Mariah Kaitlyn Herrera found herself in a situation most people can relate to. The new mother was apprehensive about stepping onto the scale for the first time after giving birth.
Weight gain during pregnancy is not only normal, it's healthy and recommended. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that a person with a "normal" weight should gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy.
Still, with society's beauty standards enforcing unreasonable expectations on women's bodies — especially pregnant women's bodies (can you believe how frequently a person with child is called "fat"?) — it can be difficult to accept ourselves.
While visiting her nurse at the Charnelton Medical Clinic in Oregon, Mariah was stunned to see a note on the scale. Its simple but stunning message instantly changed her outlook on things.
Mariah shared the photo on Instagram and people are applauding the nurse's powerful message. Every scale should come with a message like this.
New mom Mariah Kaitlyn Herrera was dreading one thing after giving birth to her beautiful son, Isiah. Like many moms: she was scared to step on the scale.
While weight gain is natural and even recommended, with society's unfair standards, it can be emotional to deal with.
“I wanted to cry before I got on the scale,” Mariah told BuzzFeed. “I wanted nothing to do with it at all.”
A nurse seemed to get the sense that Mariah was struggling and left her the kindest note. It instantly changed her perspective on things.
"The note meant the world to me," Mariah said. "It immediately erased all my fears."
The note read:
"This scale will ONLY tell you the numerical value of your gravitational pull. It will NOT tell you how beautiful you are, how much your friends and family love you, or how amazing you are!!"
The simple reminder allowed Mariah to step on the scale with pride, which isn't easy for anyone sometimes.
"SERIOUSLY these should come with every scale! Completely changes how i feel about stepping on the scale especially because I know I'm working on myself. P.S. I'm down 47 pounds since childbirth," she captioned the photo.
Sometimes, we can all use a friendly reminder that it's really what's on the inside that defines us.
Please SHARE this nurse's touching note with your family and friends on Facebook!
