Last week, Ohio lifestyle photographer Erica Andrews gave birth to her fifth child at home. Less than a day later, still reeling from the experience, she uploaded a raw selfie to her Instagram account.
"This is what 24 hours postpartum looks like," the accompanying caption reads. "Baby in sling. Skin to skin. Adult diapers. And a rosy glow."
The photo sparked an outpouring of appreciation from other mothers, but it wasn't until the baby-sling manufacturer Sakura Bloom shared the image on their own Facebook page that it truly exploded.
The photographer continued: "Standing there that night looking at myself in the mirror, I fell in love with my body. It has grown, carried, birthed, and fed five beings. I felt called to share its beauty with my amazing Instagram friends and followers."
"You see things like this happen on social media daily and I never thought it would be an image of me...let alone an image so intimate...but knowing that so many mothers have resonated with the image and/or words has made it worth it."
