This is my tummy after having three kids. It's a little bit fat, a little bit flabby and full of stretch marks. Not exactly Cameron Diaz's six-pack is it? Except my kids love it, especially my daughter. Caterina regularly strokes it and her favourite way to start the day is to have me jump up and down a few times while I'm trying to get dressed so she can watch it jiggle.

Here at iVillage we have decided to launch our own Mummy-Tummy-Pride movement. It is for all mums who are sick of seeing celebrity toned abs hours, days and mere weeks after birth. We're not falling for this crap any longer. We choose to LOVE our flabby bellies, our loose skin and our stretch marks because they are the signs of motherhood. We grew human beings from scratch! We rock! And so do our less-than-perfect tummies. Some mums do have flat and toned bellies after having kids and we celebrate that too (sort of).

Mia Freedman wrote about this recently in her post, This is EXACTLY what I wanted to do after having a baby. You? While discussing this issue in the office we all described our "Mummy Tummmies" and laughed at the fact most of our pants and jeans are now mid-rise and control-top.'

My sister and I sometimes talk about having a 'mummy tuck'. Apparently surgeons tighten loose skin through your belly button and you can get a boob job at the same time. I'll refrain from posting a pic of my boobs but let's just say that when I stand up they look like socks with one tennis ball in them and when I lie down they look like fried eggs. But this is major surgery. It's expensive. It takes weeks to recover from. Does it make sense for non-models to go to such extraordinary lengths because I'll bet you a month of ironing duty that there's some sort of surgical intervention or photo shopping taking place for photos like this to be posted just weeks after childbirth.

Supermodel Gisele Bunchen did this photo shoot TWO MONTHS after giving birth. I had my last child almost 4 years ago!

Her tummy looks a bit different from mine, right?

Mums who feel bad about their bodies, consider this:

Are you healthy?

Are you happy?

Would you have kids again knowing your tummy would end up looking like this?

Exactly. All that matters is how our bodies feel and what they can do. They are amazing and Mummy-Tummy-Pride is the best thing to happen since Cheesymite. No? Okay, since Whipped Peanut Butter. Better?

Enjoy our gallery of real mummy tummies and send us yours.

Just like wrinkes are a map of your life, loose skin and stretch marks are a map of your journey to motherhood.

XOJane.com recently posted their Real Girl Belly campaign and here are a select few to get us started. We'd love to add yours so send them to info@themotherish.com. Take it away iVillagers! Be proud. Be brave.

"This is after having two kids 8 years apart. Proud of my tiger stripes!" Bec, 29

"This belly held twins - each 3kgs! I can squish it together and make it talk to the kids :) Michelle, 32

"After having 2 boys my mummy tummy is soft and squidgy and the perfect pillow for their heads." Louisa, 34

"I am 33, 2 kids, and ever since my first was born I have hated my tummy. I am hoping that doing this will help me to move on from this and help me to accept my belly for how it is." Kelly-Jo, 33

"The one good thing about my belly is this is the result of having two kids...still trying to accept the belly is one bad thing about it..." Veronica, 36

"I have three children and I gained a lot with each pregnancy (36kgs each time). Though my stomach looks ripplier, I like that I was able to get back to a healthy place with yoga and a lot of healthy food. I used to be a junk food junkie (think two extra value meals a day and vodka for dinner) and I love how much better I feel." Anon, 38