I get so much hate for my postpartum belly – trolls say I’m the reason they won’t have kids but I don’t care
A WOMAN has clapped back at haters who criticised her postpartum belly, just one month after she gave birth to her daughter.
Caitlin Bridget, an influencer best known for sharing her life online with her wife Leah Sheil, has revealed that trolls have claimed that her post-birth belly is the reason why they won’t have children.
Not only this, but the mum-of-two under two, who welcomed the couple’s second child Lyla just last month, thanks to IVF, revealed that mean keyboard warriors have also slated her for ‘shaking her fat’ and described her stomach as a ‘literal nightmare’.
Caitlin, who is a co-host of The 3am Club podcast, alongside her wife Leah, took to social media to open up about the “hate” she has received about her stomach.
Posting online, Caitlin shared screenshots of a series of comments she has encountered on her posts about her postpartum body.
Whilst one user wrote “I’m afraid of getting pregnant if this is what my belly will look like”, another questioned “Am I the only one who thinks she is just fat?”
Not only this, but someone else penned “Could have gone without seeing a grown woman shake her fat”, and another user wrote “I wouldn’t be smiling about it, literal nightmare.”
Meanwhile, someone else tagged a TikTok user and explained: “She was pregnant and her whole body was destroyed, that’s why I don’t want to.”
But Caitlin wasn’t afraid to clap back to the haters, as she claimed that she doesn’t let the mean comments get her down.
Whilst wearing a two-piece cropped set, the red-haired beauty showed off her stomach and bravely said: “Thankfully these comments don’t get to me because I am so proud of my postpartum body, but it does upset me because I feel like if some people are reading the comments and they have a stomach that looks similar to mine after giving birth, then that could really affect them.
“It makes me laugh when I get comments saying ‘her stomach is literally the reason I don’t want to have kids’ – honestly, the love you have for your child and what you go through to have your child is so worth it to have a stomach that looks like this.
“This just literally does not matter and I really hope that if you do have that mindset that you don’t have kids, because if this isn’t worth it for your kids, then I mean, I’m sorry.”
Caitlin claimed that it can take a woman’s body up to two years to recover from childbirth, and as a result, she wants to normalise postpartum bodies, as she thinks they are ‘beautiful’.
She added: “I feel like we need to normalise this because why are we making people feel so ashamed for looking like this after having a child?
“Postpartum bodies are beautiful, everyone’s bodies are beautiful and if you’re feeling insecure about your body, I just really, really hope that you learn to love it, because you are perfect and beautiful just the way you are.”
FANS RUSH TO SUPPORT
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @caitlinandleahh, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly gone viral and has since racked up a staggering 2.3 million views.
So proud of you for showing awareness
TikTok user
Caitlin’s fans rushed to the comments to support the content creator, as many thanked her for spreading awareness and showing off her unfiltered figure.
One person said: “Those are your tiger stripes! They are badges of honour! It means you’re a warrior!!”
How do women's figures change after giving birth?
TO SAY the body changes during pregnancy and childbirth is an understatement.
Throughout the nine months it takes for the body to bring a baby into the world, it goes through some huge physical changes.
Considering how different the body looks during pregnancy, it’s not surprising that there are some lasting changes.
And it some ways, it never does, Doctor Rachel Ward, a GP at Woodlands Medical Centre, Derby, said.
1. Wider ribcage and hips
“During pregnancy in order to accommodate a growing baby and prepare for giving birth, our body produces a hormone called relaxin,” she explained.
Relaxin works by increasing the flexibility and movement in our joints and ligaments.
“Many women find that after pregnancy the shape of their pelvis and ribcage remains different,” Dr Rachel said.
It is common to need a different bra size due to a change in chest circumference, the expert said.
“This is a reminder of the changes your body made to accommodate your baby and is nothing to be worried about,” she added.
2. Change in skin colour
During pregnancy, most women experience skin changes as it stretches to accommodate your bump and enlarging breasts.
“It is not uncommon to develop stretch marks.
“Though they will often fade over time and become a shiny pale colour, depending on your skin tone they will not go away completely,” Dr Rachel said.
“Some people do not like the way stretch marks look but they are an incredibly common change that we see in many people,” she added.
3. A change in breast shape
Breasts increase in size during pregnancy as the breast tissue prepares to produce milk.
And shortly after birth they will start to produce milk and become swollen, Dr Ward explained.
“If you choose to breast feed or not, it is likely that the shape, size and way your breasts look and feel will be different after pregnancy compared to before,” she added.
“This is not a problem but it is important that we do learn what the new normal is for our breasts so we can stay breast aware and pick up and changes that could be cancer.”
Another added: “So beautifully said!! There’s nothing wrong with anyone’s postpartum body. It’s amazing what our bodies can do.”
A third commented: “I love this video, so proud of you for showing awareness.”
Meanwhile, someone else chimed in: “People are so mean! You are beautiful Caitlin, don’t listen to them.”
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