Jill Krause is not here for the picture-perfect portrayals of parenthood that clutter social media feeds and instead wants to tell mothers everywhere that it's OK to not be your best self in the moments after giving birth.
Jill - who blogs under the name Baby Rabies - has shared a powerful post of herself sitting on the toilet after giving birth to her latest child in the hope of resonating with fellow new mums and at the same time to thank the nurses who "treated me with such kindness and dignity" when she felt so vulnerable.
Jill took to Facebook to share the photo which show a nurse tending to her while her knickers are around her ankles. She wrote: "I'll never forget the faces of the nurses who followed me into the bathroom after delivering each baby. That moment when I was so vulnerable, so tired, scared, shaky.
"My swollen belly deflating, and my modesty long gone. They treated me with such kindness and dignity. For me, these have been moments of empowerment and confirmation that I have a real village to help me, even if just for that little bit of time in a bathroom, on a toilet, while a kind nurse shows me how to put an ice pad on my mesh undies. This photo by my friend MommaKT Shoots just takes me right back. Like, I can smell the Dermaplast. Let's hear it for the nurses and the doulas and anyone else who shows us how to make ice pad underwear (or helps with that first shower post c-section)!"
Unsurprisingly, Jill was flooded with positive comments, with many mothers taking the time to share their own stories. One wrote: "My postpartum nurse did EXACTLY this...so the image struck a chord with me. It takes a special person to serve as selflessly as a great OB nurse. They are my heroes!" Another added: "Immediately after my first was born, the nurse turned to me and said, "I know you just had a baby, but the hospital kitchen closes in 10 minutes and I can score you some chicken nuggets and fries if we move fast!" I hadn't eaten in almost 24 hours. I wanted to kiss her!"
A nurse also commented, saying it was a pleasure to be able to play a part in women's journey through birth. She wrote: "Us nurses can smell the Dermoplast too! Love this pic and post. All of us labor nurses took one look and said....yep, that's what we do! And we would not have it any other way. It is truly our pleasure and honor to help women through the journey of birth and everything that comes with it. Including that first walk, ice diapers, Dermoplast and being the guest police if baby has to eat now."
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