It's a fact that women on the internet are body shamed and judged by people for their weight, and pregnant woman are no exception. For some reason, a malicious contingent of people like nothing more than belittling women due to the perfectly natural changes that their bodies go through during gestation.
One person who knows this all too well is plus-sized model Ashley Graham, who is currently pregnant with her first child with her husband, Justin Ervin. This week, Ashley took to Instagram to share a candid, unfiltered picture of her bare body, as a form of personal empowerment. She captioned the photo: "Same same but a little different".
However, what nobody could have predicted was how Ashley's picture would inspire countless other women on social media to do the same. Soon, many more expectant mothers were taking to Instagram to share pictures of their body, and talking about how Ashley had motivated them to be more body positive.
For example, one Instagram user wrote: "Only the Lord and my Husband really know how hard this pregnancy is for me... from having placenta previa, always being out of breath, restricted from going to the gym, mentally going through some things, and my body and mood changing completely [sic]."
Check out one of Ashley Graham's workout videos below:Meanwhile, someone else wrote: "For most, the reality of eating disorder recovery is weight gain, it is those changes that we used to fear. For me, weight gain, stretch marks, cellulite, rolls, & dimples are all signs of strength, survival, & recovery. They use to be all the things I feared happening to my body. Today they are a celebration! Just like @ashleygraham is celebrating the little one growing inside of her. [sic]"
It's times like this that prove how much we need models like Ashley Graham!