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Former 'Bachelorette' shares relatable postpartum selfie 4 days after giving birth

Former "Bachelorette" star Desiree Hartsock Siegfried shared a selfie of her body just four days after welcoming her second child.
/ Source: TODAY

Desiree Hartsock Siegfried is sharing a heartfelt message about how "empowering" motherhood is.

Just four days after the former "Bachelorette" star and her husband, Chris Siegfried, welcomed their second child, son Zander, Desiree shared a candid selfie of her body on Instagram — along with a beautiful message for new moms.

"I'm not typically one to document or especially share body image pics but the more and more postpartum pics I see from you all — the more empowering I feel the message can be to new moms — or anyone for that matter!" Desiree, 32, wrote Thursday next to a pic of herself in her bra and underwear.

"So here I am 4 days postpartum looking like I’m still pregnant but feeling like a supermodel/ warrior," she continued. "It is an absolute miracle what our bodies can do to carry and deliver a baby and I’m always so fascinated by the sheer wisdom and nature of it all."

Image: FILE: Desiree Hartsock And Chris Siegfried Of "The Bachelorette" Welcome Second Child
Desiree Hartsock Siegfried met husband Chris Siegfried in 2013 on season 9 of "The Bachelorette."Earl Gibson III / Getty Images

She went on to say that the "fourth trimester" — the three months after a women gives birth — is a crucial part of a new mom's experience. During that time, she wrote, women need to nurture themselves along with their babies.

"The fourth trimester is no joke and it needs to be recognized that a woman’s pregnancy journey doesn’t end when the baby arrives," she wrote. "There’s so much healing and recovery that needs to take place physically and mentally when lack of sleep and roller coaster hormones are at work."

"Not to mention the post cramping the uterus does to contract back. It’s like labor all over again," added the reality star, who welcomed her first child, son Asher, in Oct. 2016.

Desiree's hope? That society learns to "embrace the beauty of the body" of a new mom and not expect her to "bounce back" as if her body "didn’t just go through battle."

That begins, she said, with self-love, with women "feeling beautiful and courageous in our own skin no matter the stretch marks, extra weight and whatever else is going on."

"Grace upon grace upon grace ... for ourselves and each other," she wrote, adding, "Long story short. You’re awesome, your body rocks and you’re beautiful!!"