The post-baby bikini body has been stigmatized for too long, and Rachel Hollis would be the first one to tell you so. The mother-of-three runs an events company and a blog called The Chic Site, where she provides lifestyle, party planning, cooking, and family advice. She also runs a Facebook page for The Chic Site where she keeps her followers updated on what she's up to. When she posted the photo below to her blog's Facebook page, she figured it wouldn't really get any more attention than the rest of her posts, but she couldn't have been more wrong. The post quickly amassed over 400,000 likes and 55,000 shares - what started as a simple vacation photo became a viral sensation overnight.
It wasn't just because Rachel looks so incredibly, naturally beautiful in this particular photo that she went viral, but it was also because of the uplifting and empowering message she wrote in the caption. She proclaims self-love for her body, a body that has done miraculous things by harboring, growing, and then birthing three children. She proudly points out that she has stretch marks and calls other women to do the same. Rachel's attitude is so powerful because she is wholeheartedly and passionately reclaiming her body as a work of art - as a masterpiece of human design - instead of finding fault in it for stretching here or sagging there. When you love your body and take pride in it the way that Rachel does, there is nothing that anyone else could say to take the power of your self-love away; this was the message that Rachel wanted to send to any and all other moms out there. It's not just normal to wear the marks of pregnancy, it's beautiful to wear the marks of pregnancy; don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.
What do you think of Rachel's photo? Does this empower you to embrace and love your post-baby body? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!