Lucy Fallon has reached out to her fans for help as she struggles with the final stages of her pregnancy.
The Coronation Street star, 27, is set to become a mum for the first time, but has been suffering from Braxton-Hicks contractions recently as she gets ready to give birth.
And it's clear she's not coping well with the "practice contractions". Taking to her Instagram Stories, the actress asked her 535k followers: "Why are my Braxton-Hicks painful? Do any of you know? Am I just pathetic?"
Instead of sharing a snap of herself, she uploaded an image of her dog to go alongside her query.
Braxton-Hicks are normal during pregnancy and, according to the NHS, are the contractions that may be felt throughout pregnancy, particularly near the end. They are caused by the tightening of the muscles in the uterus.
While they are completely normal, if a pattern occurs more regularly, it could be a sign labour has started.
Her pregnancy was first announced in September. It will be her first child with her boyfriend, footballer Ryan Ledson.
At the end of December Lucy - who plays the role of Bethany Platt on Corrie - revealed she was "just five weeks away" from her due date.
She shared 3D images of the baby and jokingly wrote "same" alongside an image which looked like the child yawning.
She also held a "wild" baby shower to celebrate earlier in the month in Liverpool. Guests at the bash partied well into the night as they were treated to a bottomless Prosecco cart and a live DJ set.
And at Christmas, Lucy took to social media to post personal pics of her festivities.
She uploaded a carousel of photos from the festive period where she wore an array of outfits including pyjamas and formal wear as she showed off her blossoming baby bump ahead of an exciting 2023 for her and Ryan.
And she opened up on how the day didn't exactly go to plan, writing: "It may have ended in a sickness bug, but it’s been a holly jolly one with our fam nonetheless. merry chrysler everyone."
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