My Crown (Sara)

I’ve always loved my body. Sure, there were always those times when I felt I needed to lose a few pounds, but I usually tried to focus on my health and how I felt rather than a number on the scale. I am a curvy 5’7″ and weighed 166lbs at the start of my first pregnancy last year. I gained about 30lbs over those nine months, and I absolutely loved being pregnant. I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy in October, 2007 after less than 24 hours of painless, drug-free labor.

I thought that stretch marks would be the one thing that I would hate about pregnancy, hoping that since my mother never got them, I wouldn’t either. So when they began appearing late in the 3rd trimester, I admit I was a little sad. But after my son was born, I noticed that the marks on my lower belly had formed the shape of a crown, and I was in awe of them, in awe of my whole body. I’m probably the only woman around who hopes her stretch marks never fade. I love my body even more now for what it has proven it can do, for creating and nourishing this precious new life, and I wear my crown with pride.