When you are on television every day, it makes you an easy target for bullies. They wait for a chance to find something wrong and don’t hesitate to comment on it. Sometimes, they even take something that should be celebrated and enjoyed and try to make it bad.
When bullies decided to make fun of a pregnant meteorologist, she refused to feel bad or let them get to her.
In fact, she didn’t even take it personally. She decided to speak up on behalf of all pregnant women. She made a Facebook post addressing the comments and setting the record straight. She said:
“The nature of my job makes me an easy target for criticism. I will always understand that, and I will most typically just ignore it. However, after someone blatantly called me a ‘sausage in casing’ and another declared that ‘sticking your pregnant abdomen out like that is disgusting,’ I felt a need to draw a line and speak up.”
She let the bullies know that it’s not OK to say mean things to people and that it’s possible to have an opinion but not share it.
She also let them know that their rude comments didn’t faze her or make her think badly about her body. She continued:
“Everyone’s right to their opinion is important, but so are manners. And while rude comments like these will never make me feel the need to change anything about myself, I find a bigger underlying issue here. These particular nasty-grams were directed at a pregnant woman. So this little manifesto of sorts is dedicated to every mother out there — other pregnant moms-to-be, moms reading this while their toddlers play on the swing set, moms whose kids have long since gone off to college… You are beautiful.”
It’s not the first time she has been made fun of about her size and pregnancy.
She explained how she has heard many mean comments and read even more online. For some reason, people think it’s OK to say whatever they want on social media and about people who are public figures. She added:
“The one that came in about the sausage in casing, that one upset me the most. I didn’t respond, I tried to move on, but it really hurt my feelings. Then I got another one this week, about looking ‘disgusting,’ and a switch flipped for me. I had a moment of clarity — I didn’t get embarrassed or hurt. I got fed up.”
Fehlinger wanted to send a message to other women who are pregnant and feel bad about the way they look or who have been bullied and ridiculed about their size.
She said:
“I am seeing moms-to-be every week at my OB’s office and I feel like this is something that should be celebrated — what women go through to bring children into the world.”
She wants every mom to know that their bodies are amazing.
They are bringing life into the world, and how they look in the process is nobody’s business. Being a mother is amazing, and it’s all worth it in the end. If someone can’t see and understand that, then they are the ones with the issue.
She hopes her post will help other women stand up for themselves and stop bullies from posting awful things on social media.
She finished with:
“Even during the most uncomfortable — and let’s face it, less than glamorous — symptoms of pregnancy, what women go through to bring their precious children into the world is, simply put, AMAZING and you should be lauded. Frankly, I don’t care how ‘terrible’ or ‘inappropriate’ anyone thinks I look. I will gladly gain 50 pounds & suffer sleepless, uncomfortable nights if it means upping my chances to deliver 2 healthy baby girls. Now it’s about more than aesthetics. I want these babies to have the best start possible. And that hopefully means my belly that ‘looks like it’s about to explode!’ will continue to grow the next few weeks.”
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Whew, a whirlwind of a weekend! I have to say it again – just can't believe the outpouring of (now) worldwide support…
Posted by Katie Fehlinger onMonday, August 24, 2015
