An Australian mother has penned a powerful open letter to body shamers who told her she had "let herself go" after having children.
In a Facebook post republished on Kidspot, mother-of-three Laura Mazz spoke openly about the pressures of maintaining a perfect body after having children.
"I was told recently that I had let myself go. I've gained some weight, my eyebrows are shaggy, got a couple of chin hairs. And so it goes, I've let myself go," she wrote in the Facebook post earlier this month, accompanied by a candid clothesless selfie.
"It's just like after I, and many other women, put on weight during pregnancy, don't 'bounce back' we are labelled as letting ourselves go."
Mazz wrote that women face pressure to always be looking effortlessly "perfect".
"No one is meant to know that getting dressed up, applying makeup, fixing your wrinkles, exercising, lip filler, getting your nails done, shaving your legs - all of that is work. When we do that, we appear normal. When we don't, we've let ourself go."
She added a message to other women to remember their worth should not be based on their appearance.
"You don't have to wear the most flattering outfit to be considered beautiful. You don't have to dye your greys to be considered smart. If you want to wear something that feels comfortable, why not wear something that feels comfortable?" she questioned.
"Mothers don't let themselves go, however they let a lot of things go. Like sleep, time to themselves, their own self!
"Having some extra weight and bushy eyebrows is not a crime and I won't apologise for it. My body is not an apology. I don't owe anyone 'health' either."
"So yeah I've let a lot of things go... But me? letting myself go? No, I'm just embracing it and letting myself be."
The post has racked up over 2000 likes and 300 shares, with other mums praising Mazz for her candidacy.
"You inspire all of us! Some days it is hard to love ourselves. Helps to have you remind me that we are perfect the way we are!" one woman wrote.
"Thank you so much for being brave enough to post this - I think your words will resonate with many women, they certainly have with me," another added.
Mazz has become well known for her candid posts on parenting. Earlier this year she went on a furious rant after being called "lazy" for allowing her kids to play on iPads.
