Throughout her career, Carrie Underwood has been praised by fans for her honesty on social media. Unlike other celebrities, she doesn't exclusively share the highlight reel of her life, and instead takes time to tell her followers about the struggles she's been dealing with when she's not on stage or in front of a camera.
Recently, a lot of those struggles have been to do with motherhood, and the birth of her second child, Jacob.
The new arrival was born in January of this year, and Underwood announced the news on Instagram with the words: "Jacob Bryan Fisher entered the world in the wee hours of the morning on Monday... his mom, dad and big brother couldn’t be happier for God to trust them with taking care of this little miracle!"
Her most recent post on her little one, however, has not been all sunshine and rainbows.
"I’m going to be honest, 'bouncing back' after having Jacob has been much more difficult than after I had Isaiah and I’ve been pretty hard on myself lately," she wrote. "I go into the gym and I can’t run as fast or as far. I can’t lift as much weight or do as many reps as I could a year ago. I just want to feel like myself again... for my body to feel the way that I know it can."
The singer then went on to say that pregnancy changed not only her body, but her life.
"As I was working out today, I realized that for the past 11(ish) months, my body has not belonged to me. It was a perfect home for Jacob. And even now it belongs to him every time he drinks his milk.
"As I prepare for red carpets and for life on tour, right now I make a promise to myself to start appreciating what my body CAN do and stop focusing on what it can’t. I promise to stop analyzing every angle and every curve and every pound and every meal. I’m going to keep staying the path because it is a journey and as long as I’m always working towards my goals, one day I’ll reach them. I’m going to take it day by day, smile at the girl in the mirror, and work out because I love this body and all it has done and will continue to do!"
While Underwood might be feeling a little insecure at the moment, though, fans of the singer were quick to let her know they had her back.
"Just be proud of you and all that you have accomplished. Your health is important and you are taking care of yourself. You are admired for your beautiful talent and singing ability.... not a 18 year old body," said one user.
"The honestly [sic] in the post is refreshing," added another. "As much as I hope your journey to 'bouncing back' is quick and easy, the reality is that it is not ... So many celebrities (and people) create this image of how easy it was to bounce back and create an unrealistic image of perfection so soon after giving birth. So again, I appreciate the realness that you're willing to share in this post."
Once again, then, Underwood has proven that - not only is she an amazing musician - she's also an excellent mother and a brilliant role model. Keep on doing you, Carrie!
