Chrissy Teigen applauded for wearing postpartum underwear in Instagram post: 'This is real motherhood'

Bringing a new life into the world is an undeniably beautiful and special occasion.

However, the true reality of how giving birth can affect a woman’s body is often not discussed as openly as it could be.

Earlier today, model Chrissy Teigen shared a photo of herself holding her newborn baby while wearing postpartum mesh underwear, with her two-year-old daughter Luna playing on a miniature harp in the background.

Teigen announced on May 17 that her second child with husband John Legend had been born, a son called Miles Theodore Stephens.

Many of Teigen’s 17 million followers commended her for posting the picture that displayed the disposable mesh underwear that many mothers wear after giving birth in order to hold their maternity pads in place.

“Keeping it real @chrissyteigen, I remember those hospital undergarments oh so well,” one person wrote.”

Another individual commented: “This is what women actually look like after having a baby,” with another remarking: “This is real motherhood right here!”

Teigen referenced comedian Ali Wong’s Netflix special “Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife” in the caption, in which Wong states that the mesh underwear worn after giving birth is “the same material that they package those fancy Korean pears in.”

Writer and certified life coach Allison Chawla only found out about postpartum mesh underwear during the later stages of her pregnancy, when a friend told her about them while at the gym.

“She then proceeded to tell me that after you deliver you will be bleeding heavily and will need to wear a large sanitary napkin that is held on by a giant pair of mesh underwear!” she wrote for HuffPost.

“I was traumatised! All I could do was stare at her with wide eyes and an open mouth, and listen intently as she described these functional granny-like panties!”

Women may experience vaginal bleeding after giving birth for approximately two to six weeks, as the National Childbirth Trust explained.

In April, a mother’s Twitter thread about what to expect when recovering from childbirth went viral, as she revealed that she’d previously been unaware of things such as loss of bladder control and the pain that she would experience when going to the toilet.

“There needs to be more information provided to first time mums, especially regarding postnatal depression,” she wrote.

“We need to make mums-to-be realise that no question is a stupid question and that there are people there to support them with the correct guidance.”