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In August Ashley Graham shared a strategically covered nude photo of her stretch marks. She talks about the photo in an episode of her new digital series. She and Taylor Hoit discuss the “struggle” to become more comfortable in their changing bodies:
In a first look at the third episode of her digital series, Fearless with Ashley Graham, the model and first-time mom-to-be spoke with mother of four Taylor Hoit about the positive effect being candid about body changes can have on other women, who might be having a difficult time with their own journey.
“I actually first discovered you when you posted a photo of yourself on Instagram,” Graham, 32, says in the clip to Hoit, who had shared a powerful photo of her postpartum body 10 weeks after having twins, shortly after Graham shared a nude photo that highlighted her stretch marks earlier this year…
Although Graham’s photo was praised by many when she posted it back in August, the model went on to share that she, [like Hoit], had been struggling with her “new body” at the time.
“It’s interesting that you say that [you thought about deleting the photo of yourself] because the reason why I had posted that original photo, I had just announced that I was pregnant and I thought then I was going to feel good and I didn’t. I just felt terrible. And that morning, actually … ” she said, stopping herself as she began to cry.
“That morning, I was like, ‘Get it together, Ashley, there’s other women out there that are going through the same thing as you — why don’t you have a dialogue?'” she explained.
Adding that the experience of having a “new body” made her feel “so isolated” and “so alone,” Graham noted that pregnancy has meant having “to come into this new world of body confidence.”
I didn’t know Ashley had a web series, (which is on ellentube). I’m going to check it out. I also like that Ashley is continuing this conversation about the photo. I appreciate that she’s being candid about her struggle to accept the way that her body has changed because of her pregnancy. She got a lot of support and thanks (which is wonderful) when she posted the photo and helped to further the conversation about the way that pregnancy affects a person’s body. That doesn’t mean that her choice to share the photo was easy. I think it’s so important that Ashley is being open about how she broke down that morning and then realized that she could share the photo as a way to engage others who felt as she did. She helped create a supportive community of others who were living through the same experience (or had). Sharing personal stories can be such a powerful, meaningful experience, both for the person doing the telling and for others whose stories are similar, and who needed to be reminded that they aren’t alone.
photos credit: Backgrid, Getty and via Instagram
Again, women are all about their bodies. *sigh*
While I think she is absolutely beautiful, I’m sorry, in my opinion, it’s time for her to STFU! I get the message she’s spreading, and good on her, but I’m bored of her already!
Boohoo.
If she came back from war with PTSD, then yes, I’d have sympathy for her.
But having stretch marks is NO accomplishment in life, I’m sorry.
This is crazy! I know Taylor! She’s such a lovely girl
Wouldn’t it be lovely if women could be applauded and revered for bringing NEW HUMANS into the world. Respected, applauded and revered. Too much to ask??
Thank you! Maybe even valued, as well?
And we wonder why women are so vain and self absorbed and obsessed with appearance!!! Because we can never, ever escape it. The world has become a terribly superficial place where beauty before and above all else rules.
Research shows most narcissists and sociopaths to be men though.
I understand what she’s talking about. She’s being honest about the struggle that most women go through. Most of us don’t bounce back after childbirth. Most of us aren’t perfectly toned during pregnancy. I can understand, I have bounced all over the scale my whole life and although I was THRILLED to be pregnant, it’s very difficult to watch the numbers on the scale go up and up during pregnancy when we’re trained to think that gaining weight is the worst thing a woman can do. I understand what she’s saying and I applaud her honesty and vulnerability. Your flippant comments above only prove my point.
After my second pregnancy, my stomach skin didn’t retain its elasticity like the first time and now it sags. It didn’t before, now it does and no amount of exercise or healthy food is going to change that. Should I care? I don’t know but I do.
It’s weird to me because Ashley Graham must have had stretch marks long before she got pregnant. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that/her, but due to her weight and size I feel like she probably already had them so why was this so different?
Lol, this. I had stretch marks on my butt and boobs since the first year of my period as a young teen, plenty of time to get used to them!
She’s a model, she shows off her body for a living, now there will be limitations. She has a right to be upset about it. I bounced back from my first with ONE stretch mark, after #2 I had too many to count, it was depressing. I wish I could get rid of them because I don’t like the way they look or feel. I’ve never been one to wear a bikini or anything even when I was a teen, so it’s not about being vein. I get where she’s coming from.
Seems like every other year celebrity women forget that pregnancy can absolutely do this to you and we have to have some kind of informational campaign so they can fee better.
Women die in labor across the world daily. Your stretch marks are nothing and I cannot fee sorry for saying that.