Former Made In Chelsea star Ashley James is embracing her post-baby as she told body-shamers 'happiness doesn’t depend on being a certain size.'
The 33-year-old looked sensational in a bikini post she shared with fans on Instagram.
The reality star rocked a black bikini as she enjoyed the sunshine in her garden, telling fans she wished she ‘hadn’t wasted time feeling insecure about how I looked.’
“I was so excited for the heatwave I didn't really think about the fact my body had changed since last year and all my bikinis are all teeny weeny,” she wrote.
“When I look back at my body before I had a baby I think how amazing I look and I wish I hadn't wasted time feeling insecure about how it looked. And it made me think that there'll be a time when I look back at this photo and think how great I looked.”
Ashley continued: “Whether you've just had a baby, or whether you've put some weight on in lockdown, or whether you're just nervous to get back in your summer clothes - we really deserve to enjoy ourselves.
“This year especially. And diet culture and unachievable beauty standards have put so much pressure on us, but I've come to realise it's in our minds and has nothing to do with the way we look.”
She went on to talk about her appreciation for women of ‘all shapes and sizes’, discussing the beauty of cellulite and bellies.
“Mainly I admire the women who look carefree and confident. That's true beauty,” she added.
“So this year, I'm bigger than I was last year, sure. I've got some stretch marks, which I like to think of has a tattoo from Mother Nature to commemorate growing Alfie. But I have a whole lot more respect for my body, and all our bodies for what they do for us every day.”
In the second photo of the series, Ashley held up a peace sign to the camera and captioned it with the answer to a question a male fan asked.
“Weird that this was asked by a guy, but I’ll answer it regardless,” she wrote. “I don’t think I’ve weighed myself since I was 23. I’m 33 now.
“So I couldn’t tell you. But I’m not able to fit in the clothes I was wearing pre-pregnancy, and I’m cool with that. I just bought some bigger clothes. My body grew an entire baby and my happiness doesn’t depend on me being a certain size.”
Ashley and her boyfriend Tom welcomed their son Alfie Rivers Andrews on January 9 2021.
