Mother Shares Raw Photos Of Stretch Marks

A few days ago, lost in the never-ending vortex that is the Internet, I stumbled upon an intriguing picture. It was an Instagram photo that depicted a young mother taking a selfie – sounds rather routine, right?

However, this particular mommy had decided to reveal her rather graphic C-section scar. Understandably, the Internet went crazy, and suddenly everybody had an opinion (surprise, surprise).

The online denizens were divided. On the one hand, people berated the mother for wanting to share something so very private. On the other hand, there were those who commended her for breaking the taboo surrounding caesareans and debunking certain prejudices involving C-sections.

A shockingly significant amount of the general public is of the opinion that a caesarian is opted for by ‘lazy’ women, which is as far from the truth as you can get! This isn’t a ‘fun’ or ‘easy’ operation, and the honest selfie helped open the eyes of the naysayers to the terrible reality of C-sections.

Now, another new mommy’s photo has garnered viral status. This particular photo has resonated with swarms of mothers across the globe and quite understandably so. It may not contain any C-sec scars, but it reveals another vulnerability of equal, if not higher, status – a woman’s stretch marks.

Image: Credit: th3littlestavenger [Instagram]

Hayley and Cory Garnett are a young, millennial couple who reside in Columbus, Missouri. The Garnetts welcomed their first son, Archer, and documented every precious moment they shared with him on their Instagram account.

Later, when Hayley happened to get pregnant with a pair of twins, they began the count down to D-day; when their precious unborn daughters, Ruby and Ramona, would finally enter this world. However, they didn’t just stop there. Once the twins arrived, Hayley decided to reveal a raw and honest picture of her stretch marks:

Image: Credit: th3littlestavenger [Instagram]

The image took the Internet by storm. With Hayley’s caption talking about how the marks served for nothing more but fond reminders of her bearing her lovely children to term and making the miracle of birth happen!

The picture made such waves that ABC News decided to cover Hayley’s story. In her interview, Hayley explained her decision to share her tale with the world. Hayley believes that exposing one’s vulnerabilities is a powerful form of healing and she wanted to reach out and connect with the rest of the online community of mothers who may be struggling with scars and blemishes on their post-pregnancy bodies.

“I decided to share the story because I habitually try to share a lot of personal feelings through my Instagram page because I really believe that showing your vulnerability is not only a healing process but also has the ability to really connect you with an individual or community in a way you may not have thought possible. I hoped that being open and honest about the marks that twin pregnancy gave me would give other moms the courage to actually accept themselves and maybe see their own marks in a different, more positive light.”

Hayley described the reaction as “overwhelmingly positive”. There were also, understandably, some skeptics. However, Hayley laughed off their silly accusations of having “Photoshopped” the images with a shrug. That’s the spirit!

So, remember folks, stretch marks are a part and parcel of pregnancy life. Despite what magazine covers depicting celebrity mommies may tell you, every mother has them! Besides, just like any scars, they mark you for the warrior and the brave spirit that you are.

So wear them with pride and stay strong.

Here’s to tiger stripes!

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