Two expecting mums debate whether pregnancy can ever be a sexy experience for women
WOULD you strip off to show the world your baby bump?
Reality TV favourite Khloe Kardashian, 33, is the latest celeb to bare her pregnant tum in a seductive shoot.
Posing in black lingerie with boyfriend Tristan Thompson, 27, Khloe captioned one picture on her blog: “I know I’m going to miss my belly so much once she’s here, I had to capture the beautiful process that is pregnancy so I can always look back at this time.”
While pregnancy means fuller breasts, shapely hips, glowing skin and thick glossy hair for some women, it is all hormonal mood swings, sickness, sleepless nights and stretch marks for others.
But can pregnancy also be sexy?
Here, two mums who are both eight months gone give their views.
'It's a time in a woman's life to celebrate what your body can do'
ARCHITECT Farnaz Ebrahimi says pregnancy is the perfect time to celebrate the body and feel sexier, because there is nothing more beautiful than a pregnant woman.
The expectant mum of one, 36, is married to Darius Rutivand, 38, a car bodyworker, and lives with their 17-month-old son Nicholas in Colindale, North London.
She says: I love my body when I’m pregnant. I enjoy seeing how my boobs, bum and tummy blossom and grow.
Ever since my teenage years I wanted to be a mum, yet it took me ten years to become pregnant. When I found out we were finally expecting the first time round, I made sure I enjoyed every moment of it.
Finding out at my 20-week scan that I was having a boy made me love my body even more, so I don’t
mind showing it off. It’s a time in a woman’s life to celebrate what your body can do. I had some professional photos taken to remember what my body looked like while carrying my son.
During the first pregnancy, my weight went from 9st 2lb to just over 14st but I didn’t care. I was so focused on what my body was doing and was not caught up with any wobbly bits.
I love to eat and a bonus of that was I got to enjoy my feminine curves, too.
Even though I’m heavily pregnant, big ugly maternity underwear isn’t for me, I prefer to wear matching bras and frilly French knickers.
I’m over the moon that Khloe Kardashian thinks pregnancy should be sexy.
Most underwear for mums-to-be is very conservative – it’s always about comfort first – when really it should be about comfort, style AND sexiness to make us feel good.
What I wear makes me feel confident, and when you are tired and feeling run down in your third trimester, a bit of sex appeal can give you a real boost – what’s wrong with that?
I feel empowered in nice underwear and even more so during pregnancy. It is such a special time in a woman’s life.
I passionately believe that just because I’m carrying my child it shouldn’t stop me thinking about sex. Sex is what got us here after all.
My husband loves me being pregnant and enjoys the changes my body goes through each time. Our sex life remains the same whether I am pregnant or not. We love each other and that is shown in the bedroom.
'I can't think of anything worse than parading about in sexy underwear while carrying a baby'
AFTER giving birth to son Lewis 13 months ago, PA Stacey Lewis, 30, is pregnant with her second child. She lives in Oxted, Surrey, with partner Dominic Palmer, 28, a gas engineer.
She hates the idea of racy photoshoots for pregnant women and claims it is a time in a woman’s life when she should not be pressured into feeling “sexy”.
Stacey says: When I first heard that women should feel sexy when they are pregnant, my sceptical radar went on red alert.
Don’t get me wrong, I like nice undies and a good camera angle as much as the next woman, yet I can’t help being cynical about things like sexy maternity ranges and saucy photoshoots.
I’m sure the sales pitch is all about empowering pregnant women but it just isn’t for me.
While I’m pregnant I like to wear comfy undies and non-wired bras – it’s an excuse not to have to feel pressured into dressing or looking a certain way.
I can’t think of anything worse than parading about in sexy underwear while carrying a baby. It’s not that I put a lot of weight on and feel uncomfortable in my skin either.
I am body confident and enjoy being pregnant some of the time but I just don’t think it sits hand in hand with feeling sexy.
The truth is, I’m one of those mums-to-be that totally goes off anything in the bedroom while I’m pregnant. It’s a sensitive subject and I am sure I am not alone in this admission.
I don’t doubt that my pregnancy hormones are to blame and while I wouldn’t negatively judge anyone else wanting to dress up and go for it, it is definitely not for me. I’ll weep at the slightest thing, I’ll forget things, I’ll feel nauseous – the last thing you want when throwing up in the morning is to put on a figure-hugging outfit just to look a certain way.
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I really like wearing nice underwear and clothes when I’m not pregnant but, for me, carrying a child is more about listening to my body, embracing making it comfortable and allowing myself to relax.
The first time I was pregnant I was far too concerned with every change. It was strange to see how bigger my body got all over.
My bottom in particular gets a juicy size, but I still wouldn’t have wanted to dress it in sexy knickers.
Today, in my third trimester, I’m confident in my skin, and happy enough to not have to try to feel sexy.