A mum who'd planned a fun couple of hours at the pool with her baby has hit back at a stranger who tried to body shame her.
Lexi Sinclair, from Kansas City, posted about her experience on Facebook on August 3, in a post that has now been shared more than 23,000 times.
Sinclair said that it all started when she took her four-month-old son, Christian, to her local pool. She chose to wear a leopard-print bikini – and that's what seemed to cause offence to another pool-goer.
A woman made small talk about Christian, Sinclair said, before getting to her point.
"She then proceeded to tell me that the men at the pool would feel more comfortable if I was in a one-piece swim suit because a bikini isn't appropriate for a mother, especially one who's 'still recovering'," Sinclair wrote in the Facebook post.
Sinclair wasn't going to take the comment lying down. After a moment's pause, she says she gave an honest response.
"I'm proud of my body," she told the woman. "In just one year I've gained 50 pounds, and lost 37. I've grown a human and given birth to a beautiful miracle. My body provided food for my child.
"So, no, my body might not be the best sight for other men to see. My stretch marks and tummy pudge might not be sexy. But they're proof that I've done something amazing, and I have a man that loves me and finds me even sexier and more beautiful now."
Talking to CNN, Sinclair said she'd had a great reaction since sharing her experience.
"I think it's gotten so big because so many people can relate to how it feels to be body shamed," she said.
"Not just mothers but anyone who's a little bigger, or smaller than what the expected norm is."
Naturally, the feedback hasn't been all good. "The nastiest comes from those that don't know me and deem me an 'unfit' mother because of what I wear, how old I am, or the fact that I took my son to the pool in general," she said.
But one message stood out from the rest.
"I think the most beautiful message I've received was from a man whose wife struggles with self-image. He says after reading my post, she feels beautiful again and he loves how happy I've made her again."