All women's bodies are incredible. They can create an entire human being and deliver it into the world in less than a year, then nourish it for months or even years beyond. Although many women may feel badly about their postpartum bodies or be insecure about how they look, we often forget that appearances aside, our bodies make miracles and deserve to be respected and loved.
After having children, some moms feel as though their bodies will never again look the way they want. Pregnancy, labor, and delivery inevitably take their toll, but sometimes the marks they leave behind can be reminders of how wonderful women truly are. One mom on TikTok wants to spread that exact message, and it's giving us all the feels.
One mom on TikTok has been reminding other moms to embrace their postpartum bodies.
TikTok user Michelle Chubb, aka indigenous_baddie, shared a video that showcases her stretch marks as she caresses them. The clip is set to the song "I Am Woman" by Emmy Meli and the caption reads, "My body is sacred."
Showing off her body, she smiles to show her followers how much pride she takes in her tiger stripes.
Her message of female empowerment, body positivity, and self-love really strikes a chord.
Moms on TikTok have taken to the comments to discuss how they view their own stretch marks and bodies.
Commenting on the video, many moms said that they also take pride in their bodies — especially after having children.
"I tell my babes that every mark is from one of their precious kicks," shared one mom.
Another mom said that her stretch marks are "proof she hugged her children while they were forming."
So beautiful!
Some women said that they were taught stretch marks are important.
Some women also shared that in their cultures and families, stretch marks are actually considered something of importance. One person wrote that their grandmother said they are the marks of their ancestors.
Another person shared, "I heard someone say that stretch marks [were] their babies' first drawing and i've thought about that ever since."
Other moms have thanked Michelle for helping them embrace their own bodies.
"Thank you for showing. I’ve been very conscious about mine the few days," shared one mom.
"Our stretch marks tell a story and I’ve learned to appreciate the ones I have, especially the ones I earned from my two girls," another person added.
"I’ve been insecure about my stretch marks for so long.. and u make me not feel like I’m alone with it," a third person commented.
Michelle is of Cree descent and frequently shares things about her culture on TikTok.
As an Indigenous American creator and new mom, Michelle is using her platform to spread awareness about her culture. She's committed to sharing her culture with her baby, and people have responded incredibly well to the informative and beautiful videos she posts.
Earlier this year, followers watched how she swaddled her baby in a traditional "moss bag," and that post has nearly 8 million views and almost 1 million likes. We're totally here for the body positivity and the cultural love!
