Mom smacks down body shamer at the pool

A day at the pool was anything but a day of relaxation for a young mom from Kansas City.

Lexi Sinclair said she took her 4-month-old son to the pool earlier this week. An older woman rambled up to her and made what Sinclair initially thought was friendly conversation.

She asked her how old her son was, how much he weighed, whether he slept well at night.

Then the woman dropped a load on her.

“She then proceeded to tell me that the men at the pool would feel more comfortable if I was in a one-piece swim suit because a bikini isn’t appropriate for a mother, especially one who’s “still recovering,” Sinclair wrote in a Facebook post, recounting the incident.

Sinclair’s first thought was to tell the woman off, but then she went with a more inspired response.

“I’m proud of my body. In just one year I’ve gained 50 pounds, and lost 37. I’ve grown a human and given birth to a beautiful miracle. My body provided food for my child. So, no, my body might not be the best sight for other men to see. My stretch marks and tummy pudge might not be sexy. But they’re proof that I’ve done something amazing.”

Boom.

Sinclair’s post on this body shaming attempt has been shared more than 17,000 times.

“I think it’s gotten so big because so many people can relate to how it feels to be body shamed,” she told CNN.

“Not just mothers but anyone who’s a little bigger, or smaller than what the expected norm is.”

Of course, there were those who shared her post, only to belittle her – but that’s to be expected, Sinclair said.

“The nastiest comes from those that don’t know me and deem me an ‘unfit’ mother because of what I wear, how old I am, or the fact that I took my son to the pool in general,” she said.

Sinclair’s focusing on the positive, and on the impact her post has made.

“I think the most beautiful message I’ve received was from a man whose wife struggles with self-image. He says after reading my post, she feels beautiful again and he loves how happy I’ve made her again.”