Women are led to believe that motherhood is wondrous and life fulfilling—and in most cases, this is true. The journey to that mindset, however, isn’t without its hurdles. Indeed, the road to the delivery room and what comes after can be harrowing, and even with the abundance of literature, podcasts, and other tools available, the physical and mental changes that come with birthing new life isn't systematic. It also plays second fiddle to child-rearing.

“The process of becoming a mother, which anthropologists call ‘matrescence,’ has been largely unexplored in the medical community,” read a New York Times story about motherhood in 2017. “Instead of focusing on the woman’s identity transition, more research is focused on how the baby turns out. But a woman’s story, in addition to how her psychology impacts her parenting, is important to examine, too."

There is no predicting how a mother-to-be will react during her trimesters or feel afterward. Everyone has different circumstances that can influence how she will view herself pre- and post-delivery. Working in the fashion industry, in particular, with its focus on ideal standards of beauty, can be especially taxing. And come summer, when swimsuits are de rigueur, the uneasiness of showing flesh postpartum adds to the pressure of being a new mom.

It is a topic that isn’t often discussed—but definitely needs to be. To that end, we’ve culled seven of the most stylish professionals willing to relay their journeys from the birthing center to the beach, along with their postpartum swimsuit recommendations. Each of them, in varying degrees, went through bouts of uncertainty and shame, eventually realizing that it is absolutely okay to feel that way and address it when need be.