This woman's viral photo reveals what actually happens to your baby bump

Everyone knows a woman's body transforms dramatically during pregnancy.

But with celebrities shedding post-natal weight at miracle speeds, sometimes we forget that this change can stick around after birth too - after all, pregnant women are walking around with an extra human for nine months.

Thanks to Australian mother-of-three Elisa Grossman's Instagram, we have a reminder that it's okay if your belly does not magically deflate to flawless flatness immediately after birth. Or ever.

She shared a naked photo of herself just after giving birth to her youngest daughter, Willa.

In the caption, she says she wanted to start a conversation - and she did.

Comments under the viral photo are brimming with praise and empathy.

Instagrammer she_interiors wrote: "I was the first out of my friends, had no idea what I was in for and got the shock of me life! I remember looking down and thinking omfg... I'll deal with that later :). Thank you for sharing."

Likewise, Grossman had no idea what was coming after giving birth to her first child, Peyton.

By encouraging conversation, she is making it easier and easier for others to know what to expect during motherhood.

It's utterly incredible what women's bodies go through during birth. No wonder there are scars and stretch marks to show for it.

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