9 Times Ashley Graham Embraced Her Motherhood Journey, From a Postpartum Body to Breastfeeding

Tokophobia refers to the fear of childbirth and/or pregnancy. While some anxiety is normal during pregnancy and childbirth, tokophobia is much more extreme. A recent study revealed that 45.6% of women had a fear of childbirth. However, Ashley Graham is not one of them. We believe that knowing about her motherhood journey would help future mamas get over their fears and know what to expect when they are expecting.

The Bright Side team has gathered the most inspiring, relatable, and transparent Ashley Graham motherhood insights to help you navigate motherhood.

1. Embracing the pregnant body is no easy task.

Even though she promotes body positivity and self-acceptance, Ashley Graham admits that she has body image issues like the rest of us, namely, stretch marks and her new body. In an episode of her digital series, she admitted her struggles with sharing her belly bump on social media because she didn’t feel her best.

2. Pregnancy brain is real.

Pregnancy brain refers to the inattentiveness and memory issues that some pregnant women suffer with. Many individuals are debating whether or not it is a myth. According to Graham, pregnancy brain is definitely a thing. She confirmed that she forgot her own cell phone number while pregnant.

3. Weight gain is normal.

Graham opened up about not caring one bit about gaining 50 pounds during her first pregnancy. Learning to love her ever-changing body, the new mama felt like she “figured out this whole pregnancy thing” and never felt better.

4. Giving birth is the greatest strength.

Ashley Graham became a mother for the first time on March 8, which coincided with International Women’s Day. She claimed that giving birth is her greatest strength. Reminding women of their vital role in life, she added, “We are also strong, powerful, and capable of accomplishing greatness.”

5. Giving birth naturally made Ashley Graham feel invincible.

In a podcast episode of Pretty Big Deal with her husband, Justin Ervin, Graham opened up about her home birth experience of her first son, Isaac Menelik Giovanni, which she described as “invincible.” Graham explained, “I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do.” The model explained that labor gave her agency over her body, something that she lost during pregnancy. Moreover, it made her feel proud of herself and powerful.

6. Post-pregnancy life is tough.

Ashley discussed the ups and downs of becoming a mother with her fans. She acknowledges that recovery and healing after childbirth are difficult. The model revealed that she had not expected to be in diapers as well.

7. Motherhood can be messy.

“I like it when your body goes pump pump pump,” Graham enthusiastically captioned her Instagram post. She shared with her followers messy yet authentic snapshots of life after giving birth to normalize the hardships of motherhood and the changes that both the mind and body go through.

8. There’s no shame in breastfeeding in public.

Unsurprisingly, Graham is one of the celebrities who work hard to remove the stigma around breastfeeding in public. With many snapshots, she leads by example and helps normalize this natural practice.

9. Postpartum snapback pressure is nonsensical.

The model and mother denounced postpartum snapback beliefs. According to her, the pressure to bounce back after giving birth is an unattainable reality for many women. To fight the pressure, she shared that repeating positive mantras and affirmations helped her embrace her new body.

What was the most inspiring insight you gained? Who is your role model as far as mothering is concerned? Let us know in the comments.