Hollyoaks actress Nadine Mulkerrin has shared photos of how her body has changed since she has given birth.
The 26-year-old, who welcomed her first child last week with co-star Rory Douglas-Speed, said motherhood is the “best rollercoaster” she’s ever been on.
Posting a photo of her body in early pregnancy, in her final trimester, and one week postpartum, Mulkerrin wrote on Instagram: “The recovery is tough, the tears have lifted, my tits are big brown aggressive and slightly Pamela Anderson-esque but you can’t do anything fun with them.
“Between getting your partner to inject you and put suppositories in mysterious places it’s been a barrel of laughs!”
Mulkerrin added that all mums are “amazing”, and wrote: “It’s true it’s all worth it.”
Her post had more than 2,000 comments, with other mums praising her for sharing a realistic view of the beginning of motherhood.
“So brave to do this,” one person wrote. “More women should be proud of their bodies after birth, not sad. We just created life for nine months be proud of what you and your bodies done. This is very inspiring!”
Another mum commented: “This is one of the best posts I’ve seen all week! The recovery is tough and I think real posts like this really help us, especially when Instagram life is usually so glam. Thank you.”
Mulkerrin followed in the footsteps of her co-star and friend Jennifer Metcalfe, who played Mercedes in the Channel 4 show. Back in 2017, Metcalfe posted a photo of her body four weeks after she had given birth.
“Four weeks after my boy vacated his apartment, this is what I’m left with and it really isn’t that bad,” she wrote.
“I know a lot of women feel anxious about what their postpartum body will look like, but for me, this was the least of my worries. The boobs have finally settled down. Where my flat tummy-turned-bump once was, I now have a squishy bit of comfort for both my boys.”