
She had long struggled with her weight, so Joanna was nervous about how her body image would deal with having four babies in five years. But she’s now shared her journey to healthy acceptance of her post-baby body — and it’s pretty inspirational.
It’s supposed to be an exciting time in the lives of mothers-to-be, but pregnancy can also be full of scary hormonal changes and weight fluctuation that can leave you feeling overwhelmed and even disconnected from yourself.
Joanna Venditi from Canada, has given birth three times — first to her son Holden, then daughter Beau, and most recently, twin girls Mia and Everly.
But the self-confessed weight-obsessive didn’t easily find happiness in her constantly changing body.

On her blog, Nesting Story, Joanna has now shared the details of her ongoing body images issues, and her struggle to enjoy her pregnancies and post-baby body.
Related content: The full body project. Raw, real and extremely beautiful.
“Although I coped with my size and weight gain really well during my twin pregnancy, after having my girls was a different story. My postpartum body was literally bruised and battered,” she wrote.
“My distracting enormous but adorable baby bump had been deflated and I was left with mush, bruising, swollen ankles and healing from a c-section. I had this sadness for my body. I felt so badly for it with the state it was in and at the same time was so grateful for what it had do.”
Top Comments
I think this is a great idea- to see your body for what it has achieved, rather than how it looks. I have five kids including twins (no. 4 & 5) and my body will never be the same again- I've accepted that. I'm also 12 years older than I was before I had kids, so its inevitable that some things are gonna sag a little more! But I am in awe of what the female body can do, growing one baby, let alone two. I also had very healthy pregnancies and great births/breastfeeding, which I think really helps me see my body as amazing, even if it doesn't really look so great anymore :)
So glad to see real momas with real bodies I just had my baby four months ago and feel enormous pressure to fit my pre pregnancy clothes... It's a horrible struggle to accept our new body and not being allowed to make extreme diets while you are breastfeeding but you're right we are blessed! not every woman can have the oportunity and the joy to carry in her bump her baby... We just have to make healthy eating, excersise and give time some time :) we all should be proud