Ashley James has admitted she is ‘fascinated’ with her pregnancy body and sometimes doesn’t recognise it in photos.
The former Made In Chelsea star, 33, is expecting her first child with her boyfriend Tom Andrews and shared a snap of her growing baby bump on Tuesday.
Alongside the photo, where she donned a black bra and matching bottoms, Ashley wrote: ‘I am just fascinated by my body at the moment, but also with everyone’s obsession with its weight.
Mother to be: Ashley James, 33, has admitted she is ‘fascinated’ with her pregnancy body and sometimes doesn’t recognise it in photos
‘I sometimes look at my body, or take pictures of it from different angles (like here), and I just don’t recognise it.
‘Like, if someone did a body line up and asked me to say which body was mine, I honestly don’t know if I could (unless I saw my tattoos).
‘Equally, I’m in awe of it. I can’t believe how much it’s transformed over the last few months. The fact I currently have a little boy in there who has hair, eyelashes, eyes that now open, and a willy – it’s a miracle.
‘But I’m also fascinated in a sad way at the narrative around pregnant women’s bodies – I’ve had so many messages about how much weight I’m gaining, how I’m staying skinny, and my plans post birth.
Ashley wrote: ‘I am just fascinated by my body at the moment, but also with everyone’s obsession with its weight’
‘I’ve had people say things like: “Wow you’ve hardly put on any weight! Are you following a diet? Do you have plans to bounce back?” ‘
Ashley told how she isn’t worried about counties calories during her pregnancy and exercises whenever she has time.
She wrote: ‘Right now, my priority is just trying to grow a healthy baby. I exercise when I can because it makes me feel better, but equally I don’t if I’m tired.
‘Not consuming enough calories can impact a baby’s health so I’m certainly not worrying about my food intake – plus my word you need a lot of energy to house a baby.
She added: ‘I sometimes look at my body, or take pictures of it from different angles (like here), and I just don’t recognise it’
‘And as for after… I can’t believe we have to even answer questions about our body when we have put it through childbirth and have a little baby to nurture.
‘That said, I feel good when I’m moving my body, so I hope it won’t take me too long until I can. It just shouldn’t be something we have to talk about.’
Ashley also revealed she now looks back on photos of herself before she became pregnant and can’t believe some of the things she felt insecure about.
She said: ‘That said, I look back at my body pre pregnancy and can’t believe I ever had insecurities. It’s funny isn’t it? It just shows that our bodies aren’t the problem.
‘And I know I’ll look back and miss my little bump, so I’m just trying to embrace and enjoy all the changes happening. Our bodies are just amazing, and it’s so sad society makes us doubt that.
Confident: The influencer recently said that she’s ‘never felt sexier’ than she does with her current body
‘PS Lady (her cat) always wants to lie on my bump, or if I’m on my side she just sits with her little paw on it. I can’t deal with her.’
In August, Ashley enthused she’s ‘so excited’ to welcome her first child with her. boyfriend Tom, 30, who she praised for being ‘great with kids’.
Ashley was candid during an appearance on Jeremy Vine: ‘I wouldn’t say I’m a naturally maternal person.
‘[Tom] always said he’d want a big family and I told him I don’t know if I want that. But now, I’m so excited and I’ve basically done the nursery now in lockdown.
‘It wasn’t like a contract in which he told me that he’d leave if I didn’t give him a family, but I think authenticity in relationships is nice, he’s from an amazing family and he’s really great with children.’
Starting a family: Ashley said she’s ‘so excited’ to welcome her first child with her boyfriend Tom Andrews, 30