The world has become so judgmental, diets, botox, outfits, and hairdos, these things become more important than a person.
Sometimes it feels like the world is too shallow, and people who don’t fit the mold are severely judged.
But some strong people dare to fight with the world and they live their life on their terms.
A mother of five, Brenda Stearns, has shared something to Instagram to say exactly that: Her body is beautiful regardless of the shape and form it is in. She is an influencer and role model for other mothers who feel shame after their postpartum bodies.
Brenda is originally from Mexico but has been living in the United States for years. She met her husband after she mistakenly messaged him, later, both fell in love and was soon married.
They live in Ohio and have three daughters and two sons. She shares her life and stories about childcare, homeschooling and the little moments of happiness to her Instagram account.
She faced postpartum depression after the birth of her fifth baby due to multiple reasons, she was concern about her body shape. She felt unhappy in her own body. But one day she decided to come out from negative thoughts, and the change she shared through her post.
“I took this photo just three months postpartum and I was struggling with a mild form of ppd (postpartum depression) and PPA (postpartum anxiety).
I wasn’t happy about what my body looked like and I didn’t feel comfortable being in it. I was focused on emotion and not reality. The reality is that my body is strong and beautiful. And so is yours! I took this photo to remind myself that it doesn’t matter what our bodies look like at this present moment – It’s time to celebrate our beauty! We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
No matter our shape, size, or form, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!”
People called her beautiful and supported her for sharing her internal struggle, which otherwise nobody would have seen. She has been trying to normalize this post-baby body as natural and normal.
One message that she wants to share with mothers is that children “know our hearts and love us unconditionally. And that is all that matters.”
She also shared another inspirational message, that women shouldn’t see their bodies as flawed but for what they have done by creating life.
She said, “When I look at myself in the mirror all I see is loose skin, stretch marks, leaking breasts, untamed hair, and many other ‘flaws’ I stand there and I criticize myself, I feel shame, I feel ugly, I feel lonely, and I feel depressed.
But not today! Today I will look at myself in the mirror and I will see my body for what’s it’s done. That loose skin and all those stretch marks are beautiful reminders of the changes my body went through to create life within me. Those leaking breasts are a beautiful reminder of the babies I am sustaining and keeping alive with my milk.
The untamed hair is a beautiful reminder that I am doing everything I possibly can to care for my little humans. Today I am showing my postpartum body. Today I embrace the chaos that comes with mothering five children. Today I encourage you to love yourself in ways that you’ve never loved yourself before.
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