The Love Story series are pieces written by real women, posted with some of their Boudoir photos. They are sharing with you their Body Love Journey and their experience with Leaf & Lace.


The following has been written by Chantelle Pedersen


I have not yet arrived at the final destination of my self-love journey, but I’m at least a couple of stops in. While I can’t say that I embrace my body and all it’s flaws wholeheartedly, I certainly have a healthy respect for it and everything it has carried me through. 


It really hit home to me that we only get one body and we need to look after it in 2020. When a herniated disc began impacting the nerves in my right leg so badly my mobility was impacted, I had to undergo surgery to remove the fragment that was responsible.


It was a long road of recovery physically and mentally, to get to a ‘new normal.’ I’m delighted to be getting back to pursing the things I love. I really missed the simple things like walking my dogs and driving, as well as horse riding. 


I’m grateful for my body’s resilience and strength and wear my scars as badges of honour — they represent times I’ve faced adversity and survived. 


One feature I’ve always struggled with is my breasts. Any time I’ve wanted to partake in activity more strenuous than a light walk, I’ve had to bolt in and strap down with two bras. My posture has suffered and divots have formed on my shoulders from my straps.  


Time and gravity have taken their toll and I found it hard to reconcile their appearance with what I thought my breasts should look like — the symmetrical, pert and perky bikini snaps of the stars in the media and splashed in magazines. I resented not having the freedom to walk into a department store and buy an affordable, pretty bra or wear a strapless bra and experiment with my wardrobe. 


I have been on the waiting list for reduction surgery for several years and finally got the happy news that it would be going ahead in October. Upon reflection, I decided to do a Leaf and Lace shoot to capture my body prior to the surgery. Even though my bigger boobs are getting the boot, I wanted to be able to look back on their first iteration fondly. 


I’m looking forward to being able to experience all the things I’ve missed out on after recovering from the reduction and taking ownership of my new body and all the opportunities it will afford me. I’ll definitely be needing another shoot to capture the changes!