By Rebecca Drew
THIS MUM of three learnt to finally love her body after having children and has been sharing pictures of her ‘real raw’ life and LOOSE SKIN on social media to show that all bodies are beautiful in a stand against perfect images shown online.
Growing up, mum of three Sherie Grant (29) from New South Wales, Australia, always disliked her body and felt like she didn’t fit in. Sherie was often told to eat more and was accused of being ill as she had a naturally smaller frame which made her feel very insecure.
Sherie always dreamt of becoming a mother and when she fell pregnant with her first son William (4) in 2014, she was over the moon. As her body changed throughout her pregnancy in order to grow and keep her son safe, she started to notice that she had a newfound appreciation for her body and no longer felt critical of it.
Like many women, Sherie has always felt pressure to look a certain way thanks to enhanced and photoshopped images posted online. But after having her second and third sons, Casey (3) and Kye (1), she felt inspired to post refreshingly honest and unedited pictures of her postpartum life to show other women and new mums that there is beauty in imperfections.
Incredible images show Sherie with her sons, proudly displaying her loose skin and stretchmarks that are a reminder of her becoming a mum and holding a plaque promoting body positivity, in the hopes that her children will grow up loving their bodies.
Sherie shares her honest posts on Instagram under the handle @sherieheather.
“For a very long time growing up I disliked my body, as a little girl I never truly felt I fit in anywhere, I always felt like I had to be something I wasn’t and if I didn’t I would be put down or ashamed of for not following the social expectations there were,” said Sherie.
“Being told to eat more, that I look sick, and who can forget getting called ‘mosquito bites’ – they are only a few remarks and comments I got growing up and I got them a lot, I had adults commenting on my body when I was 14 years old.
“Remember the saying sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me, well words do hurt and they hurt everyone, I just felt so lost in a messy world of hate.
“Becoming a mother has shown me great strengths and lengths my body has gone through to create three beautiful children. Watching my body change dramatically showed me love and acceptance for my body.
“Bearing my own children shone a bright light on the parts of me I didn’t want to look at or learn about, I had always felt trapped in my own skin until I had my third baby boy, Kye, I felt having him had helped unlock a part of me I never knew was there not to mention my amazing supportive partner who truly picks me up when I’m feeling really down.
“I started looking at every imperfection in a different way, I felt somewhat powerful I birthed into this new person, a person with more acceptance, love and appreciation.
“I wanted to be the woman I needed as a girl, I could not believe it took me to have children to truly love my body but it has. I really wanted to help people help the world and we need to start somewhere so then I started sharing my love to empower and inspire the women and people around me by sharing my life through Instagram.
“I have always wanted to help people, seeing so many women not happy with their bodies especially new mums, it sparked a loving interest to share my real raw life with them and show them no one person or body is perfect but imperfectly beautiful. As well as a lot of my friends saying I have been an inspiration to them.
“There are so many expectations in today’s society just like when I was a child and most of what we see isn’t real, either photoshopped, edited or medically enhanced, paid enhancements etc. We get shown the perfect images but not so much raw and I think it is mentally confusing for so many people to think they need to look like a certain expectation or body type.
“I want people to know that they are beautiful in and out no matter anyone’s opinions or thoughts on them, for far too long we have had one body type directed at us straight from magazines and people wanting to make money. We need more real life bodies showing our younger generations that their bodies are uniquely beautiful no matter what society feeds them, hence why I am sharing my journey.”
Sherie has been supported by her partner, Kye Moy (32) throughout her body positive journey and has even set up her own swimwear brand, Empowered She, to encourage others to love the skin they’re in.
“Since I jumped back into social media whilst pregnant with Kye, I have connected with so many likeminded mamas and they too have boosted my confidence to keep sharing my real raw life empowering and inspiring others,” said Sherie.
“I have written lovely notes on my mirrors I have put up more inspiring quotes around my house for inspiration. I also made myself a happy box, this is a box of a heap of my favourite moments and items, I grab this out when I’m feeling down and it always picks me back up.
“I had a dream, a vision and I turned it into Empowered She, to help empower every woman and/or person on the planet, yes I knew it was going to be tough but I am persevering to push beyond my wildest dreams not just for me but everyone else.
“I designed our one-piece bikini for every woman to feel empowered, sexy and loved in the skin they are in, our campaign is all about wearing you. I started a hashtag on Instagram, the #wear_you project, in the hope of creating a connected community of women supporting and uplifting one another, sharing their raw journeys.
“My dream is for everyone to be happy. Everyone deserves to be happy, loved and worth it. I believe everyone is ‘born with it’ and should always ‘feel free to feel good’. I am so excited to be sharing my journey and I hope it is helping women everywhere, remember don’t believe everything you think, you are so strong, just own it babe, you deserve it.”
For more information see www.instagram.com/sherieheather
