'I have stretch marks and I wear a bikini': proud mum-of-3's pic goes viral
Rachel Hollis takes pride in her stretch marks and 'flabby tummy', calling them her motherhood 'stripes'
A mum-of-3 has shared a holiday bikini pic online – and found it's gone viral and inspired other women all over the world. Why? Because she has stretch marks, she's proud of them, and she looks great!
Rachel Hollis, 32, posted the beach pic of her post-3-kids body with a message that starts: "I have stretch marks and I wear a bikini.
"I have a belly that's permanently flabby from carrying 3 giant babies and I wear a bikini, " Rachel, whose children are now 8, 6 and 2, continued. "My belly button is saggy (which is something I didn't even know was possible before!!) and I wear a bikini.
"I wear a bikini because I'm proud of this body and every mark on it. Those marks prove that I was blessed enough to carry my babies, and that flabby tummy means I worked hard to lose what weight I could.
"I wear a bikini because the only man whose opinion matters knows what I went through to look this way. That same man says he's never seen anything sexier than my body, marks and all.
"They aren't scars ladies; they're stripes and you've earned them. Flaunt that body with pride!"
Since sharing the picture, her post had more 10 million views and 325,000 likes on Facebook. It's also made thousands of other mums like us realise we don't have to hide our post-baby bodies – and thousands of women have posted comments to say so.
“It touches my heart that people are having this reaction to it,” Hollis told Today.
Rachel says she gained about 45 pounds on her 5 ft 2 in frame with her 1st pregnancy, and then got pregnant again before she'd had much chance to lose all her 'baby weight'.
"Those marks are always going to be there," she says. "And, without plastic surgery, there’s no way I’m getting rid of that extra skin. It is what it is... It’s never ever going to be like a Victoria’s Secret model, but I think I look good and my husband wants to make out with me, so I’m doing something right!"
What do you think of Rachel's decision to post her bikini pic? Would you bare your stretch marks in a bikini? Let us know in the comments below.
Photos: Instagram / Rachel Hollis
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