A North Carolina mom pulled no punches recently when she posted a photo of herself on Facebook after giving birth. The photo shows the mom, Amanda Bacon, wearing a giant maternity pad inside mesh underwear. She had just given birth to son Pierson, a day earlier on May 27.

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Bacon said that the point of her post was to start a discussion about the fact that women bleed for weeks on end after giving birth and have other postpartum issues that are rarely discussed.

"This is motherhood; it's raw, stunning, messy, and freaking hilarious all rolled into one," Bacon wrote in the caption to her Facebook post. "Having a baby is a beautiful experience, and the realities of postpartum life aren't spoken enough about. And definitely not photographed enough."

Bacon’s fiance, Ken Hardy, while holding baby Pierson in one arm, snapped the photo when Bacon’s back was turned. According to Today, Bacon was eating treats she hadn’t been allowed to eat while she was pregnant due to her gestational diabetes. Bacon said the reason she was walking around her hospital room with maternity panties on is because it made nursing easier for her.

Those on Facebook who have seen Bacon's viral post thought it was refreshing in its honesty. One user wrote, "Love this. It captures all the emotions of a new baby and the awkwardness too. Beautiful." Another said, "Thank you, Amanda, sincerely, because not enough people realize (especially men and women who have never experienced birth) how much damage it does to your body. "

According to Baby Center, new mothers, whether they deliver their children vaginally or via C-section, typically have to wear maternity pads or diapers for up to six weeks after delivery to collect the red, blood-colored lochia or lining of the uterus as it contracts to its pre-pregnancy size. 



Motherhood uncensored. I'm sharing this picture because it's real. This is motherhood; it's raw, stunning, messy, and...

Posted by Amanda Bacon on Wednesday, July 6, 2016