Mom’s Powerful Message About Her Post-Baby Body Reveals What's Truly Important In Life

Like so many women who are bombarded with stories about how celebs "got their bodies back" after giving birth, this Australian mom felt the typical pressure to "drop the baby weight" — until a health scare gave her some much-needed perspective and made her thankful for her body just the way it is.

Read more: How Mothers Shape Their Daughters' Body Image

In an epic post on her Facebook page on Wednesday, blogger Constance Hall shared her story. "I used to be obsessed with my weight. I thought skinny was beautiful. My least favorite part of being a mum was losing the baby weight."

But that all changed when Hall discovered a lump on her breast. "I was so scared that I wouldn't be granted the privilege to raise these perfect children of mine," she wrote. "That week, I couldn't eat, yet my weight was the furthest thing from my mind."

Thankfully the lump was a cyst, and not cancer — but the frightening experience reminded Hall that losing weight shouldn't be the most important thing in her life. "When the doctor told me it was a cyst and not cancer, I was flooded with relief," Hall wrote. "I grabbed my kids so tightly and we all went out for a huge lunch with loads of food and hugs and laughter ... I was embarrassed for placing so much importance on my weight for so many years."

"Now I realize that not losing your baby weight isn't a sign of letting go, it's a sign that this queen has evolved — she's realized that life is not about a number on a scale, happiness is about gratitude and love and the privilege that is life." Hall also shared a smiling photo of herself rocking just a bra.

Hall's post clearly hit home for many — as of Thursday afternoon, it had been shared more than 7 thousand times and had thousands of comments from women sharing similar stories.

Hall blogs about parenting, body image and relationships at QueensOfConstance.com.