By Locke Hughes, Images courtesy of Instagram
She calls them “perfect imperfections.”
Thanks to filters and Photoshop, it’s super tempting to post only “perfect” photos on social media. And let’s be honest: The idea of putting our real, raw, and imperfect bodies out there, for the world to see, sounds more than a little scary.
That’s why it’s awesome to see new mom Abigail Wedlake get 100 percent real on social media. In a series of refreshingly honest Instagram posts, she shows off her postpartum stretch marks on her tummy alongside her 4-month-old daughter, Aubrey. Her posts, tagged #lovemymombod, have gained thousands of likes and hundreds of comments—as well as the gratitude of moms everywhere.
READ MORE: This Super-Fit Mom Just Got Real About Her Postpartum Body
“I’ve earned my stripes and am embracing them more and more everyday,” Wedlake writes of her stretch marks. “Postpartum bodies are different,” she adds, “but show the beauty of being given the chance to bring life into this world.”
Her inspiring photos and words are helping other women remember that they’re not the only ones with stretch marks—far from it, in fact. As one commenter notes, “Sometimes we as women need a little reminder that we are not alone and that we are still beautiful.”
READ MORE: Body Shaming? Do We Need This? No, We Don’t.
Another thanks her for sharing the photo, saying, “I have almost identical stretch marks as you and seeing this post has made me feel better about myself and my stretch marks.”
In another post showcasing her marks, she urges people to stop body shaming.
“We give up our bodies to create our children, our bodies change and gain perfect imperfections that we should be celebrating not shaming,” Wedlake writes.
Her message has been growing in popularity among celebs and regular women. Chrissy Teigen has talked openly about how her body changed after giving birth to daughter Luna and regularly shares pictures of her stretch marks on social media. We also loved this mom’s amazingly powerful post about how she explained her stretch marks to her daughter as “glitter stripes.” Another win for body positivity!
Want to see how else the body positive movement is winning? Here’s why the #WhatIModel movement started trending, plus here’s why this fitness trainer’s deleted cellulite photos are body positive goals.
This article was originally featured on www.womenshealthmag.com
