Fitness trainer responds to critics of her postpartum body: Loving yourself is 'so important'
"I'd rather it come from others than myself," Emily Skye wrote on Instagram.
Emily Skye, a personal trainer and fitness model in Australia, just gave birth to her second child, a son, six months ago.
She has shared her postpartum journey with her 2.5 million followers on Instagram, and now Skye is also opening up about the negative comments she has received along the way.
"'RIP fit body.' 'Yuck.' 'Your body is ruined.' 'So much cellulite!' 'Reminds me to never have kids,'" Skye wrote in an Instagram post Monday. "Just some of the comments I’ve been receiving about my postpartum body!"
She then went on to share inspiring words for fellow parents about how to love and embrace their bodies after giving birth.
"You know what though? I’d rather it come from others than myself," she wrote. "What I think of myself & constantly tell myself is FAR more important than what others think & say to me."
"I’ve said this before - I LOVE my body so much & am grateful for everything it has done for me & my kids!," added Skye, who could not be reached by ABC News. "I made a promise to myself the day I gave birth to my son Izaac ... that if I were to ever have negative thoughts about my body I’d remind myself of what it’s done for me & how blessed I am. I haven’t yet had to remind myself though."
Skye went on to add that she is appreciating her body for what it does and is focused on giving her body "nutritious food, exercise and rest," writing, "It makes me sad when I hear people say terrible things about the way they look. Love for yourself & your body isn’t easy & takes time to learn how to do it but I believe it’s SO important."
In addition to caring for a new human life, postpartum parents are also recovering physically from giving birth, whether by vaginal delivery or cesarean section. And in addition to the physical recovery, women in the fourth trimester, the postpartum period, are also dealing with changing hormones.
Skye acknowledged the critical comments about her postpartum body can make her upset but said she has learned to "take deep breaths and let it go."
"I truly loved my body throughout my pregnancies, right after giving birth & I love it just as it is right now & will continue to love it for the rest of my life," she wrote. "I have even more reason to since becoming a mother & I want to be a good example for them."