On January 4, Peta Murgatroyd and fiancé Maksim Chmerkovskiy welcomed their baby boy Shai into the world. Eight days later, the Dancing With The Stars personality snapped a mirror selfie, Us Weekly reports. She decided to share it over the weekend along with an important message.
Wearing nothing but a bra and leggings, Murgatroyd had her post-birth body on full display. In doing so, she dispelled a common myth about pregnancy.
"Real life: I took this photo 8 days post birth. I left the hospital looking 5 months pregnant," the post begins. "Many people think a woman should shrink right back to her pre-birth weight immediately. That is just not the truth for most."
The Australian dancer has a point. When it comes to pop culture, not only are women's bodies often hidden away following a pregnancy, they're also pressured to resume their "normal" shape as quickly as possible. This includes intense diets and workouts when really, women are fighting against something completely natural.
"The female body is incredible and resilient, but healing and strengthening take time," Murgatroyd continued. "Now it's time for patience and hard work. Lots of love to all the new mamas out there on the journey."
Her transparency is a good reminder for soon-to-be moms, and everyone else, that there's no right way for a body to look.