Stacey Solomon praised for 'realistic' swimsuit photos: 'Doing it for all us mamas'
'I’ll be honest growing up society’s vibe did make me feel like I definitely wouldn’t be the girl who got to do swimwear shoots,' commented the mum of five.
Stacey Solomon has been praised for sharing a series of swimsuit photographs on Instagram.
The 33-year-old Loose Women presenter posted a carousel of selfies taken next to her pool wearing bikinis, one-piece swimsuits and cover-ups.
Read more: Stacey Solomon's relatable mum 'mishap' saw her breastfeed in car while half naked - Yahoo Life UK, 2-min read
"Just because… I felt bloody beautiful today! I’ll be honest growing up society’s vibe did make me feel like I definitely wouldn’t be the girl who got to do swimwear shoots. So I’m marking these moments," the TV personality wrote in the caption.
"I love that I didn’t have to worry about my bum cheeks flopping out or having to shave within an inch of my life in any of these."
Fans were quick to praise the mum-of-five, calling her 'gorgeous' and an 'incredible role model'.
"You look amaaaazing and you’re an incredible role model for young girls who are finding their way in a superficial and judgemental world. You give them an amazing piece of reality and love," @ouralteredlife wrote.
"Doing it for all us mamas. You look bloody lush Stace!" @missgreedyshome added, while @ourcornishsanctuary said: "You look incredible! We need more people like you to be role models for our children who are growing up in such a judgemental world! As a mum of a teenage girl, I hope she always loves herself, never compares herself to others and doesn’t try to do anyone but her!"
Read more: Stacey Solomon shares bikini photo as she reveals she's 'so grateful' for her body that brought her family here - Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read
Another user, @hayleymorrisphotographystudio said: "So refreshing! Thank you for being a role model that people can look up to for normalising our bodies and the amazing things our bodies do, showing comfort, confidence and self love (and appreciation). It’s wonderful for people out of the spotlight who look up to others to see people not photoshopped, no crazy silly poses, no airbrushing or hideous filters."
Solomon replied, commenting: "Nicest messages ever love you all."
Solomon gave birth to her and Joe Swash’s third child together, daughter Belle, in February. She also has two older sons from previous relationships.
Growing acceptance that all bodies are different
Solomon’s images come just a day after singer Jessie J was praised for posting a video of herself in her underwear at six weeks postpartum.
"No ads, just a little six weeks postpartum self love," the 35-year-old captioned the video of her dancing in her bathroom.
"Love it! Be proud!! Showing others they can too!" one follower, @jessicanday wrote.
One reason for the praise aimed at both Solomon and Jessie J could be because it is rare to see 'normal' postpartum bodies on social media. In fact, a study from 2022 found that unrealistic images of post-baby bodies could be placing extra stress on new mums, leading to low body satisfaction.
The study from the University of Sydney found that viewing images of new mothers with lower body fat "may worsen body satisfaction at this already vulnerable life stage".
Read more: Expert reveals ideal age gap for kids as Stacey Solomon says having three kids under three is 'full on' - Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read
"These images are presenting an 'idealised' version of the postpartum body, which may contribute to body dissatisfaction in postpartum women who view such imagery," study author Dr Megan Gow of the almost 1,000 images tagged #postpartum that are uploaded to Instagram daily.
To fix the issue, the study authors suggested that the platform should include health information for new mothers to target 'psychological well-being to optimise postpartum health'.
Watch: Stacey Solomon knows 'nothing in this industry is guaranteed'
