Amy Schumer features in exhibition celebrating hundreds of postpartum bodies

Women from all walks of life submitted photographs

Hundreds of women, including comedian Amy Schumer and model Christy Turlington Burns, have shared pictures of their postpartum bodies.

The images are displayed as part of an exhibition called the Life After Birth Project.

It was launched by underwear brand Knix after a survey of its customers found that 90 per cent of postpartum women say they've received comments about their bodies after they gave birth, and 76 per cent of women reported feeling pressure to "bounce back".

The exhibit features 250 photographs of postpartum women, many of which are featured on its Instagram account.

The project was launched in partnership with the Empowered Birth Project and Carriage House Birth, a doula and childbirth education agency, and received hundreds of submissions.

Photos depict the reality of postpartum bodies in all their glory – from breastfeeding to stretchmarks – and feature women from all walks of life, ranging from celebrities to members of the military.

The idea was born when Knix founder Joanna Griffiths was struggling to breastfeed her three-day old son, and shared a picture of herself which reflected the difficult situation she found herself in.

She wrote: “Every image of breastfeeding I had seen the women looked natural, at peace and happy. I shared this photo and my sentiments on Instagram and was overwhelmed when over 100 people responded with their own struggles.

“In that instant, the idea for the Life After Birth Project was born. In that moment, my eyes were opened.”

Schumer, who has spoken openly about the difficult reality of pregnancy and giving birth, was one of the women to submit a picture to the exhibit.

Turlington Burns, who had her first child 15 years ago and has also been honest about her birth stories, also featured.

This week, Knix also announced the launch of a maternity line, which includes leakproof, stretchy and postpartum-friendly undergarments.

The exhibit will be displayed in New York City from Thursday 22 August, and then will travel to other cities including Toronto and LA.