baby

The Australian woman's honest post-baby-body selfie that everyone is talking about.

Mel Watts, known online as The Modern Mumma, is a Central coast blogger, and last night she posted an honest and heartfelt Instagram snap with her youngest baby. And alongside the snap, she wrote an honest and heartfelt caption, calling on mothers to be a little kinder to themselves.

She writes, “9 months out of the womb.

“In the last 9 months I have never slept so little in my life.

“In the last nine months I have suffered my worst anxiety I have ever experienced. Having a new baby is exhausting and life just doesn’t stop. The bills still need to be paid, Groceries still need to be purchased and the pressure you put on yourself is overwhelming.

“We expect ourselves to know what we’re doing all the time. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first or if it’s your third you’re still learning daily. The first 9 months of your babies life is filled with guessing, rocking, smiling and crying. The amount of pressure we put ourselves isn’t fair.

9 months out of the womb. In the last 9 months I have never slept so little in my life. In the last nine months I have suffered my worst anxiety I have ever experienced. Having a new baby is exhausting and life just doesn’t stop. The bills still need to be paid, Groceries still need to be purchased and the pressure you put on yourself is overwhelming. We expect ourselves to know what we’re doing all the time. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first or if it’s your third you’re still learning daily. The first 9 months of your babies life is filled with guessing, rocking, smiling and crying. The amount of pressure we put ourselves isn’t fair. We aren’t invincible. We’re humans and we’re mothers. It’s okay to have days that you don’t feel good enough. It’s okay to feel like you have no idea what day it is. You’ve got this. We’ve got this. Some women seem to have it all. Well so we think. Some women don’t. I don’t. I didn’t have the motivation to even get dressed for the first 9 months let alone get my pre baby body back. And that’s ok. If you do have the motivation good on you! Life challenges us daily. We are given new obstacles every single day. There’s always tomorrow!

A photo posted by M E L W A T T S (@themodernmumma) on Jul 5, 2016 at 3:33am PDT

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“We aren’t invincible.

“We’re humans and we’re mothers.

“It’s okay to have days that you don’t feel good enough.

“It’s okay to feel like you have no idea what day it is. You’ve got this. We’ve got this. Some women seem to have it all. Well so we think. Some women don’t. I don’t. I didn’t have the motivation to even get dressed for the first 9 months let alone get my pre baby body back. And that’s ok. If you do have the motivation good on you!

“Life challenges us daily.

“We are given new obstacles every single day. There’s always tomorrow!”

Many of the commenters thanked her for sharing the photo.

“I have a 6 week old and anxiety ridden. This post gives me hope. We are all in the struggle muddling our way thru,” wrote one. “Thank you for your honesty and truth,” commented another.

While Mel mentioned her body only briefly, the photo she shared shows her beautiful post baby belly. This too struck a chord with many commenters.

"It's okay to have days that you don't feel good enough." Image supplied.

"Lovely post, I have a 6 month old and tell myself I am lazy for not having my post mummy body back. But stuff it! I am on maternity leave enjoying my beautiful daughter and eating to keep up the energy."

"Your words are just what I needed this morning, and this picture is what I have needed the last several years! Just to know my tummy looks like someone's else's out there!!!"

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The photo is now sitting on 7000 likes on Instagram and nearly 1000 shares on Facebook.

In a time where we are literally saturated with content about the experience of motherhood, with everything from celebrities like Chrissy Tiegen and Blake Lively giving us a peak behind the glossy magazine covers into their lives to the daily posts from close friends and families, that a post like Mel's could get such a response clearly shows that mums are crying out for a sense of solidarity, to know that they're not alone.

As Instagram user, @smellslikehome wrote, "Dude. Thank you. Thank you for telling us you got Botox. Thank you for for not posting perfectly cropped photos that lead everyone to believe you've got it together. I've never been so tired and so on edge in my life with the added bonus of new and deepening wrinkles, my first grey hairs and absolutely no effing desire to workout and then I fill my overly tired brain with social media lies that tell me I'm the only one who's struggling."

For more from Mel Watts you can check out her blog, follow her on Instagram or Facebook, or you could even sign up to go to a live event she's holding.

For more honesty in motherhood, Jessica Rowe on her experience of post natal depression.