As the time got closer to tell the world I started getting really excited. It was getting harder and harder to hide my bump and I am certain I was just glowing. Around 12 weeks I was playing on Facebook- or maybe more like "creepin". I noticed that person I am friends with on FB posted her first baby bump. It was adorable- so little and cute. I noticed she had a lot of comments on there so of course like the good creeper I am I read through them. One of the comments threw me. It congratulated her on not showing yet, it said how proud she was of her and how she will be so cute when she finally shows around 6 months.
I immediately went and stood in the mirror. I was only 12 weeks and my bump was bigger than hers- what had I done wrong? was I supposed to be smaller? As soon as my irrational thoughts began to leave my mind anger took over. What I realized in that moment is that absolutely nothing is wrong with me. I like her, was one my 2nd pregnancy. Most women show sooner with their 2nd. I hadn't gained any weight- my body was simply shifting everything around. And what this woman did was shame myself and every other pregnant woman for showing "too soon". In her mind that must mean that woman is unhealthy, eating poorly, not exercising and being careless.
Why do we do this to each other? Why do women think it is socially acceptable to judge another woman on her looks? On her pregnancy? On her clothes? her makeup? Etc... All that does is make other women feel shame. Shame leads to fear and that is the opposite of how I want to live my life.
When we allow people to shame us we start to look at all the things in our lives that can be seen as "wrong". We ignore the good things in our lives and let fear take over. One of the best things we can teach other women is that being open and vulnerable allows us to believe in who we are and that we are worthy of living a beautiful and fulfilled life.
I encourage all women to stop themselves when they start to look at the woman next to them and think something is wrong with her appearance, how she is parenting or the choices she is making and instead think of how amazing it is that we are all different, we are all capable of living our lives beautifully and we are all children of God just trying to get by in this world.
"Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we are all in this together" -Brene Brown
15 weeks and beautiful
