I have never understood why women are taught to hate their stretch marks or to feel like their body is no better than that of the Hunchback of Notre Dame if they get them.

I am a FTM but I knew I had the chance to get stretch marks as my pregnancy progressed and my belly grew with each passing week. I moisturize like I should, I have gained weight slowly (current weight gain at nearly 32 weeks is 12 pounds, making me 137), and I stay very well hydrated. Basically I did everything by the book and my mother never got stretch marks after 5 pregnancies (until her 5th and final one with my twin and I); but guess what, I got stretch marks.

They appeared slowly at 30 weeks and now at 32 weeks I have several to my name. Not once did I feel ashamed or ugly. I saw them and was like, "Well I guess your making your mark Tobias (my growing sons name)" I will never understand why women are self conscious about them. Our bodies are growing and nurturing a little baby (sometimes babies!) for 9 months. That's amazing! We are capable of holding our children in the safest place in the world and if we honestly earn a few stretch marks along the way, who cares?

Will my body ever look the same? Absolutely not. Will I sometimes feel self conscious about my new body after my son is here? Duh, were only human and sometimes we have self doubt. But will I embrace my new look/body? Every single day.

I carried my son inside this body, I got to experience pregnancy (something I was told would never happen), I have felt him squirm, kick, and hiccup his way to causing these marks. Why would I hate something my son created while I kept him as safe as possible?

I'm not really sure why I posted this. I guess mainly so women don't have to feel ashamed or like they have to have the "perfect" round, smooth bump to love themselves while pregnant and after pregnancy. Love yourself, stripes and all if you have them or if you don't have them. And if you want to show your bump off, you should. All of our bumps are beautiful. Whether they be small, big, bloat, baby, stretch marks, no stretch marks, ect. Instead of making one another self conscious why not empower each other and the beauty of pregnancy?