How This Mom Learned to Appreciate Her ‘Mushy, Stretched, Bruised and Swollen’ Post-Baby Body

It’s been more than three years since Joanna Venditti welcomed her daughters Mia and Everly. But only recently did she come to terms with how pregnancy and delivery changed her body—which she detailed in a powerful new post on Instagram.

The mom of four, who runs the blog Nesting Story, published two side-by-side photos of her belly. The photo on the left depicts the way her stomach looked just after giving birth, and the photo on the right shows the weight loss that came afterward.

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“Although I felt a deep sadness for the mushy, stretched, bruised and swollen condition my body was in, a part of me felt excitement and renewed,” Venditti, who has also opened up about suffering from postpartum depression, wrote in the caption. “I was so thankful that my body had done the job it needed to do: carry my babies to full term. I looked at it differently than I ever had before.”

Venditti went on to describe how her attitude transformed and that she began to see her postpartum body as a “fresh beginning.”

“For the first time since I became self-conscious as a child, I didn’t feel anger, frustration or betrayal towards my body,” she continued. “I was filled with gratitude. … The sadness is gone and my body is mine again. But I will never forget the journey it has been on and I will constantly keep gratitude at the centre of my relationship with my body.”

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As every mom knows, pregnancy and childbirth take a toll on a woman's body. So it's encouraging to see mothers like Venditti approach these changes optimistically—reflecting a deep gratitude for what it can do and appreciate the power of giving birth.