My mom tum is covered in stretch marks, they made me cry and feel like a failure, now I respect the hell out of them
A MOM has shared she’s proud of her stretch marks after giving birth to her children.
She explained it was a long journey to self-acceptance but she’s come a long way.
Sarah Nicole Landry (@thebirdspapaya) shared close-ups of her body with over 2 million Instagram followers.
In the photos, she slipped into a crop top and a bikini to show off the marks left by her multiple pregnancies.
The mother-of-four wrote a letter to herself as she reflected on how she viewed herself and how it’s changed over the years.
She explained that initially, she viewed the stretch marks as a sign of failure: “Did I not use the right creams? Was it because I was too young and my body couldn’t handle it?” she asked.
A large part of her shame was her fear of the social stigma behind the stretch marks: “Why didn’t I see them on anyone else?”
Now, Sarah revealed she viewed the stretch marks as proof of her mental and self-love growth.
“I get to see them for what they are, expanders, signs of growth, stretching, without breaking, really freaking normal, to be honest,” she said.
More than anything, Sarah was grateful and proud of her body for the trials it’s endured for her and her children.
“How these little electric lines were first drawn by my skin for Maya, a few more on my hip for Jemma,” she said.
“Strengthened and elongated for Boden, and all of them, leaving a mark and space for Lemmie, all of them, marks of my own growth, too,” she continued.
The mother added that while she doesn’t necessarily “love” her stretch marks, her new perspective and improved relationship with her body is what matters.
“Maybe I was never meant to love it, maybe I was meant to cry over it if it leads me to a greater perspective and appreciation,” she wrote.
“Maybe, I was just meant to respect it because I respect the hell out of anything that will literally shapeshift to allow room for life, love, and a whole lot more FOR me, made out OF me.”
Her post resonated with over 40,000 people who liked her honest and vulnerable words.
Many took to the comments to thank her for putting to words their own feelings on their stretch marks.
“Thank you for normalizing what we don’t see on mainstream media and in movies, normalizing normal bodies,” said one commenter.
“You are the only person I’ve seen that has pregnancy stretch marks like I do and I can’t thank you enough for sharing yours,” said another.
“I really thought I was the only woman who got them so ‘bad’ seeing how you have embraced yours truly inspires me to do the same, thank you.”