Tess Holliday Reveals She Was an 'Emotional Mess' After Welcoming Her Second Son

From positive body image to public breastfeeding, model Tess Holliday is known for being outspoken on a bevy of issues that affect women and moms. Now that Bowie Juniper, her second son and first child with fiancé Nick Holliday, is 10 months old, she's opening up about the emotional struggles she went through after giving birth last year. Posting an old photo of her breastfeeding Bowie, Holliday wrote in the caption that the shot was taken while she was going through "a dark time in my life."

"I was an emotional mess + struggling to find my way as a new mom again," Holliday writes. "When I looked at this photo a wave of sadness poured over me, but now I only see my tiny bubs nursing & Sweetie looking on like a nervous new mom ? Life is messy, love is complicated, & it can all feel so overwhelming but we grow & learn. I'm so grateful for my life & appreciate it all, even if I can't always see the light at the end... it's there. Promise."

It may be tough to read and see that and not tear up, because what mom hasn't been through that very feeling Holliday describes? Whether you're struggling to figure out how to be a new mom again, like Holliday—who has an 11-year-old son, Rylee, from a previous relationship—or you're doing it for the first time ever, it can be as daunting as it is amazing. But thanks to social media, we're seeing and hearing other moms' experiences more and more. Holliday's reassurance for new moms that there is "light at the end" is beyond heartening. Because when you're feeling overwhelmed with it all, to hear that you're not alone is invaluable.

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Not to mention how awesome it is that she's feeling more peaceful emotionally these days. Here's wishing Holliday and her beautiful family-of-four so much joy—and light!