New mom shares raw photo to detail her postpartum struggles

Hannah Kramer

A new mom recently posted an intimate photo of her postpartum body -- and her inspiring caption is going viral.

Changes -- both physical and mental -- before, during and after pregnancy are to be expected. While these changes are normal, their impacts can be quite difficult...especially if there are complications. No one expects those.

Ruth Lee is a 25-year-old beauty blogger and new mom. With over 30,000 followers, fans tune in daily to her beauty reviews and lifestyle posts, where she writes about her experiences as a young mom.

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New blog post about how I meal prep breakfast. 🍳 (For those days I'm not eating Taco Bell breakfast) 🌮 Link in bio. ❤️💕 #theRuthLeeDiary #mealprep #catchmeoutsidehowboutdat

A post shared by Ruth Lee (@baybayruth) on Feb 28, 2017 at 6:32pm PST

Recently, she posted a raw photo of her stomach that details her postpartum struggles. While Lee educated and prepared herself for a vaginal delivery, there were complications. She was in terrible pain during her 19 hour labor and was forced to have a C-section.

"I was 25 when I gave birth. I was healthy. I was young. I stayed active during my pregnancy. I took the best prenatals, went to the gym, used every kind of stretch mark prevention you could think of. I took hours of birthing classes, read every book under the sun, and studied natural childbirth my whole pregnancy. I STILL ended up with a traumatic labor, cesarean section, scars, stretch marks, and unfortunately the inability to breastfeed long term," she wrote on Instagram.

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I'm posting this tonight with tears in my eyes. I can't help it. The pregnancy and birth of my little girl was the most amazing thing I've ever been a part of. Some people don't want kids, and I respect that. Really, I do. But for me, You see, I always have. When it finally happened though, it was so hard to fully comprehend. Pregnancy and babies, I mean that's common. It's everywhere. But when it's YOUR body and YOUR baby, it's so different. You literally feel like it's a miracle. Because, when it happens to you, it is. What brings me to Instagram tonight, is the post-baby. I followed SO many pregnant models during my pregnancy. And when they photographed themselves pool-side 5 minutes postpartum, I thought, "wow! I hope that happens to me!" I was 25 when I gave birth. I was healthy. I was young. I stayed active during my pregnancy. I took the best prenatals, went to the gym, used every kind of stretch mark prevention you could think of. I took hours of birthing classes, read every book under the sun, and studied natural childbirth my whole pregnancy. I STILL ended up with a traumatic labor, cesarean section, scars, stretch marks, and unfortunately the inability to breastfeed long term. I took this picture a few days after I gave birth, when my PPD really first reared its head into my life. I took this and actually was horrified. I couldn't believe it was me. I'm sharing it because I know in my heart that there are people out there that struggle with inadequacy. That might think they are not beautiful, that they might be ruined, less worthy, or not good enough. Yours might not actually be physical scars, but maybe, a failed relationship, a difficulty in your career, a mental struggle, money issues, or just feeling lost in life. Be kind to yourself. And know that you are not alone. Comparison is the thief of joy. Don't let social media taint your view of what is beautiful, what is REAL. And above all, know that if you are struggling, I am here. I have an open inbox or (if you actually know me) an open door. #stopcensoringmotherhood #nofilter

A post shared by Ruth Lee (@baybayruth) on Feb 23, 2017 at 10:32pm PST

Along with the scars, stitches and stretch marks, Lee soon learned she had postpartum depression. These physical and emotional changes came as a complete shock to her.

She wrote:

I took this picture a few days after I gave birth, when my PPD really first reared its head into my life. I took this and actually was horrified. I couldn't believe it was me. I'm sharing it because I know in my heart that there are people out there that struggle with inadequacy. That might think they are not beautiful, that they might be ruined, less worthy, or not good enough.

Her words come serve as a reminder to many. While Lee talks about her daughter's birth as "the most amazing thing" she's been part of, it's important to "be kind to yourself".

"Be kind to yourself. And know that you are not alone. Comparison is the thief of joy. Don't let social media taint your view of what is beautiful, what is REAL," she said.

You can view Lee's full post here.

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