‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pro Lindsay Arnold Shows off Her C-Section Scar in New Bikini Photo: ‘Favorite Part of My Body’

Lindsay Arnold is celebrating her C-section scar, which she called her “favorite part” of her body. Five months after the Dancing With the Stars pro welcomed her and husband Sam Cusack’s first child, daughter Sage, Arnold got real about her postpartum body. In a new bikini photo shared on Instagram, the 27-year-old waxed poetic about the significance of her scar, which can be seen in the photo.

In her caption, Arnold said that she has seen her followers speculating in recent comments about her scar, with some wondering if she has been editing the scar out of her photos. “Now I usually don’t even give time of day to comments like this BUT I feel like this needs to be addressed as it’s important to me that you all know that my c-section scar is now my favorite part of my body,” Arnold wrote. “It is the representation of the thing I am most proud of in my life and that is our sweet Sagey.”

She continued, writing that she wants to show her scar “to everyone I see cause I think it’s so insane and crazy cool that Sage came out of that little cut in my belly?! I mean come on how incredible is that?!” She also wrote about the “amazing doctors” who “make it possible to do a c-section and have the scar be so low it is not even visible in a bikini.” She added that she pulled her suit bottoms down a tad for the scar to be visible, “which is why you all are not seeing it in my pics. I would never and have never photoshopped any part of my body and wanted a dedicated post to my beautiful scar that I truly love so much.”

“So hahaha for those who care or even read this far, no I am not photoshopping my scar out of anything and in case anyone forgot WOMEN’S BODIES ARE INCREDIBLE,” she concluded the post. Her followers instantly flooded the comments section with their own stories and feelings about their own C-section scars, offering support to the new mom.

“You go girl!” one user wrote. “We are incredible!! Keep on the up and up!!” another said. “People don’t realize how low it is!” someone else wrote. “I love my C-section scar!” another person said.

It’s not the first time Arnold has confronted trolls questioning her after becoming a mother. In January, she shared a photo with a sassy caption slamming people “who actually think it’s OK to comment on or criticize anyone else’s parenting.” She acknowledged that while she is “far from perfect” as she navigates her way through motherhood, the public scrutiny she faces is overwhelming. “You don’t need to remind me of that but why don’t we use our energy instead of always looking for the negative and finding things to criticize?” she wrote at the time. “I’m very over it. So if that’s what you want to do on Instagram, please unfollow me and leave my kind and loving followers alone.”

The DWTS champion welcomed Sage via C-section in November, announcing the birth in a sweet family photo with Cusick. “The most beautiful surprise on this special day,” she said. “Baby Girl and mama are happy and well.”