Beyonce's post-baby body reality: 'My mumtum and I are meant to be'

Remember, Beyonce welcomed daughter Blue Ivy in 2012, and gave birth to twins Rumi and Sir just over a year ago.

"After the birth of my first child, I believed in the things society said about how my body should look," the 36-year-old singer confessed in a 1st person essay for the mag.

"I put pressure on myself to lose all the baby weight in three months, and scheduled a small tour to assure I would do it. Looking back, that was crazy.

"After the twins, I approached things very differently. I was 218 pounds the day I gave birth to Rumi and Sir. I was swollen from toxemia and had been on bed rest for over a month.

"My health and my babies’ health were in danger, so I had an emergency C-section. We spent many weeks in the NICU...

"Today I have a connection to any parent who has been through such an experience. After the C-section, my core felt different. It had been major surgery.

"Some of your organs are shifted temporarily, and in rare cases, removed temporarily during delivery. I am not sure everyone understands that. I needed time to heal, to recover.

"During my recovery, I gave myself self-love and self-care, and I embraced being curvier. I accepted what my body wanted to be. After six months, I started preparing for Coachella... but I was patient with myself and enjoyed my fuller curves.

"To this day my arms, shoulders, breasts, and thighs are fuller. I have a little mommy pouch, and I’m in no rush to get rid of it. I think it’s real.

"Whenever I’m ready to get a six-pack, I will go into beast zone and work my ass off until I have it. But right now, my little FUPA [fatty upper pubic area] and I feel like we are meant to be."

???

Beyonce's approach to how our bodies evolve post-pregnancy is music to our ears ?

There's absolutely no shame in wanting a six pack (obvs) but it's SO important that new mums know they can absolutely shun the pressure to get it back, and take their sweeeeet time.

Mind, if you're a bit more like us, you've probably never had a six pack, have long made peace with that fact, and maybe have your own thoughts about what your post-baby body should be like.

Still, the above applies. Forget the pressure, embrace the change, and remember that everyone goes at their own pace.

Unfortunately, self-love and acceptance aren't things we can magically learn overnight, but we really do hope that words like these from megastars like Queen B help the message slowly start to seep through ?

Images: Beyonce's Vogue cover, shot by Tyler Mitchell

Read more:

• Beyonce's pregnancy pic became the most liked ever
• Beyonce shares her pregnancy journey with fans
• How did Beyonce keep her baby bump a secret?