's body changes in every way. Her belly grows, her chest becomes engorged, her feet may become flatter, some stretchmarks come out and say hi... Her body is growing another human being and is bound to change and alter to make enough room to grow a healthy baby boy or girl.
Sadly, many women have trouble—both mentally and physically—getting used to their new body after their baby is born. While social media is filled with women who "bounce back" after baby, others may take a little longer. And thanks to these 10 popular women, us non-celebrity moms can be inspired by their outlook on their post-pregnancy body.
10 'I DON'T KNOW IF I'M BOUNCING BACK. I'M SLOWLY CRAWLING BACK''
Reese Witherspoon is a mom to three gorgeous kids. Ava Phillippe (20) and Deacon Phillippe (16) came first when Reese was married to her first husband, Ryan Phillippe. After she and Ryan got divorced, Reese got married to Jim Toth and they had a baby of their own, Tennessee Toth.
When she was asked if she was bouncing back after Tennessee was born, Reese had the best response. "I don’t’ know if I’m bouncing back. I’m slowly crawling back. You just have to be gentle and patient with yourself and just sort of, you know… slowly get back to your health.”
9 'TRY APPROVING OF YOURSELF AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS'
Louise Hay made her celebrity by writing oodles of self-help books and motivating women to love themselves and the bodies they have. And seeing as Jlo is super confident and oozes good vibes, Louise Hay is a miracle worker.
According to the author herself, she said “You have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.”
8 'IF WE CAN'T LOVE & CARE FOR OURSELVES, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO LOVE & CARE FOR OTHERS?'
Instagram influencer and health and wellness guru, Emily Skye, is mama to her daughter Mia. As a woman who shows off her health and body to millions of followers, it's interesting to hear her take on post-baby bodies. And according to her, she's not perfect.
She too "beats" herself up sometimes in regards to what her body looks like now that Mia is a little older. "When I feel like this I remind myself of the things I preach to others — that I should treat myself how I would treat my daughter Mia," she said. She goes on to say that we should "care for ourselves" so that we have the ability to care and love others.
7 'LET'S BE PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE GOT AND STOP WASTING PRECIOUS TIME IN THE DAY WISHING WE WERE DIFFERENT'
Actress and singer Hilary Duff is one lucky mama. She and ex-husband Mike Comrey had their son Luca in 2012 and in 2018, Hilary got lucky with baby number two with her fiance Matthew Koma.
But after two babies in the spotlight, Hilary is used to hearing rude comments about her body. After a website noted that Hilary had cellulite, she wrote: "My body has given me the greatest gift of my life: Luca.." And now that she's 32 years old, she wants to inspire women everywhere. “Ladies, let’s be proud of what we’ve got and stop wasting precious time in the day wishing we were different, better and unflawed.”
6 'YOU COULD GET HIT BY A BUS TOMORROW. IT'S ABOUT BEING CONTENT'
Funny girl Melissa McCarthy has made a name for herself doing action-comedy. She's a breath of fresh air and super talented. But like any famous woman in the spotlight, she's constantly criticized for her weight. And after having two kids, Melissa has a great grasp on her post-baby body.
As she said, "My weight? It is what it is. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow. It's about being content. And sometimes other priorities win." It's not about fitting into a certain mold. It's about happiness.
5 'I'LL TAKE THESE POUNDS AND THIS FEELING'
Chrissy Teigen isn't a comedian but she might as well be one. Her Twitter account is one of the brightest sources of entertainment in 2019. She loves to hit back at trolls and annoy her husband online. She's also very raw and honest about being a mom to two kids.
After having her second child, Miles, she's been asked about bouncing back to her body before kids. But or Chrissy, she'd rather take the "pounds" and the "feeling" she has now than be 20 pounds thinner. "I never lost the last bit because I just love food too much. Just coming to terms with my new normal, when I had this certain number for so long!" she said on Twitter. What's even more inspiring is that she had postpartum depression after Luna and is finally feeling like herself.
4 'MY LIMBS WORK, SO I'M NOT GOING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW MY BODY IS SHAPED'
Can Drew Barrymore get any cooler? She's the mother to two girls, Frankie and Olive, whom she had with ex-husband Will Kopelman and is still kicking butt professionally. Now that Drew is 44 years old, she's not too worried about what her body looks like after kids as long as she's healthy.
According to Cosmopolitan, she said, "My limbs work, so I'm not going to complain about how my body is shaped." Now that's an amazing outlook.
3 'I'M GUILTY OF HAVING HUMAN LEGS MADE UP OF FAT, MUSCLE, AND SKIN, AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU SIT, THEY GET BUMPY!'
Kristen Bell and husband Dax Shepard seem to have it all. With two thriving careers and two daughters (ages four and six), these two have their hands full.
And while we cannot imagine a single person who would have one negative thing to say about Bell's body, Kristen has heard it all and has a wise outlook for her trolls to think about. "I'm guilty of having human legs made up of fat, muscle, and skin, and sometimes when you sit, they get bumpy!"
2 'BE HEALTHY AND TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. BUT BE HAPPY WITH THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT MAKE YOU YOU'
Beyonce has been in the public eye since she was a little girl. As a small girl with a big voice, she grew into one of the most important parts of Destiny's Child. And now that Beyonce is a solo act, she's also a mother to three beautiful kids and a wife to Jay Z.
Shockingly, Blue is already 7 and twins Sir and Rumi are already 2! So how does a woman as popular as Beyonce handle her own relationship with her body after kids? She takes care of herself and appreciates the unique beauty every person has.
1 'I HAVE A BELLY AND I HAVE CELLULITE AND I STILL DESERVE LOVE'
Comedian Amy Schumer gave birth to her first child, earlier this year with new husband Chris Fischer. Amy has always been very honest about her own insecurities and things she's proud of, which is why so many people are fans of hers.
And after having her little boy, her honesty about motherhood and her changing body became even more appreciated. She explained that even with "cellulite" and a "belly" she deserves as much love as the rest of us — and she does.