Photographer celebrates the reality of our bodies after birth

A photo documentary, called The 4th Trimester Bodies Project, is celebrating the beauty of post-baby bodies.

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The project features black-and-white pictures of nearly nude mothers with their adorable children.

The photographer behind the project, Ashlee Wells Jackson, is a mother herself – to 7-year-old son Xavier, twin daughters Nova, 10 months, and Aurora, who died due to complications of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.

Speaking to the HuffPost, Ashlee said: "This project has been a necessity in my mind for years now.

"After coming out the other side of a very traumatic pregnancy and birth experience, and struggling with the strangeness of my new body, I felt like it was finally time to make this project a reality.

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“I see beautiful, inspiring, real women on a daily basis who struggle with their body image because they don’t feel they measure up to who the media tells them to be. I feel like this is even more poignant in mothers who often feel like their bodies have been ruined, when they should instead be respected for creating, sustaining and nourishing life. So much more needs to be done in our society to embrace body positivity and normalize breastfeeding.

"So, I started with my story and it has exploded into a beautiful thing from there.”

See more pictures from the project by clicking next...

Photos: The 4th Trimester Bodies Project
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Linny Foerg and 3-month-old, Willow born by cesarean

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Heidi Holmberg and 11-month-old, Elijah who was born at home

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Beth Carpenter and 10-month-old Willa

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Lovelyn Palm and 13-month-old twins Emelia and Evelyn

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Katie Seibel with 15-week-old Ethan

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Allison Kaputanoff and 6-week-old Henry

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Monica Zibutus and 21-month-old Henry

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