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A new mum who bravely bore her postpartum body online was shocked when she was met with hurtful comments from body-shamers.
Mia Somerville, 24, went viral on TikTok after getting raw and honest about the changes that pregnancy made to her stomach, explaining that she had been told she would need plastic surgery if she ever wanted to get back to her original body type. Here's what she had to say:
Although Mia insisted that she 'would not change anything for the world' after welcoming her 'beautiful little girl' Pippa, she did wonder if she'd ever get her pre-baby body back.
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"I've had two physios tell me that if I want my bellybutton to look like this again, I'll need plastic surgery," she said, showing followers an old photo of her physique.
The Canberra-based mum then pulled up her jumper reveal what her belly now looks like post-pregnancy.
"I'm not saying that my new body is bad. It's just different... a lot of stretching happens in those last few weeks. I have a three-finger ab-separation, a mild prolapse, and a belly button that will probably never look the same.
"This is just what I'm getting used to. And what things look like after you give birth."
Most of the feedback from Mia's video was wonderfully positive, with mums and mums-to-be thanking her for being so vulnerable and honest, and making them feel more comfortable about their own bodies.
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"Omg it's so relieving seeing someone else with the same stomach as mine before pregnancy and then the same after," commented one viewer.
"So refreshing to see a postpartum body," wrote a second.
"This makes me feel normal about my own body. Thank you," penned a third.
But unfortunately, not everyone was as kind and some, less thoughtful viewers who commented under Mia's post suggested that they would 'hate' to look like her after giving birth.
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"TikTok is the app where I think people feel free to be as rude as they want," she told news.com.au.
“So many people said they’d hate to look like me, or that it was ‘horrible’ or ‘gross’. The saddest ones were those that said things like, ‘Now I’m never having kids.’
“To think we live in a world where people would rather forgo the incredible journey of becoming a parent, just because of how they might look, is really depressing.
“It is also just plain insulting. It is basically saying that a woman’s only purpose in life is to look attractive and perfect."
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Eventually, Mia decided to fire back at one of the cruel comments, writing: "Actually, I don't look horrible."
On her body image now, she said: "Apart from a little bit of loose skin and stretch marks, I think personally I look great.
"I’m three-and-a-half months post-partum, and I feel amazing.
"People can be so horrible online, but I don’t let it bother me."
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@miasomerville1Topics: Parenting, Health, TikTok