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Ashley Graham shared an empowering photo of her pregnant body, embracing her stretch marks

Ashley Graham shared an empowering photo of her pregnant body, embracing her stretch marks
Instagram / Ashley Graham

When Demi Moore's nude pregnancy photo in Vanity Fair came out, it was groundbreaking. We had never seen a woman's pregnant body presented in such a natural state (albeit, one that was heavily lighted and likely photoshopped.) Nowadays, Instagram has made it common for celebs to post photos of their uncovered growing bellies, but sometimes it feels like we're not seeing pregnancy for what it is. It isn't always beautiful, and you probably don't have a team of stylists following you around making sure everything is just right. You don't experience that magic "pregnancy glow" for nine months. It comes with stretch marks and weight gain, morning sickness, and melisma.

Many women experience the less-than-glamorous symptoms of pregnancy, and yet, we hardly ever see them. Supermodel Ashley Graham stripped off all the glamour and posted a nude photo of her pregnant body, celebrating all of the "imperfections" that come with growing a baby. Graham, who is pregnant with her first child with husband Justin Ervin, chose to present her body with child au natural, stretch marks and all.Graham posted the photo on Instagram five days after she announced her pregnancy. "Same same but a little different," she wrote in the caption.


RELATED: A man described the awe of watching his wife give birth, and it's giving us all the feels

Fans and other celebrities were supportive that Graham chose to present pregnancy without all the filters and photo shop. "My Lord, THANK YOU for this" wrote Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum.

Not surprisingly, many women said they related to Graham's pregnant physique. "I will always love my tiger stripes. Now it's time to show them off. Thank you from the bottom of my [heart emoji]," one Instagram user posted.

"Thanks for always being real and honest! Beautiful! Makes me feel that I could be beautiful too with all my cellulite and stretch marks!" wrote another.

"I'm pregnant, hormonal, and going through so many body changes. This made me tear up. I really needed this today," said a third.

RELATED: James Van Der Beek's pregnancy announcement casually helps destigmatize miscarriages

Graham, who rose to prominence in 2016 when she became the first-ever plus-sized swimsuit model on the cover of Sports Illustrated, is a body activist who speaks about body positivity and inclusion. Graham says that her career gained momentum once she began embracing her body. "I felt free once I realized I was never going to fit the narrow mold that society wanted me to fit in," she said in a 2015 TED talk. "And that's okay. Rolls, curves, cellulite, all of it. I love every part of me."

Graham might have posted the "same same," but when it comes to the images of pregnancy we're presented with, it's a lot different.

All images provided by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

Collins after being selected by Prudential Emerging Visionaries

True

A changemaker is anyone who takes creative action to solve an ongoing problem—be it in one’s own community or throughout the world.

And when it comes to creating positive change, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective can hold just as much power as years of experience. That’s why, every year, Prudential Emerging Visionaries celebrates young people for their innovative solutions to financial and societal challenges in their communities.

This national program awards 25 young leaders (ages 14-18) up to $15,000 to devote to their passion projects. Additionally, winners receive a trip to Prudential’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, where they receive coaching, skills development, and networking opportunities with mentors to help take their innovative solutions to the next level.

For 18-year-old Sydnie Collins, one of the 2023 winners, this meant being able to take her podcast, “Perfect Timing,” to the next level.

Since 2020, the Maryland-based teen has provided a safe platform that promotes youth positivity by giving young people the space to celebrate their achievements and combat mental health stigmas. The idea came during the height of Covid-19, when Collins recalled social media “becoming a dark space flooded with news,” which greatly affected her own anxiety and depression.

Knowing that she couldn’t be the only one feeling this way, “Perfect Timing” seemed like a valuable way to give back to her community. Over the course of 109 episodes, Collins has interviewed a wide range of guests—from other young influencers to celebrities, from innovators to nonprofit leaders—all to remind Gen Z that “their dreams are tangible.”

That mission statement has since evolved beyond creating inspiring content and has expanded to hosting events and speaking publicly at summits and workshops. One of Collins’ favorite moments so far has been raising $7,000 to take 200 underserved girls to see “The Little Mermaid” on its opening weekend, to “let them know they are enough” and that there’s an “older sister” in their corner.

Of course, as with most new projects, funding for “Perfect Timing” has come entirely out of Collins’ pocket. Thankfully, the funding she earned from being selected as a Prudential Emerging Visionary is going toward upgraded recording equipment, the support of expert producers, and skill-building classes to help her become a better host and public speaker. She’ll even be able to lease an office space that allows for a live audience.

Plus, after meeting with the 24 other Prudential Emerging Visionaries and her Prudential employee coach, who is helping her develop specific action steps to connect with her target audience, Collins has more confidence in a “grander path” for her work.

“I learned that my network could extend to multiple spaces beyond my realm of podcasting and journalism when industry leaders are willing to share their expertise, time, and financial support,” she told Upworthy. “It only takes one person to change, and two people to expand that change.”

Prudential Emerging Visionaries is currently seeking applicants for 2024. Winners may receive up to $15,000 in awards and an all-expenses-paid trip to Prudential’s headquarters with a parent or guardian, as well as ongoing coaching and skills development to grow their projects.

If you or someone you know between the ages of 14 -18 not only displays a bold vision for the future but is taking action to bring that vision to life, click here to learn more. Applications are due by Nov. 2, 2023.
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Mother of 7 stunned to learn the ‘Alphabet Song’ has been changed to get with the times

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via UNSW

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“My ‘darling’ wife passed away 10 months ago,” the man wrote on Reddit’s Off My Chest forum. “She wrote a letter for me before she died, but I couldn’t bring myself to read it until now. She told me how sorry she was that she didn’t have the guts to tell me this to my face when she was alive.”

In the letter, the wife revealed that there was a “good chance” that the son he thought was his wasn’t his biological child. A few weeks before their wedding day, the wife got drunk at her bachelorette party and had a one-night stand with another man. Soon after that night, she became pregnant but was unsure who the father was.

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Popular TikTokker Jordan Klein wondered why she becomes overwhelmed halfway through the day while watching her children. "I have three boys, ages 5, 3, and 1, and I continuously lose my sh*t. Sometimes it comes out. Sometimes," she said in a recent post. "I lose my sh*t right around 2 or 3 p.m. every day without fail. My husband works from home. But he does not lose his sh*t consistently. So, what's going on?"

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This validates my burn out, right? #momtok #momsoftiktok #sahm #boymom #toddlermom #toddlersoftiktok #3under5

@jothemama

This validates my burn out, right? #momtok #momsoftiktok #sahm #boymom #toddlermom #toddlersoftiktok #3under5

"I downloaded one of those little counter clicker apps on my phone where I could just push the screen, and it ticks up one number, and I was just gonna hit it every time one of my children ...made a request,” Jordan said in her TikTok video.

Just ten minutes after downloading the app, her kids made 86 requests of her. She even didn't count repeats, and kids love to repeat themselves. “I guarantee you that if I were to ask my husband how many requests a day he gets at work... it's in the single digits, for sure," she added.

And they say being a stay-at-home mom isn’t a full-time job! “This validates my burnout, right?” Jordan captioned her post.

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The quasi-scientific experiment gives Jordan some excellent ammunition when talking to her husband about how they divide parenting duties. Even if it doesn’t mean he takes over the default role after work, it at least makes a great case that Jordan deserves more than a few lengthy breaks throughout the day and a few days off every month.

There is only so much stress and mental anguish that parents can take before they are no longer effective and cannot provide a happy and healthy home for their children. When evaluating domestic responsibilities, we often consider having a professional job more stressful than raising children. However, Jordan’s experiment proves that parenting can mean a lot more emotional labor, and families should take a second look at how default parents are valued.

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