Reddit Mom Shares Disturbing Body-Shaming Experience to Remind Us That All Bodies Are 'Bikini Bodies'

It's 2021, and it's been proven that women can rise to become Vice President of the United States—at least. But apparently, they still can't shop for a bikini without getting body shamed, and one mom took to Reddit to vent about it.

Here's how it went down.

"I was looking for bathing suits online with my friend," posted u/throwawaybikinibody in the Am I the Asshole subreddit. "I have two young kids, and as you can imagine, stretch marks on my stomach, thighs, and breasts. I mean, nothing too crazy or severe, but…you can tell I've been pregnant."

The mother was browsing two-piece bathing suits when her friend decided to dole out some unsolicited advice.

"You have stretch marks all over, and you have the mom pouch," the friend apparently said. "You should probably look for a one-piece to cover yourself up."

OP was hurt but tried to stay calm. "Okay, well, I'm going to go out on a limb and say most people have some form of stretch marks somewhere on their body, be it from pregnancy, sudden weight gain or loss, etc.," she responded.

But the friend wouldn't let up. "But you won't look sexy at the beach," she replied, later adding. "Isn't that what you said? That even if something is common or popular, it doesn't mean it's good."

The friend was referring to an ages-ago discussion that they had about, get this, Hitler.

"A group of us were discussing politics and history…and at one point in the conversation, I said, 'Hitler won the popular vote. Just because he rose to power doesn't mean he was right,'" OP said."Y'all, she made a comparison between Hitler and stretch marks being unsightly."

Wait, what? One of these things is not like the other, and she was wondering if other Redditors agreed or if she was being too sensitive. "Am I blowing it out of proportion?" she asked.

The comments section quickly responded with a resounding, "no." Some posters got personal.

"As someone with a not-so-perfect body, I don't need to be told it's not so perfect," one person wrote. "I already know…If OP wanted a revealing suit, it's not carelessness leading to that decision. It's more than likely an intentional choice to disregard that worry. Her friend was rewarding bravery with cruelty."

Others were more to-the-point. "Your friend is an ass. Enjoy the beach with a better friend," another commenter responded.

And one Redditor hit the nail on the head. "ALL BODIES ARE BIKINI BODIES IF YOU HAVE A BODY AND PUT A BIKINI ON IT. ALL BODIES ARE BEACH BODIES IF YOU GO TO THE BEACH WITH A BODY. Your job at the beach is not to be decorative. Your job is to enjoy the beach," the person wrote.

Louder, for the people in the back.

Let's talk about just how normal stretch marks are in people who are pregnant or have given birth. Up to 90 percent of pregnant people will have stretch marks by their third trimester, according to one study. And while there are plenty of creams that promise to prevent or get rid of stretch marks, much of it is actually out of a person's control. Sometimes, it's just genetics, researchers found.

This mom grew life—twice—and that's even more impressive than adhering to any antiquated beauty standards. Honor and show off that body, Mama.

And it sounds like that's exactly what she did. In an update, she later posted, "I'm okay with my body. I mean, sure, it'd be cool if I could be a bit more toned… but I'm not gonna hide myself away in the confines of my home for the rest of my life.

She ended the post with, "Hitting the beach with my husband and kiddos, y'all. Peace out."

Now, if only body-shamers could peace out, too.