Steph’s Fierce Reflections

After battling an eating disorder, entrepreneur Steph’s three pregnancies have helped her come to terms with her beauty. Opening up on social media, she’s found a body confidence she didn’t have as a teenager.

When I was younger I had an eating disorder and it took a long time for me to recognise that it was an issue. When you’re permanently shown unrealistic images – thighs with no cellulite, bellies that don’t roll – that’s what you think is normal and you beat yourself up. I still have to work through it all the time, but now that I'm older I can talk myself down from those feelings.

As you get older you start to see a beauty in women of all different ages and looks. Spending so much time worrying and thinking about it when I was younger was wasted energy. When you’re older you realise time is so precious.

Now I'm pregnant with my third child my body has changed so much – it’s weird to get your head around. A lot of images that you see of pregnant people are slim models with a pregnancy bump. And actually when you’re pregnant your thighs spread, your arms spread, your face spreads… but why shouldn’t you let it all hang out a bit?

Having kids has made me feel fierce: some days I’ll think, ‘Oh god what’s happened to my body?’ but then I’ll remember to feel positive too. My body has done amazing things, it’s not supposed to look like it did when I was 20.

What’s been so great about the Warrior Woman photoshoot is being able to be real in front of other people. I write a blog and I’m quite honest about my life on Instagram – my washing is normally in the background and the kids can look a bit feral – that’s an honesty that I hope people can see in the photos. Real beauty shines through when someone is comfortable in her own skin.

Inner confidence, and self-assuredness – those are the qualities that make a warrior woman.

These days I have a confidence that I didn’t have as a teenager. It makes me feel like I'm able to do anything.

To find out more about Steph and her beauty journey, follow her Instagram account @Steph_dontbuyherflowers