
Beyonce has revealed she underwent an emergency Caesarean section when she welcomed her twins in June 2017.

The 36-year-old Grammy winner wrote a personal essay for the September issue of Vogue where she opens up about her two pregnancies, her relationship with husband Jay Z, learning to love her body and exploring her ancestry.

'I was 218 pounds the day I gave birth to Rumi and Sir. I was swollen from toxemia and had been on bed rest for over a month. My health and my babies' health were in danger, so I had an emergency C-section,' she wrote.

Beyonce laid bare: Beyonce talks about her pregnancies, her relationship with Jay Z and her ancestry in a personal essay for the September issue of Vogue unveiled Monday

Her twins spent 'many weeks' in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and Beyonce says she gained new respect for her Jay Z during that difficult time.

'My husband was a soldier and such a strong support system for me,' she says.

'I am proud to have been a witness to his strength and evolution as a man, a best friend, and a father. I was in survival mode and did not grasp it all until months later.'

Beyonce is also mother to Blue Ivy, six, with hip hop heavyweight Jay, 48, and revealed she felt pressure to snap back into shape within three months after her daughter was born which, looking back, she now feels was 'crazy'.

After her twins, the songstress went about things very differently.

The real deal: The singer 'stripped away wigs and hair extensions' for this shoot to encourage her fans to 'appreciate the beauty in their natural bodies'

Life after three child: The star spoke candidly about how her body has changed and said she's now embracing her 'FUPA' - 'fat upper pubic area'

'I gave myself self-love and self-care, and I embraced being curvier. I accepted what my body wanted to be. After six months, I started preparing for Coachella. I became vegan temporarily, gave up coffee, alcohol, and all fruit drinks. But I was patient with myself and enjoyed my fuller curves. My kids and husband did, too,' she revealed.

Beyonce 'stripped away the makeup, wigs and hair extensions' for her Vogue shoot and wrote that 'it's important for women and men to see and appreciate the beauty in their natural bodies'.

'To this day my arms, shoulders, breasts, and thighs are fuller. I have a little mommy pouch, and I'm in no rush to get rid of it. I think it's real,' she confessed.

Discovering her heritage: Beyonce, seen here in another Vogue image, also revealed she is descended from a slave owner who married his slave

For now Beyonce says she's happy with herself but knows what she needs to do when the time comes to transform her body.

'Whenever I'm ready to get a six-pack, I will go into beast zone and work my ass off until I have it. But right now, my little FUPA (fat upper pubic area) and I feel like we are meant to be.'

The mother-of-three also touches on her relationship to the rapper - who she celebrated 10 years of marriage with this year - writing that she's been to 'hell and back'.

Jay, born Shawn Corey Carter, publicly admitted he had been unfaithful to Beyonce in an interview with the New York Times' T magazine last year, years after cheating rumors circulated.

Calling the shots: Beyonce is the star of the prestigious September issue of Vogue and she had total editorial control

Hot topics, according to Beyonce: She also chose to include an article advocating for models to be over 18

Beyonce wrote, 'There are many shades on every journey. Nothing is black or white. I've been through hell and back, and I'm grateful for every scar. I have experienced betrayals and heartbreaks in many forms.

'I have had disappointments in business partnerships as well as personal ones, and they all left me feeling neglected, lost, and vulnerable. Through it all I have learned to laugh and cry and grow.'

Growing up the 7/11 hitmaker has learned that she no longer needs to try to make everyone happy.

'I look at the woman I was in my 20s and I see a young lady growing into confidence but intent on pleasing everyone around her. I now feel so much more beautiful, so much sexier, so much more interesting. And so much more powerful.'

C-section: Beyonce has revealed she was 218 pounds the day she gave birth to twins Rumi and Sir in June 2017. She is seen left in an Instagram picture from May 2017 and right with her twins shortly after they were born

The singer also delved into her ancestry recently and the Run The World hitmaker revealed that she found out she's descended from a slave owner who married a slave. The discovery has shaped the way she wants to raise her children.

'I come from a lineage of broken male-female relationships, abuse of power, and mistrust. Only when I saw that clearly was I able to resolve those conflicts in my own relationship.

'I researched my ancestry recently and learned that I come from a slave owner who fell in love with and married a slave,' she wrote.

'I had to process that revelation over time. I questioned what it meant and tried to put it into perspective. I now believe it's why God blessed me with my twins. Male and female energy was able to coexist and grow in my blood for the first time.

Moving on from infidelity: The 36-year-old, seen here on holiday with Jay Z earlier this year, touched on her decision to hold onto their marriage despite him being unfaithful

'I pray that I am able to break the generational curses in my family and that my children will have less complicated lives.'

The singer, who is the cover star of US Vogue Magazine's iconic September issue, appears dressed in an elaborate floral headpiece as she strikes a fierce pose under the cover line 'Everyone's voice counts, Beyonce in her own words.'

As well as the cover, Beyonce has been given total control of the magazine's biggest and most influential edition of the year by editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

Career boost: The singer asked 23-year-old black photographer Tyler Mitchell to take her picture; He is the first photographer of color to shoot a Vogue cover

In her role at the helm of the publication, the singer decided to include a feature on 'the case for 18+ models' which calls for more regulation in the fashion industry.

She also put a spotlight on rising talent with 'Fall goes global: The looks, designers and stars redrawing fashion's map.'

Legendary editor Anna has relinquished control over what is always the year's most talked about magazine cover - instead putting Beyonce in charge.

The surprise move is out of character for the infamously hands on editor, but is said to have been negotiated as a key part of Beyonce's contract, according to a Huffington Post report.

And the singer has used her power to give a career boost to 23-year-old black photographer Tyler Mitchell, recruiting him to take her picture.

He is the first photographer of color to shoot a Vogue cover. The magazine is 126 years old and first featured color photos on it's cover in 1932.

She's a regular: Beyonce on the cover of Vogue in 2009, 2013 and 2015

Along with controlling the magazine cover, Beyonce's contract also states that she is to select the photos of her inside the magazine. She is also writing her own captions in long form, according to the Huff Post.

Mother-of-three Beyonce, 36, has appeared on Vogue's September issue cover once before, shot by Mario Testino in 2015.

The Crazy In Love singer and her husband are currently on their On The Run II tour, having turned the European leg of the concert into a family vacation.

Between gigs they relaxed in a series of incredible locations with Blue Ivy, six, and 12-month-old Rumi and Sir, sharing pics on Beyonce's website.

In one picture, Beyonce held her twins in her arms while Rumi smiled broadly and Sir looked down, but both tots faces could be seen clearly.

The picture gallery - which was captioned 'Thank You Europe' - also included a number of shots featuring the couple's oldest daughter.

Handing over the reins: Anna Wintor (seen here with Beyonce, left, and Kim Kardashian in 2015) relinquished control over the September issue for the first time