They’re taking it all off – on camera.
It’s usually not a new mom’s idea for postpartum fun. Some women try to see themselves as perfect, looking down on new belly bulges, stretched skin folds and sagging breasts.
But instead of masking the marks of motherhood, photographer Angela Culp encourages clients to not only celebrate their changing bodies, but commemorate them — in a series of NSFW photos.
“I do postpartum boudoir shoots,” Culp, 35, a lead at Bad Babes Boudoir in Greenpoint, told The Post.
“It’s a confidence booster,” she said of the quirky photos – for which hot moms often flaunt their beauties in lacy lingerie or tiny teddy bears. “It’s a way for new mothers to celebrate themselves and their new bodies.”
The shift to realism, rooted in self-love and self-care, comes as a fashion move away from the withered buzz of Ozempic-mania.
As the pressure to be petite peaks, new moms are taking impressive measures to promote body positivity — instead of rushing to get quick needles.
But the nerve to pose au natural in bad photos doesn’t necessarily come naturally to most new moms.
In fact, 68% of babies who give birth report experiencing body and weight dissatisfaction after expecting their bundles of joy, according to a report from the Medical University of Silesia in Poland.
And excessive self-criticism can lead to dangerous health outcomes, according to researchers from National Taiwan University. Analysts recently determined that negative attitudes toward the postpartum body can increase the risk of depression and thoughts of self-harm.
But moms like Emma Carter found that stripping down to nothing was, at least in part, just what the doctor ordered.
Before her January 2020 postpartum boudoir shoot, the now-divorced mother of one felt like a “stranger” in her body.
“I found myself looking in the mirror saying, ‘Who is this person staring back at me?’ Carter, 31, of Pittsburgh, told The Post.
“I was bloated and skinny, with all this extra skin and a new map of stretch marks,” recalls the blonde, who welcomed her son in November 2019. “It took a significant toll on my mental health.”
But after a few pregnancy poses, along with some postpartum advice, Carter’s confidence kicked back into high gear.
“My time in the boudoir gave me back a part of myself,” said the Pennsylvanian.
Carter enjoyed the whimsical shoots so much that she eventually became a professional boudoir photographer, giving other moms the gift of feeling good about themselves from her luxurious Pittsburgh Boudoir studios.
“It’s the best gift in the world.”
But it is certainly not a cheap emotion.
Culp and Carter each told The Post that their respective cameras can cost upwards of $3,000.
The premium fees, however, include hair and makeup done by glamorous experts, as well as access to costumes, props and sets within the studio and same-day unedited image views.
“When my clients see their photos, most of them cry tears of joy,” Carter said. “They say, ‘I’ve never seen myself look so great.’
And the benefits of letting it all hang out aren’t limited to the boudoir.
A-list moms like singer Ciara and reality TV queen Kourtney Kardashian have gone viral in recent months, shamelessly flexing their bodies behind baby in barely-there swimsuits.
“Embracing every stage of life,” the Goodies singer, 38, captioned an Instagram post of her curvy figure while poolside in February – just weeks after the arrival of her youngest daughter, Amora.
But Kardashian, 45, who welcomed son Rocky in November and freely rocked a bikini in April, was forced to defend her not-so-toned stomach to internet trolls. She reportedly responded to applause for body shaming after giving birth by saying: “I LOVE this body.”
Bri Knight, 28, echoes those sentiments.
“My body is so much more flexible and resilient,” said the Utah stay-at-home mother of one, who gained 85 pounds during pregnancy. “But instead of being self-conscious, I wanted to celebrate my body.”
With a tripod, some candles and underwear from Amazon, Knight shot her postpartum boudoir shoot at home in October. She then shared husband Brady’s hilarious reaction to the sultry selfie with her more than 31,000 followers on TikTok.
Despite her glowing reviews, Knight – now expecting child no. 2 – said the pinup photos were neither for her husband’s pleasure nor for social media.
“I did it for me,” she boasted to The Post. “I owe it to myself to know that I’m sexy.”
#hated #body #baby #postpartum #boudoir #shoot #gave #confidence
Image Source : nypost.com