Sports Illustrated's annual Swimsuit Issue is making history [1] once again. Hitting newsstands on May 19, the 2022 issue features model Kelly Hughes [2], the first-ever woman to bare her cesarean (or C-section) scar in the magazine's 58-year history. The editorial spread was created in partnership with Frida Mom [3], a brand dedicated to postpartum recovery, to normalize C-sections [4] and the conversation around all postpartum bodies, as well as celebrate the moms who've gone through the procedure [5].
"It wasn't until I 'embraced my scar that I experienced the true power in it.'"
"I am speechless and so honored to be in @si_swimsuit 2022 as the FIRST woman to expose her c-section scar in magazines history!" Hughes, who delivered her now-3-year-old via cesarean, wrote on Instagram [6]. She added, "I struggled with insecurities from my scar being that I'm a model and my incredibly difficult recovery but it wasn't until I 'embraced my scar that I experienced the true power in it.'"
Despite cesareans accounting for nearly a third of all births in America [7], moms often experience disappointment or shame when having their babies via C-section, likely since natural births are sometimes thought to be the "optimal birthing experience." (They're not. It's merely a decision based off of your doctor's judgement.) This is why representation matters. Sports Illustrated's upcoming issue also includes another history-making moment: the first visibly pregnant woman [8] ever shown in the magazine, Tone It Up founder Katrina Scott. The publication continues to break ground year after year. In its 2021 swimsuit issue, Sports Illustrated featured Leyna Bloom [9], the first transgender woman of color to grace the pages of the magazine, as well as Lewis Freese [10], the magazine's first male model.
