Professional Runner Highlights The Real Impact Of Pregnancy On The Body

Pregnancy has both an emotional and physical impact on the body. Professional athlete and mother-of-two Stephanie Rothstein Bruce is encouraging women to accept and embrace this by sharing unedited photographs of her “mummy tummy.”

#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 photo posted by Stephanie Rothstein Bruce (@stephrothstein) on Jan 21, 2016 at 7:05pm PST

She is currently training in the hope of qualifying for the Rio Olympics (10,000 metres to be precise) but she is also running around after a 21-month-old and a 6-month-old.

16 miles this am with a 10 mile cutdown workout. Who doesn't care their parents are tired? These guys! We do our best to make the time away from them worth it because when we get home it's all about them. #playnapeatplayrepeat A photo posted by Stephanie Rothstein Bruce (@stephrothstein) on Mar 5, 2016 at 2:23pm PST

On her Instagram page, the 32-year-old from Northern Arizona openly talks about trying to get back into shape after giving birth to two babies 15 months apart.

"Run free tomorrow, you have nothing to lose." What my husband @bbjamin15 told me the night before my first US Championship back after having my 2 babies. I wanted to savor this moment in the finishing stretch, freeze time and look back over the last 2 years with having kids: the months of sleep deprivation, hours of corrective exercises and pelvic/core work, bouts of mastitis, poop my pants runs, bladder incontinence, and the days of questioning is it all worth it and will it ever come back to me? Hell yes it’s worth it! Link in profile to my blog. ?: @considerpacing

A photo posted by Stephanie Rothstein Bruce (@stephrothstein) on Mar 18, 2016 at 7:50pm PDT

She also touches on having a bad case of diastasis recti – this is when your tummy sticks out as a result of the space between your left and right ab muscles widening.

#7weekspostpartum I can stick 3 fingers in between my 2 ab walls. But it's not about ascetics it's about functionality. Here you go for those who have been curious and asked about my Diastasis Recti: "My abs are separated contemplating divorce" blog up on my website. Link in profile. #journeywithsteph A photo posted by Stephanie Rothstein Bruce (@stephrothstein) on Nov 12, 2015 at 4:16pm PST

We have to say that we think Stephanie’s positive approach to her post-partum body is refreshing and we salute her!

When I look down I see stretch marks that are here to stay, ab muscles that need continued strengthening, legs that are powerful, and feet that are ready to fly! #trackseason #timetofly #flystyle

A photo posted by Stephanie Rothstein Bruce (@stephrothstein) on Mar 16, 2016 at 10:51am PDT

Top image via Instagram/Stephanie Rothstein