Plus-size model Tess Holliday would rather watch her kids grow up than watch her waistline.
The mother to Rylee, 10, and Bowie, 10 months, thinks it's "absolutely ridiculous" to try and lose weight immediately after giving birth.
"I definitely felt like I had to relearn who I was, and relearn my body and how clothes fit on me," she told Romper. "I think trying to lose weight and do all of that after is absolutely ridiculous. [Children] are only little for so long and even though it's hard, I think it's way more important to cherish those moments than it is worrying about how you look or what size you are."
Tess is a size 22 and still coming to terms with her body after baby.
Thanks to the Internet, the model said there is too much judgement to be a "perfect" mom.
In February, she took to Instagram to share an image of herself crying. In her caption, she poured her heart out and described what mommy life is actually like.
"This is the reality of being a mom. I've been up since 3 am, & every time I get Bowie to sleep & try to lay him down, he wakes up," she said. "He is teething & has no clue I have to work today, & most days I can work 15 hour days, take care of both boys & put some lipstick on & deal with it. Most days I drink my coffee & smile at every little thing he does thinking it's the best thing in the world, but not today.
She continued, "I've been crying for nearly two hours, & I'm crying as I write this. I've reached my limit, exceeded it to be honest. My confidence has taken a blow with this birth & it wasn't until this morning I realized why. The pressure of 'looking good' for a living is too much today. When your face is breaking out from the hormones of breastfeeding + total exhaustion from lack of sleep, bags under your eyes, patchy red skin & to top it off no energy to work out or leave my bed.. how do you do it? How do you feel confident in your skin & feel like you aren't letting the client down by showing up exhausted & disheveled?
"Yes, I chose a career based on my looks & I'm the first one to say that beauty isn't what should drive you, it's certainly not what motivates me. As a working mom in an industry that's as critical as mine, where is the line? The balance? The compassion? Is any career understanding when you show up at negative 10% because your kids wouldn't let you sleep & you want to hide under your covers & cry? Not many. I hope one day that changes & society views mothers as the flawed human beings we are that are just trying to keep our s— together like everyone else."
She used the hashtag "disrupt perfect mom syndrome."