This week, Isabel Roloff showed off her stretch marks as her due date looms.
She and Little People, Big World alum Jacob are expecting their first child together, and they are overwhelmed with emotion.
Unfortunately, a body-shaming troll tried to rain all over her parade with cruel misinformation.
Isabel is clapping back, educating her followers in the process about how the human body works.
On Monday, November 1, Isabel shared a heartfelt and affirming message alongside a photo of her baby bump.
"In the beginning of this journey, I was really hoping not to get stretch marks on my belly," she began.
Isabel confessed: "That feels hard to admit."
"I talk about body positivity and self love so much," Isabel acknowledged.
She expressed: I feel like a fraud admitting that I didn’t want to get stretch marks."
It is extremely normal for people to hold body positive viewpoints but still have internalized hangups about their own bodies.
"I have them everywhere else on this body of mine," Isabel wrote of stretch markes.
"I got them on the back of my calves when I was only eight," she shared.
Izzy acknowledged that she attained those marks "because I grew so tall so quickly."
"I had the growing pains every night to accompany them," Isabel shared.
"Yet somehow, I thought maybe I’d escape pregnancy stretch mark free," she remarked.
"How silly that was something I desired at all," Isabel expressed.
"Even after following so many people in this community who normalize stretch marks," Isabel stated.
She admitted that "they’re still not *fully* accepted or desirable."
Isabel lamented: "I was allowing myself to believe the lie that I’d be less valuable with them."
"I know they’re mostly genetic," Isabel acknowledged.
"I know there are lotions and things you can use to diminish them," she added.
"But the thing is, after eight months of growing this miracle in my belly," Izzy said, "I don’t look in the mirror with disgust like I thought I might."
"I look at them with pride," Isabel wrote.
"I see them as badges of honor," she proclaimed.
"I did this," Isabel affirmed. "I grew a human."
"And I have the scars now to prove I did," Isabel wrote.
"Growth, these days, just feels all kinds of beautiful," she concluded.
In response, Isabel received many positive and affirming replies.
One sinister troll, however, felt very differently.
This commenter asserted that stretch marks are "not genetic."
A body-shamer claimed that her stretch marks stemmed merely from gaining "too much weight during a short period of time."
“I’ve gained 25-30 lbs," Isabel responded.
She cited that this is a gain "which is actually the recommended amount of weight."
"I have stretch marks on the back of my calves from growing tall," Izzy wrote, "not from growing fat."
“Unfortunately, back in your day, you were misled to believe nonsense about stretch marks,” Isabel acknowledged.
“That’s OK," she assured.
Isabel asked the troll to "just educate yourself before spreading misinformation and making harmful comments next time. Thanks.”
In case you are wondering, Isabel is absolutely right.
Genetics are one of the primary factors in determining who gets stretch marks and where.
They are also extremely common during growth spurts and pregnancy, and can also depend upon what kind of skin someone has.
In fact, even the "rapid weight gain" reason for stretch marks has to do with where and how much the body stores energy as fat and muscle.
As we know, these things are strongly rooted in genetics, to the point where two people doing the same workouts and eating identical meals can have wildly different bodies.
But the real issue isn’t that stretch marks aren’t Izzy’s fault. The issue is that they’re just part of her skin, and there’s nothing wrong with that.