Ashley Graham Reveals Stretch Marks After Giving Birth to Son

(Image credit: Frazer Harrison)

published 18 February 2020

Ashley Graham is one of the few celebrities who authentically celebrate their bodies—and not just in a single Instagram post. Graham gave birth to her first child with her husband, Justin Ervin, in January. Ever since, she's been posting photos of her postpartum body while also getting candid about motherhood.

One of Graham's first post-baby Instagram posts talked about what typically remains undiscussed with new mothers: wearing diapers. "Raise your hand if you didn’t know you’d be changing your own diapers too🙋🏻‍♀️ After all these years in fashion I never could’ve guessed that disposable underwear would be my favorite piece of clothing but here we are," she captioned her post. "No one talks about the recovery and healing (yes even the messy parts) new moms go through. I wanted to show you guys that it’s not all rainbows and butterflies."

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In another post after giving birth to her son, Isaac Menelik Giovanni Ervin, the model posted a photo of herself breastfeeding while drinking a cup of coffee in a restaurant. (She had posted another breastfeeding pic a couple weeks before.) I mean...a superwoman!

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Most recently, Graham posted a pic of the stretch marks on her stomach, showing the world that her body will continue to change after giving birth and that's okay. She simply captioned the photo, "same me. few new stories."

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Graham doesn't have to post any of these photos, but by doing so she's giving women a glimpse into real life as a new mom, which can be scary and complicated and confusing. We appreciate you, Ashley!

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Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also launched and managed the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop.