Nothing naturally alters a woman’s body so much as a pregnancy. Nevermind the fact that we’re creating an entire human in our belly, every new fold, dip and stretch mark are the stuff miracles (and science) are made of.
However, learning to appreciate your postpartum body can be, for many women, a challenge. And for one mother, it took a terrifying trip to the emergency room.
In a story shared on Instagram, a mother who goes by the handle _healthy_fit_mama gave a recount of how and why she learned to love her stretch-marked stomach: “I went 8 months with only two or three little stretch marks and then BAM! Woke up like this,” her post began.
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In the image, her baby girl lies next to her stomach covered with deep, pink stretch marks. “I remember crying thinking "I'll never be able to wear a bikini!" or "will my husband even find me attractive anymore?”
The mom then mentioned how “silly” she felt in looking back on those thoughts. Particularly because she was now in a state of panic after realizing that in addition to the new marks, she hadn’t felt her baby move for some time. She continued, “I remember the night I woke up and hadn't felt my baby move; I was in a panic. I woke my husband up crying thinking something horrible had happened. We rushed to the ER and horrible thoughts flooded my mind. I didn't care if my whole body was covered in stretch marks if it meant my baby was okay. I didn't care if this heartburn lasts forever just please let my baby be okay.”
Luckily, the panic subsided when she finally heard the child’s heartbeat on the ultrasound. Ultimately, after_healthy_fit_mama remembered that her new scars were the result of the new life growing inside of her, she saw her body in a different light.
Check out the full story below.
Welcome to Mothership: Parenting stories you actually want to read, whether you're thinking about or passing on kids, from egg-freezing to taking home baby and beyond. Because motherhood is a big if — not when — and it's time we talked about it that way.
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