This woman posted an inspirational 'before and after' photo - with a twist

A blogger has garnered praise after sharing two constrasting photos of herself before and after she gave birth.

In a twist on the apparently unceasing series of "inspiring before and after photos" that document a person's dramatic body change following weight loss, Laura Mazza showed her own body after it changed when she had children.

"This isn't a before and after shot of weightloss," Mazza wrote on Facebook. "But it is a victory story."

She goes on to document how her scars and stretch marks are there because she "made humans", and how she went from a time where people would tell her she looked "fit and healthy" to one where she felt that she "didn't deserve" things like sexy underwear or a new wardrobe.

But after that came the realisation. Mazza wrote: "I get it now. Celebrating all body types. All body types and the stories that go with that body. Above all, THE person should be celebrated. Healthy bodies should be celebrated. Healthy should be what we strive for. Healthy minds, healthy journey's and however that reflects on to our bodies, we should admire it.

I still want to look like the first photo, no doubt. I miss that body, it makes me sad. But I want to get there in a healthy way, mentally and physically. I want to be proud and at peace with this body. And I want to like what I've got now.

Her post has received over 8,000 likes and almost 4,000 shares, with many women commenting on how it has helped them come to terms with how their own bodies changed after childbirth.

You can read Laura Mazza's blog here

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