ISKRA Lawrence has hit back at trolls who blasted her for sharing footage of her home birth on Instagram.
The British model, 34, who is already a mum to four-year-old son Alpha, recently welcomed a second child with partner Philip Payne.
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Iskra told her over 5 million Instagram followers that she wanted to share “intimate unfiltered moments” from her daughter’s home birth because she “regretted” not documenting her experience with Alpha.
She tagged Philip, her midwife, and doula in the caption of the video showing her pushing her baby out in a bathtub.
The clip captured the moment her daughter was born, latched for the first time, and had her umbilical cord cut.
“Birth is a miracle, I’m forever grateful to have my babies and @philipapayne,” Iskra said.
“I hope I can inspire you to see birth as something magical and that you and your baby know exactly what to do and you are capable.”
Despite asking for viewers to be “kind and open-minded,” trolls flooded the comment section arguing that the birth video was inappropriate for social media.
“How tf [the f**k] is this allowed on ig,” one person said.
“Unpopular opinion: some intimate moments don’t have to be shared vividly with millions of strangers,” another wrote.
“Some moments should stay private,” a third commented. “Just a family thing.
“I have a video of my birth and I could not even imagine sharing it with the world. Not only because of what’s in it but because it’s special to me.”
Iskra shared a collection of photos of her home birth in a follow-up post as she confessed to being aware that her video would be “controversial.”
“Birth is not shameful. It’s the most beautiful, primal and powerful experience I’ve ever had,” she said.
“During labour I have never more alive, more connected to a higher power or able to surrender fully to something bigger than me.
“My body is not here to be appealing or appropriate for the uncomfortable men who made those comments on my home birth video.
“And I hope you know we never need to dim our light, apologize for being bold or make decisions based on others’ opinions.”
How do women’s figures change after giving birth?
TO SAY the body changes during pregnancy and childbirth is an understatement.
Throughout the nine months it takes for the body to bring a baby into the world, it goes through some huge physical changes.
Considering how different the body looks during pregnancy, it’s not surprising that there are some lasting changes.
And it some ways, it never does, Doctor Rachel Ward, a GP at Woodlands Medical Centre, Derby, said.
1. Wider ribcage and hips
“During pregnancy in order to accommodate a growing baby and prepare for giving birth, our body produces a hormone called relaxin,” she explained.
Relaxin works by increasing the flexibility and movement in our joints and ligaments.
“Many women find that after pregnancy the shape of their pelvis and ribcage remains different,” Dr Rachel said.
It is common to need a different bra size due to a change in chest circumference, the expert said.
“This is a reminder of the changes your body made to accommodate your baby and is nothing to be worried about,” she added.
2. Change in skin colour
During pregnancy, most women experience skin changes as it stretches to accommodate your bump and enlarging breasts.
“It is not uncommon to develop stretch marks.
“Though they will often fade over time and become a shiny pale colour, depending on your skin tone they will not go away completely,” Dr Rachel said.
“Some people do not like the way stretch marks look but they are an incredibly common change that we see in many people,” she added.
3. A change in breast shape
Breasts increase in size during pregnancy as the breast tissue prepares to produce milk.
And shortly after birth they will start to produce milk and become swollen, Dr Ward explained.
“If you choose to breast feed or not, it is likely that the shape, size and way your breasts look and feel will be different after pregnancy compared to before,” she added.
“This is not a problem but it is important that we do learn what the new normal is for our breasts so we can stay breast aware and pick up and changes that could be cancer.”
Iskra said she wanted to be an example of a “positive peaceful” home birth for people who may not have seen one.
She added that all mothers who’ve given birth are “literal superheroes.”
Thousands of people liked the post and praised her for being vulnerable on the social media platform.
One person described her as “empowering,” while another said her video was “helpful” for their own birth.
“@iskra, you’re an absolute warrior and a total legend for sharing the raw reality of childbirth!” a third commented.
“It is not X-rated and you’re not completely naked….. You’re beautiful, your family is beautiful and please keep doing what you do best! We love you for it.”
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