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Mina Starsiak Posts Candid Photos of Her Postpartum Body: “Be Kind to Yourself”

Photo credit: Mina Starsiak Hawk - Instagram
Photo credit: Mina Starsiak Hawk - Instagram

From House Beautiful

HGTV star Mina Starsiak Hawk gave birth to her first daughter last week. Charlotte Drew Hawk, who is also the Good Bones cast member's first daughter, joined her 2-year old brother Jack to grow the family. To put this milestone into perspective, Starsiak had a less than 1% chance of even becoming pregnant for a second time.

Starsiak was open about her struggles to conceive, and she's continuing to speak out about her post-pregnancy journey. This week, the design star posted a series of candid photos on Instagram, which show how her body looks less than one week after childbirth. The first slide on the carousel shows Starsiak looking toned, but there's a catch. She purposely "posed" for the photo, sucking in her gut.

In the following three pictures, Starsiak lets the curtain down. In doing so, the HGTV star offers fans a sobering reminder that life isn't always as it appears on social media. Instagram and reality, in fact, are often two very different things.

"So next time you wish you looked like this, or dressed like that or had it ALL together like so many of the influencers we follow, just remember ... you’re only being shown what they want you to see; part of them for sure, but usually not the whole story," Starsiak wrote. "So be kind to yourselves and to those you might be quick to judge based solely on social media."

In addition to the her infertility struggles, Starsiak also revealed on social media that she had developed diastasis recti during pregnancy.

"So I first kind of noticed about a week ago ... if I laid down flat and tried to sit up and contract my abs, instead of being like a smooth circle for my belly, it's kind of like a triangle," Mina said in a recent Instagram Story.

According to Healthline, diastasis recti "is the partial or complete separation of the rectus abdominis, or 'six-pack' muscles, which meet at the midline of your stomach. Diastasis recti is very common during and following pregnancy. This is because the uterus stretches the muscles in the abdomen to accommodate your growing baby."

The coming year will be a busy one for Starsiak. In addition to welcoming a new addition to the family, HGTV has renewed Good Bones for a sixth season. Mark your calendars for summer 2021.

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