I wear my baby stripes with honor (Karyle)

Age: 22 Years old
Pregnancies: 2 happy little girls
Childrens ages:
18 month old and 3 months old

To me, these scars to not make me ugly or disfigured. To me, they are reminders of what we as women go through to bring our children into the world. Any man who thinks stretch marks are horrible should try having an enpowering enperience like incubating, carrying, and birthing another human being. There is nothing like that experience in the world. These baby stripes that cover me from waist to ankles and my membership card into the world’s greatest club. The one’s my second daughter gave me that sneak up past my hip bones are my gold star; they say I am a dedicated mother, a special woman for embarking on that awesome journey twice.

Whenever I see them, and if they try to make me feel bad, I remind myself of the love I get from my daughters and how worthwhile it was. I’ve had people tell me I shouldn’t wear short anymore, that I should stick to pants. I tell them that if they don’t want to see my stretch marks they can look away or keep in mind that 98% of women have these honor stripes.

My badges of honor make me feel sad for those women who are airbrushed and painted and cut so they are “pretty”. To me what is pretty is the strength that a woman shows when she holds her newborn for the first time, or when she conforts a crying toddler, sends a child to school on the bus for the first time, or watches her children get married. I wear my baby stripes with honor.