Less than two years after welcoming daughter Atlas, the former 'Pretty Little Liars' actress shares her belief that mothers should be allowed to be unhappy with their post-baby figures.
- May 18, 2021
AceShowbiz - Shay Mitchell wants to help women celebrate their bodies after giving birth.
The "Pretty Little Liars" star welcomed daughter Atlas 19 months ago and admits she didn't feel like herself after having her baby, because of the way her body looked.
And although she believes women should be allowed to be unhappy with their post-baby figures, she also wants to encourage more people to celebrate their bodies at "whatever point we feel our best again."
Speaking to Women's Health magazine, she said, "Right after I had Atlas, if I ever made a comment about how I didn't feel like myself, people were like, 'Well, you just had a baby'. Yeah, I know I just had a baby. I'm very grateful for my body, and that it gave life, but I'm still allowed to express that I don't feel like myself."
"I was strong before I had Atlas, and I wanted to feel that way after. We celebrate our bodies before we're pregnant; we celebrate our bodies with bumps. We should also celebrate our bodies at whatever point we feel our best again."
Shay has been practising dead-lifting since welcoming her daughter, and is now able to lift an impressive 50 pounds (23 kilograms). She added, "Getting up to 50 pounds was a boss move. I was really proud of myself."
Elsewhere in the interview, Shay addressed the new wave of Asian American racism. Claiming it was nothing new for her and her parents, the 34-year-old said, "It's something my mom has dealt with her whole life. When she and my dad were dating in the 1980s in Toronto, their relationship was looked down upon."
"On the bus with my dad, she would get the worst looks. They would tell me about going into a restaurant and people not serving them. I also saw it in real life. My mom would get derogatory remarks like, 'Are you the cleaning lady? Are you the nanny?' " she recalled. "In school I was bullied - I'd get questions like, 'Are you going to go clean the bathrooms?' "
