I hated my body after having a baby — doing a postpartum boudoir shoot restored my confidence

They’re taking it all off — on camera. 

It’s typically not a new mommy’s idea of postpartum fun. Some women struggle to see themselves as picture perfect, looking down at their new belly bulges, folds of stretched skin and sagging breasts. 

But rather than mask the marks of motherhood, photographer Angela Culp encourages clients not only to celebrate their changed bodies, but memorialize them, too — in a series of NSFW photos. 

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

“It’s confidence-boosting,” she said of the saucy snaps — for which, hot mamas often flaunt their goodies in lacy lingerie or teenie weenie teddies. “It’s a way for new moms to celebrate themselves and their new bodies.”

The shift toward realism, rooted in self-love and self-care, comes as a trendy swing away from the withering buzz of Ozempic-mania. 

As the pressure to be petite peaks, women fresh out of the maternity ward are taking bombshell measures towards promoting body positivity — instead of rushing to take get-thin-quick jabs. 

But the nerve to pose au naturel in naughty pics doesn’t necessarily come naturally for most new mothers. 

In fact, a staggering 68% of child-bearers report experiencing body and weight dissatisfaction after welcoming bundles of joy, per a report from the Medical University of Silesia in Poland. 

And excessive self-critiquing could birth dangerous health outcomes, according to researchers from National Taiwan University. The analysts recently determined that negative attitudes towards one’s postpartum physique can increase the risk of depression and self-harm ideation. 

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

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

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

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

But after a few après-pregnancy shots, coupled with some postpartum counseling, Carter’s confidence kicked back into high gear. 

“My boudoir shoot gave me back piece of myself,” said the Pennsylvanian. 

Carter enjoyed the saucy shoot so much that she ultimately became a professional boudoir photographer, giving fellow moms the gift of feeling good about themselves from her Pittsburgh Luxury Boudoir studios.  

“It’s the best gift in the world.”

But it’s certainly no cheap thrill. 

Culp and Carter each told The Post that their respective camerawork can cost upwards of $3,000. 

The steep fees, however, include hair and makeup done by glamour experts, as well as access to in-studio costumes, props and sets, and same-day looks at unedited images. 

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

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

A-lister moms, such as singer Ciara and reality TV queen Kourtney Kardashian, have both achieved viral in recent months, unabashedly flexing their after-baby bods in barely-there swimwear. 

“Embracing every phase of life,” the “Goodies” chanteuse, 38, captioned an Instagram post of curvy shape while poolside in February — just weeks following the arrival of her youngest daughter. 

But Kardashian, 45, who welcomed a newborn son in November and freely rocked a bikini in April, was forced to defend her not-so-taut tummy to internet trolls. She reportedly clapped back at postpartum, body-shamers saying:  “I LOVE this body.”

Bri Knight, 28, echoes those sentiments. 

“My body is a lot squishier and more stretchy,” said the Utah stay-at-home mom of one, who gained 85 pounds during pregnancy. “But instead of becoming self-conscious, I wanted to celebrate my body.”