Athlete Gets Pregnant Twice In A Short Time Period And Realizes Something Strange In Her Belly

What a difference 8 days makes. Amazing how babies fit in our bellies. The contrast here is to show stomachs don't shrink right away post delivery and you have that awkward "oh how far along are you?" Oh I am postpartum actually. #keepitreal ladies and flaunt that PP belly! #journeywithsteph #flystyle

A post shared by Stephanie Rothstein Bruce (@stephrothstein) on Sep 27, 2015 at 6:29pm PDT

Stephanie Bruce, 32, is an Olympic-hopeful athlete, World Cross Country runner and the mother of two babies. She had two children within only 15 months-her oldest is 21 months and the youngest is 6 months old. The photos she posts on her Instagram account are going viral because they unapologetically show the unglamorous reality of postpartum that other mothers also face.

Pictured right: 2 months postpartum. Pictured left: 18 months postpartum Diastasis Recti: a condition defined but rarely talked about that PP women face and are ashamed of. It's not just a cosmetic and body image topic but a functional and painful condition if left untreated. So with the latest messages and inquiries I have received from many many women over the last week I've decided to host a Facebook live chat tomorrow evening Thursday April 6th 5:30 pm PST, 8:30 EST. It will be on my athlete fan page listed below. Please feel free to comment below with questions you'd like to see me discuss and answer so I can better prepare. I will be as candid as possible and hope it can be an open, safe, and free forum to ask and not be nervous and embarrassed about any topic. #diastasisrecti #facebooklive #postpartum https://www.facebook.com/StephanieRothsteinBruce/

A post shared by Stephanie Rothstein Bruce (@stephrothstein) on Apr 5, 2017 at 5:48pm PDT

During pregnancy, Bruce developed diastasis recti, or abdominal separation. This occurs when the abdominal muscles separate to give the baby more space, forming a cavity in the middle of the belly. Diastasis recti happens to about two-thirds of women, making it hard to snap back to a pre-pregnancy body.

As an Olympic-hopeful athlete, Bruce is an active women to say the least. Her abdomen was well-toned, but all this changed following her pregnancies. She made a point of showing all her bodily changes to her Instagram followers.

#keepinitreal doing side planks. The strength and stability is coming back steadily but the appearance of abs and stretch marks remains the same. The not so glamorous part of getting strong post baby. #takeitinside #journeywithsteph #diastasisrecti

A post shared by Stephanie Rothstein Bruce (@stephrothstein) on Jan 21, 2016 at 7:05pm PST

"It was really hard physically on my body and mentally, and as I was going through some things trying to get back into training, I was like, 'Does this happen to all women?' No one told me all of this," said Bruce in an interview with People magazine.

She explained to People that she had a hard time running at the athletic level she was at before having children, but gradually she improved and reached her goal.

After pregnancy, she also had intestinal incontinence. "I was having a lot of bathroom issues, I couldn't control peeing," Bruce said. "So I was going to the bathroom on a run."

So, the athlete decided to share her recovery to inspire other mothers who are experiencing difficulty in accepting their postpartum bodies.

"It's been amazing to see the feedback from women," Bruce said. "I don't think I'm that inspiring, but a lot of women kind of felt like it is, and I just hope that other women feel that confidence, and post their baby bodies, and don't feel ashamed. These issues happen to all of us so I just hoped I could get the conversation going."

"The 10k that was more than just 6.2 miles." My post race recap up on my website. A little inside into how I got to racing 5 months post partum, my support team, the feeling of crossing a finish line again, and in true #keepinitreal Steph fashion a little anecdote towards the end. Warning may be TMI for some:) Enjoy! Link in profile.

A post shared by Stephanie Rothstein Bruce (@stephrothstein) on Feb 19, 2016 at 4:53pm PST

This article has been adapted and translated from the original "Atleta engravida duas vezes em curto período de tempo e percebe algo estranho na sua barriga" which was originally published on familia.com.br.