Beyonce opens up about childbirth health scare and body acceptance in history-making issue of Vogue

Beyonce is telling fans who she is, in her own words.

The superstar and Houston native graces the cover of the September issue of Vogue, where she's opening up about her difficulties during pregnancy and delivery of her twins, Sir and Rumi.

It's also a groundbreaking moment as she was photographed by 23-year-old Tyler Mitchell, making him the first black photographer in the magazine's 126-year history to shoot a cover.

In the issue, Beyonce says she had trouble accepting her body following the birth of her first child, Blue Ivy.

The 36-year-old told Vogue about the time after Blue Ivy's birth, "I put pressure on myself to lose all the baby weight in three months, and scheduled a small tour to assure I would do it. Looking back, that was crazy."

Beyonce also explained she was 218 pounds the day she gave birth to the twins.

"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. We spent many weeks in the NICU. My husband was a soldier and such a strong support system for me," Beyonce writes.

The singer is married to rapper and mogul Jay-Z. The duo is currently on their On the Run II tour, which is slated to stop in Houston in September.

Beyonce added that she was in "survival mode" at the time, but didn't realize it until later.

In the cover story titled "Beyoncé in Her Own Words: Her Life, Her Body, Her Heritage," she described why, for this shoot, she stripped away so much of the dramatic elements fans are used to seeing her wearing such as the wigs, hair extensions and heavy makeup.

"I think it's important for women and men to see and appreciate the beauty in their natural bodies," she explained.

She continued in her essay, saying, "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."

Along with getting deeply personal about her body and motherhood, Beyonce talks about opening doors for other artists, including Mitchell, her ancestry and her Coachella performance that celebrated historically black colleges and universities.

The publication gave the singer "unprecedented control" over her photographs. She also wrote the photographs' captions herself.

You can read the essay featured in the Vogue September issue and view photos here.