I hated my body after having a baby – doing a postpartum boudoir shoot gave me back my confidence

They’re taking it all off – on camera.

It’s usually not a new mom’s idea for postpartum fun. Some women try to see themselves as perfect, looking down on new belly bulges, stretched skin folds and sagging breasts.

But instead of masking the marks of motherhood, photographer Angela Culp encourages clients to not only celebrate their changing bodies, but commemorate them — in a series of NSFW photos.

“I do postpartum boudoir shoots,” Culp, 35, a lead at Bad Babes Boudoir in Greenpoint, told The Post.

“It’s a confidence booster,” she said of the quirky snaps — for which the hot moms often flaunt their beauties in lacy lingerie or tiny teddy bears. “It’s a way for new moms to celebrate themselves and their new bodies.”

The shift to realism, rooted in self-love and self-care, comes as a fashion move away from the withered buzz of Ozempic-mania.

As the pressure to be petite peaks, new moms are taking impressive steps toward promoting body positivity — rather than rushing to get quick shots.

But the nerve to pose au natural in bad photos doesn’t necessarily come naturally to most new moms.

In fact, 68% of babies who give birth report experiencing body and weight dissatisfaction after expecting their bundles of joy, according to a report from the Medical University of Silesia in Poland.

And excessive self-criticism can lead to dangerous health outcomes, according to researchers from National Taiwan University. Analysts recently determined that negative attitudes toward one’s physique after giving birth can increase the risk of depression and ideation of self-harm.

But moms like Emma Carter found that stripping down to nothing was, at least in part, just what the doctor ordered.

Before her January 2020 postpartum boudoir shoot, the now-divorced mother of one felt like a “stranger” in her body.

“I found myself looking in the mirror saying, ‘Who is this person staring back at me?’ Carter, 31, of Pittsburgh, told The Post.

“I was bloated and skinny, with all this extra skin and a new map of stretch marks,” recalls the blonde, who welcomed her son in November 2019. “It took a significant toll on my mental health.”

But after a few pregnancy poses, along with some postpartum advice, Carter’s confidence kicked back into high gear.

“My time in the boudoir gave me back a part of myself,” said the Pennsylvanian.

Carter enjoyed the daring shoots so much that she eventually became a professional boudoir photographer, giving other moms the gift of feeling good about themselves from her luxurious Pittsburgh Boudoir Studios.

“It’s the best gift in the world.”

But it is certainly not a cheap emotion.

Culp and Carter each told The Post that their respective cameras can cost more than $3,000.

However, premium fees include hair and makeup done by glamor experts, as well as access to costumes, props and studio sets, as well as same-day looks on unedited images.Â

“When my clients see their photos, most of them cry tears of joy,” Carter said. “They say, ‘I’ve never seen myself look so great.’

And the benefits of letting it all hang out aren’t limited to the boudoir.

A-list moms like singer Ciara and reality TV queen Kourtney Kardashian have both gone viral in recent months, unashamedly flexing their baby bodies in swimsuits.

“Embracing every stage of life,” the Goodies singer, 38, captioned an Instagram post of her curvy figure while poolside in February – just weeks after the arrival of her youngest daughter, Amora .

But Kardashian, 45, who welcomed son Rocky in November and freely rocked a bikini in April, was forced to defend her not-so-toned stomach to internet trolls. She reportedly returned the applause for body shaming after giving birth, saying: “I LOVE this body.

Bri Knight, 28, echoes those sentiments.

“My body is so much more agile and resilient,” said the Utah stay-at-home mom of one, who gained 85 pounds during pregnancy. “But instead of being self-conscious, I wanted to celebrate my body.”

With a tripod, some candles and underwear from Amazon, Knight shot her postpartum boudoir shoot at home in October. She then shared husband Brady’s hilarious reaction to the scary selfie with her more than 31,000 followers on TikTok.

Despite her glowing comments, Knight – now expecting child no. 2 – said the pinup photos were neither for her husband’s pleasure nor for social media.

“I did it for me,” she boasted to The Post. “I owe it to myself to know that I’m sexy.”