Pregnant Gemma Atkinson has been praised for her body positivity as she headed to the beach on holiday with her daughter Mia.
The former Emmerdale star, 38, has jetted off with her daughter, 3, and Strictly Come Dancing pro partner Gorka Marquez, ahead of the arrival of their son.
Gemma admitted she was feeling uncomfortable about stripping off at the beach, having even packed a pair of trousers to wear.
She candidly told her fans she felt "swollen and bloated" and had never had "as much cellulite in my life".
Despite her reservations, Gemma decided to don a two-piece bikini as to not have a "negative effect" on Mia.
"I bought some beach trousers to wear on this holiday because even though I'm aware of why it’s happening and how clever my body is, I’ve never been as swollen, bloated, uncomfortable in everyday tasks and had as much cellulite in my life," she told her Instagram followers.
"My boobs alone are three cup sizes up! Second pregnancy, almost four years older and with a little boy this time it’s been a lot harder on my body.
"(I know how we feel about our bodies is relevant to the individual and it’s just how I currently feel in MY body). I got to the beach on day one of this holiday, looked at Mia playing and I suddenly felt relaxed."
The soap star added: "It dawned on me if I kept them on that she’d ask why I’m in trousers and I thought about the negative effect it could have on her down the line me saying 'because mummy’s legs and bum are a lot bigger than usual'.
"I don’t ever want her to feel like she should cover herself, especially on the beach! So the pants came in handy to wipe up my non-alcoholic cocktail but other than that, they haven’t been needed! I've worn my bikinis every day. "
Gemma continued: "The top of my thighs chaffed like a MF but we had an absolute blast on the beach and made the most incredible memories as a family. I can’t believe that next time we’ll have little man with us as a family of four. We’re so lucky and so blessed."
"You look perfect to me!" commented partner Gorka.
A fan added: "You are such a positive role model. Tell it exactly how it is. Very inspirational. You look beautiful. Thank you for keeping it real. Makes a good honest change to Instagram xx."
"Thank you so much for writing this. Currently pregnant with baby number 2, and 4 years on since my first pregnancy too. I resonate with absolutely everything. You look great," commented another.
The actress recently hit back at vile trolls who called her 'tubby' and that she had 'let herself go'.
She is known for her love of keeping fit and often posts photos of her working out, however, she's recently been hit by criticism from those she calls "p***ks on Twitter ".
Gemma said: "I'm growing and creating life. My son. And for that blessing, I'll take all of the above and more, including the p***ks on Twitter.
"It's always guys who [post offensive comments] and I always think: 'Would they say that to their mum when they were expecting?
"Ultimately, whether you're carrying a bigger bump or a smaller bump, you're going to get it [negative comments] because there's always going to be someone who's not happy with how you look. It blows my mind that they care so much about someone else's body," reports The Sun.
Gemma and Gorka announced they were expecting a son earlier this year after they already share a daughter Mia.
