Lifestyle Health Mom Celebrates Her Post-Baby Body: 'The Stretch Marks and Jiggly Tummy Is Because I Made Humans' After years of obsessively dieting, mom blogger Laura Mazza learned to love her new, 'jiggly,' post-baby body By Julie Mazziotta Julie Mazziotta Twitter Julie Mazziotta is the Sports Editor at PEOPLE, covering everything from the NFL to tennis to Simone Biles and Tom Brady. She was previously an Associate Editor for the Health vertical for six years, and prior to joining PEOPLE worked at Health Magazine. When not covering professional athletes, Julie spends her time as a (very) amateur athlete, training for marathons, long bike trips and hikes. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 2, 2020 02:04 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Laura Mazza After years of obsessively dieting to get “bones that protruded,” Australian blogger Laura Mazza had trouble accepting her new, “jiggly,” post-babies body. The mom of two kids under 2 says she “was ashamed of how big I looked.” “This body didn’t deserve sexy underwear, or a new wardrobe,” Mazza writes in a blog post, along with a before-and-after photo. “I didn’t admire this body.” “Stretch marks. A droopy belly button. Thicker, not many bones protruding, but more dimples that represent cellulite. People don’t want to see this photo. All of a sudden [it’s] not okay. It’s not pleasing to the eye anymore. It’s not a body to be admired.” It was a far cry from how Mazza felt before kids, when she would constantly track her weight loss. “I took progress photos because it meant I was closer to be a weight where I would love myself. I ate no carbs, and barely any vegetables. Just meat. But I loved it because I was losing weight rapidly and the more bones that protruded the more I valued myself.” Deep down, though, she wasn’t actually happy. “But still I looked at this photo, this image of myself, like I was fat,” Mazza says. “There was nothing wrong with the way I looked. My body was mine.” Now, she’s finally realizing that skinnier wasn’t better – and that she should celebrate all her body has done. RELATED VIDEO: WATCH: Coco Austin Opens up About Being Body Shamed During Pregnancy [BRIGHTCOVE “20999980” “” “peoplenow” “no” ]”But you know what? I have achieved more with this body, than I have with my old body,” she says. “I’ve eaten more good foods. I’ve lived more, I’ve given more, I’ve enjoyed more. I’ve made life. This body, THIS body should be celebrated and admired.” “I still want to look like the first photo, no doubt. I miss that body, it makes me sad. But I want to get there in a healthy way, mentally and physically. I want to be proud and at peace with this body…I want to love what I’ve got now.” “So love your body, because you truly really really, only get one!”