Ashley Graham Tackles Snapback Culture 1 Instagram Post at a Time, and We're So Grateful

Graham has no intention of changing her postpartum body. "Like, I'm not trying to go back to something," she tells POPSUGAR. "I had to have that talk with myself a few times, but I think as long as you have the tools and you know that it's in you, it can happen. It can be a tough road watching your body change. At least for me, it was a tough road watching my body change so drastically with all these pregnancies back to back. And, you know, just throwing in a twin pregnancy and seeing your stomach get stretched out."

That's exactly what we should see more of, Graham says: the real postpartum experience. "I felt like I have such a big following and I have shared so much up until this part of my life that I needed to share this as well, to normalize so much that happens to our bodies . . . and how things just sometimes don't go back to normal."

On Nov. 29, 2022, the model and mom shared an Instagram post of close-up photos showcasing super-short, wispy strands of hair sticking straight up on her hairline that she captioned, "I mean at least it's growing #postpartumhairloss."

Instagram users sounded off in the comments of Graham's post, joking with her and assuring her that they could relate. "I felt this!" fellow model Coco Rocha commented, while another user added: "Omg, I thought I am the only one looking like this 😅😅😅 I feel so much better now, thank you for being so transparent with your postpartum journey."

On Nov. 2, 2022, the supermodel and mother of three shared an unfiltered look at her "new tummy" after welcoming twins 10 months earlier. "Hi new tummy. You look very different from what I'm use to," she wrote over an Instagram Stories selfie of her bare stomach on display, stretch marks and all. She concluded with a note of gratitude, adding, "But I do appreciate you" alongside a heart-hands emoji.

In a June 2022 Instagram post, she shared a video of herself in a bra and undies with the caption: "Posting this video for all the mamas who haven't and may never 'bounce back,' and for anyone who needs to be reminded that your body is beautiful in its realest form. This is my strong, five-month-postpartum-been-pregnant-for-two-years body. As it is. In hopes to further normalize ALL bodies in every and any stage of life." In the video, she's smiling, having fun, and smacking her bum to encourage fellow mothers to embrace their bodies as they are. Well-known body-positive influencer @thebirdspapaya commented, "bounce forward babyyyyy," while Chelsea Handler said, "Dat ass."

In a deeply personal essay penned for Glamour on May 20, 2022, Graham candidly reflected on her experience with giving birth to twins and learning to love her postpartum body.

"Like so many women, what I went through with childbirth has reshaped my relationship with my body — and I say this knowing that I am the person who has been shouting from the rooftops to you all, 'Love the skin you're in,'" she says. "Yet for me, the births of all my three children threw a lot of that out of the window."

Later in her letter, Graham described the immense stress she felt over being expected to "snap back" after giving birth. "I have always fought against unfair and unrealistic standards and yet, if I am being completely honest, here I was, expecting myself to snap back. And fast," she said. "I was like, 'You don't understand. I used to be a sex symbol, and now I am a baby-making machine and I have stretch marks up to my belly button. What the eff is happening?' Then one day I just stopped and thought, 'Screw it, this is my life.'"

Right before Mother's Day last year, Graham posted a photo of her pulling double duty with her 5-month-old twins — aka breastfeeding them both at the same time. Or as Graham wrote in the caption, "Double fisting."

Despite the positive body image she has come to be known for, particularly following her first pregnancy and postpartum experience, Graham told POPSUGAR that it doesn't come naturally to her.

"Because our bodies are always changing, it's always going to be this tug and pull of where you are with your body," she said. "So now with this pregnancy, I actually haven't even weighed myself because I just don't want to know. And it's been really beneficial for me because my health isn't determined by my weight. I know that I'm taking great care of myself and the boys, but there is this constant conversation that I'm having with myself, like: 'Your body is a vessel. Your body is strong. Your body is meant to do this.' And the affirmations never go away."

In an honest discussion on an October 2020 episode of "Red Table Talk," Graham chatted with Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield-Norris about being mom-shamed and how they deal with the trolls.

Graham, who gave birth to her son Isaac eight months before the episode, got candid about receiving hate from both people on social media and close family members regarding everything from breastfeeding in public to changing her son's diaper on the floor. "It's interesting because my whole career has been based around body shaming because I'm a curvy girl who has come into a skinny world, and said that my body, and other bodies like mine, need to be normalized," she said. "I knew that [mom-shaming] was coming and I was ready to combat it, but it never feels good to have someone tell you that you're not doing a good enough job, that you're doing something wrong."

She also opened up about being attacked on Instagram for trying to normalize breastfeeding in public for new mothers. "My whole career is based off of being sexy and my breasts have been the forefront of many magazine covers, so then to flip to my baby is there sucking on them, I think that people just had to switch their minds, but they are multi-purposeful," she said.

In a post on her Instagram account in October 2020, Graham shared a series of photos featuring her and 8-month-old Isaac spending some quality time together. In addition to appreciating the general sweetness of the photo series, one commenter called out how refreshing it is to see a mom showing off her postpartum body. "I love your constant push to normalize bodies, embrace motherhood, and rock your sexuality," they wrote.

In an interview for Elle's August 2020 digital issue, she shared her experience of new motherhood, from the pain of childbirth to life postpartum. "First of all, I had no idea it was going to hurt that bad," Graham said of being in labor, jumping right into the real details of childbirth. "Let me just go there for a second: Every mother talks about, 'Oh yeah, it's painful.' Whether they got an epidural or not, or a C-section, whatever happened, they're like, 'Yeah, it hurt.' And they say it kind of calmly like that. They don't go into the astronomical pain that you go through, especially if you choose to go natural. So there's that."

In honor of International Women's Day 2020, Graham shared a candid photo of herself during labor with her son Isaac on Instagram, proving that becoming a mom makes you one tough cookie.

"This is the face of my greatest strength," she captioned the emotional photo of her home birth. "The greatest pain I've ever known and the greatest accomplishment that I've ever achieved. On this International Women's Day understand that despite whatever pain or trial we have all experienced as women, we are also strong, powerful and capable of accomplishing greatness. Happy International Women's Day! Let's all celebrate our, and each other's strengths today."

Three weeks after welcoming Isaac into the world, the new mom wrote an ode to her postpartum undies in a February 2020 Instagram post.

"Raise your hand if you didn't know you'd be changing your own diapers too," she joked in the caption. "After all these years in fashion I never could've guessed that disposable underwear would be my favorite piece of clothing but here we are! No one talks about the recovery and healing (yes even the messy parts) new moms go through. I wanted to show you guys that it's not all rainbows and butterflies!"

While pregnant with her first son, she shared an inspiring post about how her body was accommodating her baby. "Throughout my pregnancy so far I've gained 50lbs," Graham revealed in a caption. "And the best part is, I don't care! I have never felt better, and I am so thankful that my body and son have allowed me to be as mobile and flexible as I have been."

She credited her smooth experience to an active lifestyle. "Between working out, yoga, acupuncture and lymphatic massages — I finally feel like I figured out this whole pregnancy thing and how to feel my best." Thankfully, Graham continues to share her positive mindset throughout the ups and downs of postpartum life.