Childbirth is truly something to cherish, but the physical recovery for the mother is rarely talked about.
Celebrities are often raved about for the shape they quickly return to after giving birth - it is often glossed over that these people are usually millionaires with access to the best personal trainers available, and often derive an income from their body image.
The circumstances are far more difficult for regular women - stretch marks and weight gain are commonplace for any new mothers.
Instead of keeping silent about the process, motherhood blogger Laura Mazza captured her struggles in a telling Facebook post.
Firstly she begins by talking about how she felt her husband would be disappointed with her new shape, which she described as transformed from the toned figure she had when they first met.
However, her husbands response was one of overriding love and compassion - which soon banished any thoughts Laura had of embarrassment.
She started:
“ The body he fell in love with was toned, it had muscles, there were no stretch marks on my belly, none on my boobs, no gut from muscle separation.
The body he fell in love with fit into tight jeans, could walk into a shop and grab any size and walk out, knowing it fit.„
Then her husband responded:
“ Then he said, ‘you’re right. It isn’t the body I fell in love with. Instead it’s a body that grew our children, it fed our children, it comforted our children, it made life.
Your body is the one I fall in love with every day. I didn’t know what love was until I saw this body and found out all it could do, so thank you.„
Laura concluded:
“ Do not be ashamed of what you have, or what your mum body looks like.
If you needed a reminder, this is it, this body you have now, its worth every bit of love and more.„
Mazza, from Melbourne, Australia, runs the blog Mum on the Run where she documents her thoughts on life with her two children, Luca and Sofia.
Her frank and honest account of how her body has changed since giving birth has already been shared over 56,000 times on Facebook.
