Brie Bella Shared a Photo of the 'Treasure Marks' on Her Stomach From Giving Birth to Her Son Last Year

Reality star Brie Bella gave birth to her second child, son Buddy, in August 2020. And this week, she shared a photo of her postpartum "treasure marks" on Instagram, revealing how proud she is of the visual reminder of what her body went through during and after pregnancy.

"The more baby weight I lose the more my treasure marks from Buddy are showing up," wrote the Total Bellas star, 37—who also has a 3-year-old daughter, Birdie, with husband Daniel Bryan. "Buddy pretty much grew through my belly button lol I guess the old wives tales were right how boys grow! Low!!"

She also wrote that's trying hard to be patient with her body, even as she works hard to regain her strength and fitness.

"After my second C section I've been really kicking my butt to get my abs back! And sooo is the saggy stomach which is normal after babies," she said. "Sometimes it's hard for me to look in the mirror and see my body. I always tell myself to be kind and grateful but I'm human so picking myself apart happens."

Bella explained that she wants to encourage other new moms and help them recognize that everybody is different. Some new moms regain their pre-pregnancy figure quickly, while others take longer to get there. (And remember, it's absolutely fine if your body never looks exactly the same as it once did—after all, it's been through a physically intense experience.)

"You might see me at the pool in my one piece but I'm showing all of you that my treasure marks are something special," said the former WWE star. "They remind me of a special connection I got to share with my sweet babies for 9 months."

She left her followers with more words of encouragement: "Instead of tearing yourself down, you build yourself up!"

Bella revealed her second pregnancy in early 2020, and it just happened to coincide with her twin sister, Nikki, expecting her first child (with Dancing With the Stars pro fiancé Artem Chigvintsev).

"Wait, twins being pregnant at the same time?" Bella told People. "People are going to think that's a joke. We both are shocked. People are going to think we planned it, but you can't really plan pregnancy!"

Bella previously told Health how anxious she was about not being able to get pregnant again.

"We were trying for eight months, and I couldn't get pregnant," she said. "I was stressed, and it wasn't happening. There were a couple times that I was so late and was sure I was pregnant. Then I would get my period and bleed really badly. I think the universe was telling me something—like, it's not a great time to have another baby."

But she and Bryan kept hoping, and their family became four when Buddy was born on August 1 last year—the day after Nikki and Artem's son, Matteo, came into the world.

"I was trying to have a VBAC [vaginal birth after previous C-section] because I had an emergency c-section with Birdie, but I forgot I make stubborn babies and they don't like to come out," Bella told People. "When Matteo came on the 31st, I was like, 'No matter what, my baby is coming at 9 a.m. tomorrow.' We didn't know it was a boy yet."