Photography

16 Moms Who’re Proud Of Their Perfect Imperfections

Photographer Neely Coeur Fox has first-hand knowledge on just how difficult it can be for young mothers to perceive their new post-pregnancy bodies, which used to be impeccable not so long ago, but changed dramatically after childbirth. So, Neely decided to organize photoshoots that would help women to change the way they feel about themselves and to see their own special beauty — the beauty of motherhood.

She shared her hopes and goals for the project in a blog post. The response was amazing, as Neely received emails from about 30 women and 16 of them agreed to be photographed.

h/t: brightside

To help her models feel confident, Coeur Fox tried to take a couple of similar photos of her baby and herself first.

“I wanted to know the feelings of the women being on the other side of the camera”, she said. “And I realized, I would not be able to fully experience this unless I found myself in the same situation.”

Erica: “I felt beautiful during the shoot. I will never forget this experience.”

Roslyn: “I’m absolutely happy being a part of this important project and I’m glad that my girls have also been involved in it.”

Ashley: “When I found out I was pregnant, I was sure I would have no problems with getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight and shape after giving birth. But I was wrong. In spite of this, I’m living life to the fullest. I have a wonderful kid and my heart is full of love. I also have a loving and caring partner. I work. I play.”

Kacie: “I always found it difficult to accept my shortcomings but after giving birth to my daughters, those flaws seem beautiful marks in our journey with them.”

Kristi: “For me, this experience was very symbolic; I realized how far I have come not only as a mother but as a woman, too.”

Amanda: “I wanted to do something to remember my pregnancy time and understand how beautiful I actually am.”

Roslyn: “I’ve never felt so confident as I did after the photoshoot.”

Rachel: “Looking at some pictures, I saw more beauty than I expected to see. I saw a mother who was self-confident and, most importantly, I saw my daughter who loved me. This love is indescribable: it is stronger than anything this world has to offer, and our smiles in this photo speak louder than words.”

Jenny: “Being photographed made me so nervous. Especially after I saw the other beautiful participants.”

Taylor: “If I had to describe this experience in just one word, I would say ’impressive!’”

Aerin: “After giving birth to my baby, he turned out to be tongue-tied. My child could not eat from anything but a special nipple. Despite all these difficulties, when I look at this photo I see that we are happy. This is the goal!”