It comes as no surprise to anyone that women have it tough; not only do we have to deal with institutionalised sexism, but we're also blessed with periods and for some, childbirth. Although no one believes that pushing a fully-fledged human being out of yourself is a pleasurable experience, society continues to denigrate women about how they choose to give birth. And the collective squeamishness over the whole process has not only led to a lot of misinformation but has also made many women feel shameful about opting for C-sections. Those who have had C-sections are accused of choosing the "easy way out" and their experiences of birth are often downplayed on account of them not being wholly "natural". Certainly, if you were of age in the nineties, you will remember the phrase "too Posh to Push". It became popular in 1999 when Victoria Beckham was criticised for delivering her first child, Brooklyn, via C-section. Much of this is because people fail to understand why women choose to get C-sections - indeed, many do not "choose" to get them at all. In the majority of cases C-sections are performed on account of medical necessity. And instead of celebrating the fact that infant mortality is continuing to fall in the western world, people continue to judge women on their birth experiences. One woman, however, has had enough of this kind of chatter. After giving birth to her second child last week, via (you guessed it) C-section, she shared a selfie on Instagram to make a very important point. Mother of two Olivia White posted the following picture to the social media platform: [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BT8rfsilGIg/]] In the caption, Olivia described the reality of having a C-section, and contrary to popular belief it is no walk in the park. She wrote: "To anyone who thinks it's the easy way out, we'll try having a 6 inch gash in your abdomen like a gutted shark who had the body parts of the surfer it ate retrieved! That's then sewn back together with fishing wire while it feels like your vital organs are trying to escape! I mean sure, everything is [sunshine] and [lollipops] till the spinal wears off! After that it's like you've been hit by a bus which then backed over you just to make sure it didn't miss you the first time! If you don't time the Endone exactly before the previous lot wore off then you will most certainly know you are alive (while wishing you were dead) and worst of all you'll feel as if you'll spend your entire life wearing nanna knickers up around your waist because the thought of anything settling in the canyon between your gut and pubic region is the stuff nightmares are made of. Anyone who's ever had c section knows that you'll forever be dependant on your friends Nancy, Dr 90210 and Spanx because you cannot for the life of you get rise of the ditch that is left by the scar. But for all the skin tight Kookai dresses I bought while pregnant that now make me look like I have a Kangaroo pouch - I wouldn't change it! Because if it wasn't for the ability to deliver my babies this way they might not be here today plus I recon getting cut from A to B sounds way worse." And not only could many other mamas relate, but they also took time to praise Olivia for being so candid about the whole process. One Instagram user wrote, "Thank you for showing and telling the world what giving birth via C-sections really is like . I gave birth to my twin daughters via emergency C-section. It's not what I hoped for, but their well being was above anything else", while another just said "Love this! And so true!" Kudos to Olivia for being so frank about the realities of going through a C-section. But, ultimately I think that delivering a child in any manner means you're tough as nails.

The world of Instagram can be a daunting and deflating place. While the past few years have seen body positivity boom on the photo-sharing app, it's also inundated with people living lives that are simply unattainable to the average person; whether it be being ripped, jet-setting on holidays or driving around in fancy cars. That said, however, there are those people who are both inspiring and relatable.

Sharny Kieser is one of these people.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BmlE9nyH-yN/?taken-by=sharnyandjulius]]

The mom of six shares an Instagram account with her husband, Julius, and is known for her photos and captions describing the life of a mom who is trying her best to stay in shape. A large part of Sharny's appeal is her honesty, and the mom is known for her posting photos of herself where she proudly shows off the stretch marks on her tummy.

Of course, being a mother, having stretch marks - or a "mummy tummy" as she calls it - is completely natural, yet it is something we rarely see on social media.

But, while the majority of comments are of admiration and praise for the brave mom, unfortunately, Sharny does have to deal with a fair amount of trolls. Recently, she uploaded a photo onto her Facebook account in which she can be seen wearing a crop top and a pair of short shorts. Sadly, someone said that Sharny should've edited out her stretch marks.

[[facebookwidget||https://www.facebook.com/sharnyandjulius/posts/1794953477285913:0]]

Taking to their Instagram, Sharny's husband uploaded a photo that said "stretch marks are beautiful" and penned an emotional caption alongside the image:

"Last week, I posted a photo of Sharny with her tummy out and a young girl said “at least photoshop the disgusting stretch marks out."

"Here’s a new photo, where I’ve adjusted the light so you can see ONLY stretch marks. Enjoy, because I do. I think they’re beautiful. I think they symbolise the strength of a mother who brought 6 children into the world. Not just this mother, but EVERY mother.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BmYKOrrH6vu/?taken-by=sharnyandjulius]]

"I believe that a body of a confident WOMAN (like this) is far more beautiful and sexy than the body of an insecure GIRL (what you normally see on social media).

"That’s not saying instagirls are ugly, they just lack life experience, they’re shallow. Not shallow like we normally say, but shallow in life, not yet interesting. But they will be, that’s a given.

"And I hope that when they DO earn their depth of character and maybe scars/stretch marks, they KNOW that they are not ugly or used, but beautiful and important and courageous. They are mums."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BjTqBMLH9HJ/?taken-by=sharnyandjulius]]

The post garnered a lot of attention, racking up over 1,000 likes and hundreds of comments, with one woman writing:

"I love how you have not opted to get them removed with a tummy tuck, you are showing young girls all over the reality of a female body and what you earn in return for carrying such blessings, these days everyone just assumes you go under the knife to fix everything! Ps you give me the confidence to show mine."

While the trolls may pop up from time-to-time, comments like the above show that Sharny is having a positive impact on the world, which is more than be said for the people that dish out online abuse.

Women are truly magnificent creatures; forced to deal with periods, the patriarchy and men, you'd think they'd get a break in other regards. But no, women are responsible for furthering the human race too. Now, while there is a select (and decidedly irritating) group of women who wax lyrical about the wonders of pregnancy and childbirth, for the majority, there is little joy to be found in hosting a human invader inside your body. I mean, just think about it: a veritable parasite literally feeds off your life force for nine months, your body swells to epic proportions, and you're forbidden from drinking alcohol and eating brie. Despite all of this, women still face judgment for how they chose to conduct their pregnancy, and the manner in which they give birth. In particular, those who have had C-sections are denigrated for choosing the "easy way out" and their experiences of childbirth are often maligned on account of them not being wholly "natural". This is primarily because many people fail to understand why women choose to get C-sections, and it's mainly because many do not "choose" to get them at all. Indeed, in the majority of cases, C-sections are performed on account of medical necessity. One beauty blogger, however, has had enough of this kind of talk, and has been using her platform to reveal the truth about the procedure. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BZOECb-hDil/?taken-by=baybayruth]] Ruth Lee is a 25-year-old beauty blogger who gave birth to her daughter, Presley, back in November of 2016. While Ruth planned on having a vaginal birth, things didn't exactly go to plan. After taking hours of birthing classes and reading countless books on natural childbirth, she had to endure a 19-hour long "traumatic labor", filled with numerous complications. Her doctors eventually decided to perform a Caesarean section which kept her in the hospital for four days. Ruth recently took to Instagram to post a photo of her postpartum stomach, and to share an inspiring message. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ4mfROB-LI/]] "I'm posting this with tears in my eyes," Ruth wrote in the caption, explaining that pregnancy and childbirth doesn't always go the way you plan. She asserted: "I followed SO many pregnant models during my pregnancy. And when they photographed themselves pool-side 5 minutes postpartum, I thought, "wow! I hope that happens to me!" I was 25 when I gave birth. I was healthy. I was young. I stayed active during my pregnancy. I took the best prenatals, went to the gym, used every kind of stretch mark prevention you could think of. I took hours of birthing classes, read every book under the sun, and studied natural childbirth my whole pregnancy. I STILL ended up with a traumatic labor, cesarean section, scars, stretch marks, and unfortunately the inability to breastfeed long term." [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BPLVnBFgWAU/]] Coming to terms with her unexpected C-section has also inspired Ruth to urge women everywhere not to compare their experiences to other people's. She continued; "I took this and actually was horrified. I couldn't believe it was me. I'm sharing it because I know in my heart that there are people out there that struggle with inadequacy. That might think they are not beautiful, that they might be ruined, less worthy, or not good enough. Yours might not actually be physical scars, but maybe, a failed relationship, a difficulty in your career, a mental struggle, money issues, or just feeling lost in life. Be kind to yourself. And know that you are not alone. Comparison is the thief of joy." Well, Ruth is certainly an inspiration for both pregnant and postpartum women. While mass media often paints an idealized picture of pregnancy and childbirth, in reality, it's a lot more of a messy and unexpected ordeal than most people realize. However, at the end of the day - C-section or no C-section - all that matters is that you have a healthy, happy baby, and that's certainly what this beauty blogger has achieved.

Amy Schumer has been praised this week for showing her C-section scar in a nude Instagram post.

The 39-year-old Trainwreck star shared the candid snap with her 10.4 million followers on Sunday, January 31, via her official Instagram account.

Posing in front of her bathroom mirror, the actress confidently showcased her scar along the surface of her midsection.

Schumer captioned the post: "Feeling like my c section looks cute today! #hotgirlwinter #csection. [sic]"

Amy's body positivity post accrued a lot of attention from other social media users. Currently, the image boasts over 399,000 likes and a further 8,500 comments as of the time of writing.

Credit: Instagram

For instance, one person wrote: "I thought the hashtag said Hot Girl Wiener which I guess ill go ahead and start... [sic]."

Credit: Instagram

Another person wrote: "Amen sister! Scars are beautiful."

Credit: Instagram

Another person chimed in: "I used to care for new moms and it's a beautiful battle scar. [sic]."

Credit: Instagram

A fourth commenter added: "That's awesome! I love to casually bring up my c section to my children - just in case they forget! [sic]"

Credit: Instagram

Someone else wrote: "Feel like mine lookin' hot today too! What a coincidence! [sic]."

Credit: Instagram

However, this isn't the first time Schumer has shown off her scar. In a post published on January 9, 2020, the I Feel Pretty actress uploaded another picture of her mid-section and wrote about her postpartum experiences.

Amy captioned the post: "I’m a week into IVF and feeling really run down and emotional. If anyone went through it and if you have any advice or wouldn’t mind sharing your experience with me please do.

"My number is in my bio. We are freezing my eggs and figuring out what to do to give Gene a sibling."

Schumer has also opened up about her experiences dealing with the rare prenatal health condition, called hyperemesis gravidarum, which provokes severe and sustained morning sickness during gestation.

During a guest appearance on the podcast Anna Faris is Unqualified last month, Schumer said: "I, for my safety, cannot be pregnant again. One in three mothers with hyperemesis – what I had – one in three babies don't make it.

"I really don't like those odds. Just because you're vomiting so much you can't nourish your baby or yourself, so my pregnancy was a huge bummer."

Plus-size model Ashley Graham has proudly bared her stretch marks in a candid Instagram picture a month after giving birth to her first child on January 18 - a daughter whose name is not known.

The little girl's name is set to be made public on the "Pretty Big Deal" podcast later this month, as per Fox News.

Graham shared this nude video while pregnant: 

[[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/PtJ1xYqj-sKUnNGKf.mp4||PtJ1xYqj]]

In a picture that displays her body, the 32-year-old proudly shows off her new stretch marks, writing: "same me. few new stories."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B8rmePLgwac/]]

In another candid post about post-partum life, Graham explained that she never knew how much it would affect her body.

She wrote: "Raise your hand if you didn’t know you'd be changing your own diapers too. After all these years in fashion, I never could've guessed that disposable underwear would be my favorite piece of clothing but here we are!

"No one talks about the recovery and healing (yes even the messy parts) new moms go through. I wanted to show you guys that it's not all rainbows and butterflies!"

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In a world where many women feel pressured to conform to impossible beauty standards, Graham's postpartum posts are undoubtedly a welcome breath of fresh air for many.

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/B8erx06lgiy/]]

This comes after Graham featured on the cover of Vogue while pregnant, an experience she described as "so surreal", per Fox News. She also opened up about her experience of motherhood, dubbing it "both incredibly exciting and also isolating."

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"I've always had control over my body - when everyone else wanted to dictate what it should be, I took full control over it - but I had this life inside of me saying, It's not yours anymore, it's mine."