What’s “Normal” for Women’s Bodies?
By: Cree Jones, LMFT
Let’s get one thing straight: women’s bodies are not designed to act like perfectly filtered Instagram content. Real women wake up with:
a rogue chin hair
unpredictable emotions
a stomach that changes shape depending on the weather
and a mystery bruise we swear wasn’t there last night
This is not chaos.
This is normal womanhood — and it’s powerful in its own wild, beautiful way.
1. Your Body Isn’t Symmetrical — Because You’re a Human, Not a Barbie
Somewhere along the line, society tried to convince women that “normal” meant:
identical breasts
perfectly smooth skin
an eternally flat stomach
zero hair anywhere except lashes
Meanwhile, real women have:
one boob that leads like a CEO
a hip dip that appears in every lighting
thighs that touch (because that’s how human anatomy works)
stretch marks, which are basically natural glitter from the universe
You are not flawed.
You are alive, and that’s way more impressive than being plastic.
2. Hormones: The Original Plot Twists of Womanhood
Your hormones will absolutely have you:
crying because someone liked your photo
furious because your jeans are “speaking to you disrespectfully”
craving chocolate like you’re being paid to
wanting affection and solitude at the same time
This is not instability.
This is your body operating a complex symphony with zero days off.
Rather than fighting it, give yourself grace.
You’re doing life on hard mode… and still showing up.
3. Periods: Annoying, Messy, and Completely Normal
To anyone who says periods are “not a big deal,” kindly escort them out of your life.
Real period experiences include:
cramps that feel like your uterus is reenacting a battle scene
bloating that makes you consider living in sweats forever
fluctuating moods that could give a telenovela a run for its money
And yet women:
go to work
parent
study
cook
clean
run businesses
hold families together
You are not “moody.”
You’re a warrior with a biology degree you didn’t consent to.
4. Weight Fluctuates — That’s How Bodies Work
One week you feel like a glowing goddess.
The next week you’re shaped like a casserole.
Still normal. Still beautiful. Still worthy.
Your weight changes with:
hormones
sleep
water
stress
food
the gravitational pull of the moon (probably)
Your job is not to shrink yourself.
Your job is to take up space while taking care of yourself.
5. Aging: The Most Underrated Glow-Up
Aging isn’t something to fear — it’s something to honor.
Wrinkles?
Proof you laughed, lived, and survived.
Gray hairs?
Nature’s highlights.
Body changes after 30, 40, 50?
Signs of wisdom, experience, and resilience.
You’re not “losing your youth.”
You’re gaining a version of yourself who knows exactly who she is.
A Final Word of Truth
If your body has:
carried you through heartbreak
healed without you even asking
gotten you out of bed on days it wasn’t easy
adapted, changed, stretched, shrunk, grown, and restored you
Then your body isn’t flawed —
it’s miraculous.
And every version of it has always been normal.