She gave birth just five weeks ago, but a glowing Casey Batchelor was determined to pose in underwear for Closer to hit back at cruel trolls.
The mum-of-two unsurprisingly admits she found it “hard” to read unkind online comments about her pregnancy and post-baby body, but insists she wants to show that women don’t immediately spring back into shape after giving birth.
"My uterus hasn’t shrunk back yet, I’ve got a jelly belly and my boobs are huge," she laughs.
"But my body has created a baby, which is an incredible thing. During my first pregnancy, I was called a ‘whale that should be harpooned’, and in my second, ‘an oil rig’!
"Maybe trolls don’t realise that your body doesn’t just spring back after birth, but I don’t want other women to feel bad about themselves."
After dropping from a size 16 to an 8 following the birth of her eldest daughter Florence, now 21 months, Casey found out she was pregnant again last June.
The star – who is engaged to businessman Dane Goodson – tells Closer, "I was so naive the first time around and gained almost 5st. I thought, ‘Oh, it will just come off!’, so I went to town and was eating 12 Krispy Kremes in one sitting, or a whole packet of Digestives!
"I was more careful this time, until the end of my pregnancy, when I ate rubbish again. But I think it helped being fitter beforehand as I felt I coped with the pregnancy better."
And Casey – who is a qualified yoga instructor and runs her own diet and fitness app Yoga Blitz – insists she won’t rush to shape up, though she is looking forward to eventually getting back into her pre-pregnancy clothes.
"My body has done an amazing thing and I won’t put any pressure on myself, but in a few weeks I might get back to some gentle post-natal yoga, which focuses on recovery and pelvic floor exercises," she says.
Check out: pregnant celebs of 2020
Pregnant Celebs 2020 Closer - SLIDER USE THIS ONE
1 of 8Tom Parker and Kelsey Hardwick
The Wanted's Tom Parker and his wife Kelsey Hardwick have revealed they're "over the moon" to announce they're due to welcome their second child into the world. It comes 11 months after their daughter Aurelia was born.
2 of 8Sam Mucklow and Shelby Tribble
Former TOWIE stars Sam Mucklow and Shelby Tribble announced that they were expecting in May 2020. However, eagle-eyed fans had already rumbled the pair when Shelby posed in a maternity tracksuita few weeks earlier.
3 of 8Sarah-Jane Crawford and Brian Barry-Murphy
TV and radio presenter Sarah-Jane Crawford has announced she's pregnant with her first child. The little one who is due in August is Sarah's first child and her boyfriend Brian Barry-Murphy's second child (he's already a dad from a previous relationship).
4 of 8Rochelle and Marvin Humes
On Easter Sunday, Rochelle and Marvin announced they're due to welcome their third child into the world - a baby boy.
5 of 8Michelle Hardwick and Kate Brooks
Just six months after marrying soap boss Kate Brooks, Emmerdale actress Michelle Hardwick - aka Vanessa Woodford - has announced she's pregnant with their first child.
6 of 8Billi Mucklow and Andy Carroll
TOWIE star Billi Mucklow and her footballer husband Andy Carroll are due to welcome their third child into the world later this year.
7 of 8Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom
In her music video for Never Worn White, Katy Perry announced she's pregnant with her first child. Her fiancé is already a dad to Flynn from his previous marriage to Miranda Kerr.
8 of 8Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews
Vogue Williams and hubby Spencer Matthews announced they'll welcome their second child into the world later this year.
The former model and Celebrity Big Brother star had a reduction on her natural 32GG bust, taking her to a 32EE in 2014, but the results didn’t last and her breasts grew back to their original cup size. After losing weight in 2018, however, they naturally dropped to a D cup.
"My boobs are back," she laughs. "I’m a FF cup again. They’re the bane of my life, though. I’ve stopped breastfeeding Sadie now and they’re still huge. Once I’ve had all my children, I’ll probably lose weight so they shrink again and maybe I’ll have a nice uplift."
Despite having her hands full at the moment, Casey says more children are on the cards, and reveals she and Dane have postponed their wedding until they’ve completed their family.
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"Before we had Florence, we said we’d have four or five – now we’re not so sure," she says.
"We’ll definitely try again and it would be nice to have a boy. I’d like another small age gap too, because you’re still in baby mode then. I’d rather get it done and not have years and years of nappies. Then it would be nice to have all our children at our wedding."
And while Casey embraces her post-baby body and settles into life as a family of four, she’s clear on not getting hung up about her pregnancy weight.
She tells us, "I’d like to try to get back into the shape I was before I had Sadie. I do feel like I’ve got a mountain to climb but I’ll try. Though you know what will happen... I’ll lose the weight and then I’ll get pregnant again!"