Just
days after speaking out against her body-shaming critics who claim her
size 22 frame means she doesn't 'look pregnant', plus-size model Tess
Holliday has proudly shared snapshot of herself cradling her growing
baby bump.
The
30-year-old, who is eight-months pregnant with her second child, took
to Instagram on Saturday to post a photo herself modeling a black knit
dress while leaning against a blue brick wall in Long Beach, California.
'Baby bump'n,' she captioned the image, in which she is modeling a dress from Forever 21's plus-size collection.
Expectant mom: Tess Holliday cradled her growing baby bump while she posed in Long Beach, California, over the weekend
Self-confidence: The 30-year-old took
to Instagram last week to share this selfie as she revealed that at
eight months pregnant her body looks the same overall and she is 'okay'
with that
Tess ended the post using the hashtags '#33weeks' and '#babyhollidayontheway' to celebrate her ongoing pregnancy.
In
the picture, the colorful tattoos on Tess' arms, legs, and feet are
visible thanks to her sleeveless dress, which she paired with black and
leopard platform sandals.
Less
than a week ago, Tess had taken to Instagram to hit out at critics who
have commented on her body in relation to the health of her unborn child
since she announced her pregnancy.
'Having
another baby has been a beautiful process and at times, frustrating,'
she wrote. 'As I enter my eighth month, my body overall looks the same
other than my belly and I'm okay with that.'
However,
she went on to say that it is 'not cool' that she has had to learn to
be okay with the fact that people still think it's okay to comment on
her body.
Tess
revealed that while some people tell her she doesn't 'look pregnant'
someone else cruelly said she must be having 'quadruplets' because of
the size of her body.
Almost there: Tess posted this photo of her baby bump to celebrate her eighth month of pregnancy
Healthy baby: Earlier this month, Tess revealed that her unborn child is 'kicking like crazy' and 'never stops moving'
Meanwhile,
critics consistently tell her she is putting her 'baby at risk' along
with a 'slew of other uneducated statements' that aren't true.
'When
"celebrities" are pregnant in the press, they look glamorous, toned and
are eager to talk about how they are going to get the baby weight off,'
she explained. 'While I've done my best to look as put together as
possible, that's not real life, and it's not for most women.
'I'm
not the first plus-size woman in the public eye to have a baby and
share it with the world, and I certainly won't be the last.'
Tess
argued that she is 'part of a small minority' that will tell other
women 'it's okay to not have a perfect baby bump, or not show at all, to
be plus-size and have a healthy child, and most importantly to find a
care provider that doesn't shame you about your size'.
'It's
also okay to tell someone to f**k off when they give you unsolicited
advice about what's "best" for you and your baby,' she added. ' As
women, we know what's best and that's our business.. No one else's.'
Baby on board: Tess showed off her baby bump in Palm Springs when she was six months pregnant
Building a family: Tess also has a
10-year-old son named named Rylee, but this is her first child with
her fiancé Nick Holliday (pictured)
Tess'
powerful message about being a plus-size woman in the public eye
was accompanied by a photo of herself posed in her bra and underwear
with one hand resting on her stomach.
Earlier
this month, the plus-size model celebrated her eighth month of
pregnancy by sharing a candid photo of her growing baby bump.
'Another month, another bump photo,' she captioned the image. 'Eight months and kicking like crazy, he/she never stops moving.'
Tess purposely left her beautiful face out of the image, which instead focuses on the curve of her body.
This
is a second pregnancy for Tess, who gave birth to her 10-year-old son
Rylee when she was 20. However, this is her first child with her fiancé
Nick Holliday, and the expectant mom couldn't be happier.
The
model continues to proudly share photos of her changing body, and
pregnancy hasn't stopped the body activist from using social media as a
means to hit back at her critics.
The Algeria international's Leicester team-mate Jamie Vardy came
second in the vote with Tottenham striker Harry Kane finishing third.
