Ali Fedotowsky-Manno isn’t hiding her post-baby body!
The former Bachelorette — who welcomed her second child, son Riley Doran, on May 24 — got candid on social media Monday, sharing three photos that showed off her postpartum stomach in what she described as “her most vulnerable Instagram post ever.”
“I’ve gone back-and-forth 1 million times in my head on whether not I wanted to post it,” explained Fedotowsky-Manno, 33. “But at the end of the day, I know it’s important to be open and honest about my postpartum body in hopes that it helps even one person out there who is struggling with their own body image.”
“If you swipe to see the second photo in this post, you see that my body has changed,” she added. “My skin around my stomach is very loose and stretched out, I’m 15lbs heavier than I used to be, and my cup size has grown quite significantly.”
The lifestyle blogger also used her Instagram Story to share photos and video of her “extra fat” and the “loose” skin around her belly, admitting she was “so nervous” to do so and writing, “This is what my body really looks like and I am okay with that. I LOVE my body!”
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In an accompanying blog post, Fedotowsky-Manno credited Lilly & Lime for their ability to “help women everywhere feel more comfortable in their own skin” (the swimwear brand boasts sizes ranging from 28D to 40HH) and reveals she was inspired to post about her body because she didn’t want to mislead her followers.
“I’ve gotten so many comments from people on my recent Instagram photos saying that they can’t believe how much I bounced back to my pre-pregnancy body. Or someone will say something like, ‘I wish I looked that good after having a baby!’ ” she wrote. “And while I appreciate the positive comments, you guys are always so good to me, I keep trying to explain that I’m just good at picking out clothes that flatter my body and hide my tummy.”
Added Fedotowsky-Manno, “And I’ve tried to assure many of you that I haven’t completely bounced back and that my body has changed – a lot! But as much as I say that, I feel like it’s hard to believe unless I show you guys. I want you all to see me as I really am, and to know that I’m not perfect and I struggle with my postpartum body just like many other women out there do.”
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Fedotowsky-Manno (who also shares 2-year-old daughter Molly Sullivan with husband Kevin Manno) said part of her inspiration behind the post was “to share my insecurities with all of you and let you know that I’m human too!”
“And look, everybody is different. I bounced back pretty quickly after I gave birth to Molly,” she admitted. “But things are different this time and I’m okay with that.”
“I’m learning to love my body and embrace how it’s changed,” added the mother of two. “I hope I get back to my pre-pregnancy shape one day, but that may never happen. And if it doesn’t, that’s okay.”
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