Danielle Brooks is relishing the "beauty" in her changing pregnant body and admitted she has been going through "quite the transition".
The 29-year-old actress - who revealed last month she is expecting her first child with an unnamed partner - has been going through "quite the transition" but thinks people don't speak enough about the less appealing-sounding aspects of carrying a child and the impact it has.
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A post shared by Danielle Brooks(@daniebb3) on Jul 25, 2019 at 8:20pm PDT
She told Shape magazine: "I'm really having to practice what I preach, about loving yourself at whatever stage you're at because my body has been going through quite the transition.
"I don't feel like we talk enough about the in-between that a woman's body goes through when having a child.
"I think we talk about how cute that bump looks and how amazing the snap-back was, but who's talking about the swollen feet, the heartburn, and the new stretch marks?
"There's so much beauty in my body taking new shape every week, and it's been quite a joy to know that I get to bring another life into this world."
Fashion from Christian Siriano is modeled by Danielle Brooks. Picture: AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews
The "Orange is the New Black" star is proud to be an advocate for "body positivity" and is happy to be the role model for young girls that she was looking for herself when she was growing up.
She said: "I began to realise the impact of my voice when the first season of 'Orange Is the New Black' dropped.
"I started to see girls use my red-carpet looks as inspiration for their prom dresses. I began to see my interview quotes on social media.
"I realised that I could be what I wished for as a young girl, for someone else.
"I wanted someone in the industry, who I felt was a reflection of me, to scream from the mountaintops, 'I love my body! I can accomplish whatever I want in the exact body God created me to be in!'
"As I met people along the way, I began to understand the importance of not shying away from being an advocate for body positivity, but running toward it full throttle."