Parenting

Pregnant Plus Size Model Tess Holliday Shuts Down Body Shamers

by Maria Guido

Tess Holliday takes to Facebook to shut down body shamers

Tess Holliday is a proud, gorgeous, plus-size model. She’s expecting her second child and getting a lot of comments about her weight. Because there’s nothing more helpful for a plus-size pregnant woman than having the entire internet remind you that you are plus sized and oh my god is it even safe for you to be having children?

The concern trolling of pregnant women has got to stop.

“As I enter my 8th month, my body overall looks the same other than my belly & I’m okay with that,” Holliday wrote on her Facebook page this week. “What I’ve had to learn to be okay with (WHICH IS NOT COOL) is the fact that people still think it’s okay to comment on my body: ‘you don’t look pregnant’, ‘you must be have quadruplets’, ‘you are putting your baby at risk’ & a slew of other uneducated statements that are very far from my reality.”

She mentions the fact that not everyone has a tiny frame and an adorable little baby bump. That’s just not reality, even thought it’s all we generally see — especially amongst celebrities. “When ‘celebrities’ are pregnant in the press, they look glamorous, toned & are eager to talk about how they are going to get the baby weight off,” she writes. “While I’ve done my best to look as put together as possible, that’s not real life, & it’s not for most women.”

“I’m not the first plus size woman in the public eye to have a baby & share it with the world, & I certainly won’t be the last,” she writes. “However I’m part of a small minority that’s telling you it’s okay to not have a perfect baby bump, or not show at all, to be plus size & have a healthy child, & most importantly to find a care provider that doesn’t shame you about your size.”

Plus size pregnant women are allowed to celebrate their bumps too, without being inundated by a bunch of assholes telling them how “unhealthy” they are. The internet is such a helpful place, full of medical professionals who only want the best for everyone, right? Wrong. How does it help a pregnant woman, even a little bit, to be told that she’s too fat and unhealthy? Or too skinny and unhealthy, for that matter. Those comments aren’t there to help. They’re just there to shame. Enough is enough, internet “doctors.” Didn’t your mamas ever tell you “if you don’t have anything nice to say…”

What’s hilarious (actually, not at all) is that people couldn’t refrain from body-shaming her and offering her “medical” advice on a post that’s about begging people to shut the fuck up.

It is a known fact that the higher your body weight, the more risk it poses to you and the baby…

Putting a baby at risk just because you want fat acceptance? You are doing a lot more damage than you think Tess, brainwashing people into thinking its ok to be this size just because you can’t be bothered to eat a salad…

Being a woman does not in any way, shape, or form make you more qualified to know “what’s best” over medical professionals who have combined centuries of experience and medical knowledge…

There are indeed serious risks involved with obesity and pregnancy…

The funny thing is, none of these people who take the time to comment on her weight give two shits about her or her baby, they just want to chime in to make her feel terrible that she’s actually comfortable with the way that she looks. Pregnancy is a risky endeavor for many women, regardless of their weight.

Sometimes it feels like people just want plus size women to disappear. Well, they’re not going to, so fuck off. People don’t endlessly shame those who are way too thin, obsess about their bodies, fall victim to eating disorders — nobody cares what you are going through as long as you keep what they judge as a “pleasant” exterior. Sorry to break it to these assholes, but nobody needs them to “sign off” on their appearance. Just stop.

“It’s also okay to tell someone to fuck off when they give you unsolicited advice about what’s ‘best’ for you & your baby. As women, we know what’s best & that’s our business.. No one else’s.”

Amen, sister.