Childbirth is beautiful. But it isn’t always easy. A mom expecting triplets turned to social media to document her (sometimes uncomfortable) pregnancy. There, she shared openly about her ‘strange’ bump and postpartum body. And the Internet responded in the most amazing way! Today, it always seems as if we’re hearing stories of how folks are using social media for online bullying, body-shaming, and much more. So, it’s refreshing to hear something positive. And that’s what makes Maria Nordø Jørstad’s online experience so awesome.
Maria Nordø Jørstad, who is originally from Norway but lives in Denmark, has been sharing snaps of her adorable triplets – Iben, Filip, and Agnes – and also her ever-changing body on her Instagram account, Triplets of Copenhagen. Because of her beautiful belly, thousands of people on the internet have been watching Maria’s pregnancy on Instagram since the beginning of the year. Maria is expecting triplets, and the odd form she has taken has gotten a lot of attention on the internet.
They were set to expand their family by three when they revealed that they were expecting two girls and a boy. Maria, like many other pregnant mothers, went to social media to update her followers on her pregnancy and ultrasound images. Here were rather exceptional, as you might imagine.
Since they were recording the amazing growth of three inside a belly, instead of one. “At first there were strange comments, people tagging their friends, and so on. But, over time, the response has become more positive,” the happy mother-to-be claims. “I’m proud of my stomach! I’m also surprised at how it can be so big without falling down. It’s amazing!”
The mother-of-four is keen to speak about the ‘taboo’ topic of her post-baby body and hasn’t shied away from talking about how long she is taking to recover. Maria said: ‘I think I had it in the back of my mind to continue taking pictures after giving birth, I thought it would be interesting to show the other side of it as well because there aren’t many people who share that. My stomach is still showing, I was kind of surprised that it was still so big. I didn’t know that it takes such a long time to shrink.
Her most recent belly update was taken at four weeks post-birth. “I still have a weird-looking hanging belly, and I am a bit surprised it has not gotten smaller,” she says. “It’s a little disheartening, to be honest, and I’m not thrilled to publish this photo.”
On the plus side, she claims to be feeling more like herself, and her incision no longer aches. ‘I found it kind of interesting, this is the reality for many women and you never see pictures like that.’ Another added: ‘I’m so glad you posted this picture because it is horrible [that we] live in a fake world… Not every woman has a beautiful body after pregnancy…’ One Instagram follower wrote: ‘Thank you for being so honest and brave! Lots of Love and Respect from Germany!’
Now the mother, who works as a producer on documentaries, is hoping her story will inspire others to share their own and be honest about their bodies after giving birth. She feels that the world is changing and that more women are becoming more comfortable expressing their true stories, particularly in the post-Me Too age. ‘I believe there has been a tiny revolution in the last few years – with the Me Too and Time’s Up movements at the forefront – where women have begun to speak up about gender concerns that were previously taboo,’ Maria continued. There is no mention of it. “And social media has been the biggest platform to share these personal stories, like how you look and feel after giving birth.”
She plans to continue sharing her postpartum body and her eagerness to get her body back to normal. Maria added: ‘I compared it with my first pregnancy where I got back to shape really quickly. I just want my body back and to wear normal clothes again, I’m still having to wear pregnancy trousers and pants and it’s so heavy to carry around.’ The three happy and healthy triples arrived safely in this.
