She’s “ready to pop” any day now, but being in her third trimester won’t stop Edwina Bartholomew from embracing her figure in a bikini.
The mum-of-one is expecting her second child with husband Neil Varcoe in February and is making the most of her final days before their newborn arrives.
Slipping into her swimwear to enjoy the summer weather, Edwina took to Instagram to share photos of how much her belly has grown.
But her post wasn’t just an update on her pregnancy; it was also an empowering message for other expectant mums who may be struggling with body insecurities.
Edwina Bartholomew showed off her belly in a bikini.
(Instagram)“I am one of those women who is pregnant all over. Pregnant toes. Pregnant arms. Pregnant legs. Pregnant pigmentation face. Very pregnant belly,” Edwina penned in the caption.
“It’s a big deal for me to wear a bikini but here I am. I’ve decided life is way too short to sweat the bumps, big and small.”
Referring to herself as “eight months pregnant and about to pop”, Edwina said that the Ripe Maternity bikini she wore for the photos was a gift in many senses of the word.
Not only was it a freebie, the swimwear had her loving her pregnant body and feeling like “some kind of 50s aqua musical star”.
The 38-year-old then revealed the emotional motivation behind her post, writing: “I’m posting this here so that I can look back in a few months time and remember how I felt. Maybe non-pregnant me will remember to be kind to myself.
“You might see it too, buy that bikini and not give a flying [duck] what anyone else thinks x”
It’s a powerful message and one that many Australian women, especially mothers, will appreciate as the hot summer months continue.
Every year women around the nation battle with low body confidence, something that can be especially difficult when going through all the changes that come during and after pregnancy.
WATCH: Edwina Bartholomew for The Australian Women’s Weekly. Post continues after video…
Danni Rowlands, National Manager Prevention Services at The Butterfly Foundation, previously told Now To Love how vital it is to put a stop to our own negative thoughts about our bodies.
“We need to be focused on spending time with people, healing from the last couple of years, and just being able to enjoy summertime without this pressure that our body has to look a certain way,” she said.
“This is the time we spend trying to heal rather than… criticising our bodies because they’re not what they were two years ago.”
The same can be said for women who struggle to embrace their bodies during pregnancy and after having children – after all, “your body isn’t wrong”.
Edwina with her husband and their daughter Molly.
(Instagram)Seeing Edwina embrace all the changes to her body during pregnancy is a breath of fresh air and one we hope she continues to share after her child is born.
The mum-to-be already shares daughter Molly with husband Neil and previously told The Weekly that they would be happy with a boy or a girl this time around.
“You know what you’re in for and I’m not as worried or nervous this time around, because it all went quite well with Molly,” she added.
