Plus-size model and body confidence champion, Ashley Graham, has always been one to talk candidly about body image and self-love – something that didn't change when she fell pregnant with her son, Isaac, either. Throughout her pregnancy, and following the birth of her little one, Ashley remained candid about the changes she noticed in her body and now, she's speaking out about how she feels a year after giving birth.
Making it super clear that she has zero time for anybody who puts pressure on new parents to "snap back" to their pre-pregnancy shape and weight, Ashley said she's been embracing the postpartum process. "I think the postpartum snapback is really BS," she told E! in a new interview. "I think it's an unattainable reality for most women and it's been an unattainable reality for myself."
She also shared that when it comes to loving herself and keeping a positive mindset about her body, repeating affirmations has been a big help. "For me, it's all about words and affirmation," Ashley explained. "I know that my words have so much power over my life and my future that I'm very careful with how I use them."
Ashley is always using her social media channels to connect with others, many of whom praise her on the regular for being such a shining light when it comes to speaking honestly about motherhood too.
Recently, she shared an adorable video of herself breastfeeding Isaac (who she shares with her husband, Justin) and captioned it: "Perfect morning with my sweet lil man. The snow in NYC is wild today, but still going to throw Isaac into his snow suit for a quick sled sheesh!" Underneath the video, some of Ashley's 12 million followers commented saying how refreshing it was to see and shared their own journeys with nursing too.
After watching the video, which shows Isaac pinching a little while feeding, one wrote, "Precious. This is where you get tiny cuts from those baby nails lol! Happened to me all the time ❤️" to which Ashley responded, "My boobs are like a battle field of Isaacs claw marks!"
Everyone's clicking on...
Keep doing you, Ashley! We love to see it (and all the great discussions that are sparked from your posts too).
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Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
