Becoming pregnant was such a huge gift, it had filled my world with so much happiness. Yet at the back of my mind some nagging questions began to emerge. My body was changing and a sense of anxiety was beginning to set in. Will I be able to get back to my fitness levels? Will I have the same kind of shape as before? Will my breasts sag? Will I get bad stretch marks? Will I be able to wear a bikini with the same confidence? Even though I was equipped with enough information to say that healthy bodies do bounce back very well after pregnancy, I was a bit jittery. My career as a model and pageant winner had made me a lot more conscious of vanity and why not. Changes were always welcome, but the consistency and predictability in life were hugely comforting.

You can’t fully control the changes in your body, but you can continue to celebrate them. So, with all my grace, I decided to accept and embrace all the natural changes that came along with pregnancy. I wanted to allow myself to just enjoy the journey while doing all I could to stay healthy and fit. The price you pay would be very very small in comparison to the rewards you get as a mother I thought. In fact, after having a child, I can comfortably call it a huge favour to myself. Motherhood changes you as a person, making you strive to be a better version of yourself with each passing day.

Putting aside the nagging worries about the changes in my body brought about such a light feeling. I wasn’t trying to control what was not in my hands. Instead, I decided to treat myself and indulge in the beauty of the changes in my pregnant body. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. So what better way to indulge in myself than to get a whole new wardrobe to celebrate the beautiful curves of a different type. It didn’t take long for the excitement to fizzle out when I went shopping for maternity clothes in my city. I didn’t want to be floating in xxl clothing that was in no way flattering my new shape. Therefore I decided, I would be my own designer.

I had never designed maternity clothes, but there couldn’t have been a better opportunity for me to learn. I picked out the finest fabrics, fine linens and cottons that felt soft and airy yet look elegant. I did my fair share of online research to find style inspiration and also to understand what silhouettes worked best for pregnant women. I wanted to dress to flaunt my baby belly and not hide it. Designing for my changed body was such a beautiful indulgence. It made me feel so good about being pregnant and made the process of embracing all the changes smoother.

Over the next couple of months, I not only basked in the lovely compliments for my maternity style but also made some great strides in my business too. Many mothers-to-be came up to me to design maternity clothes for them, which I very gladly did. I was also asked to design a line of maternity clothing for a hospital which was coming up with a boutique in their premises. It was so gratifying to be able to convert all the anxiety that came with a changing body into something so fruitful.

On the high of wanting to celebrate my body, to continue to indulge and love myself, I kept thinking of different things to do. Flashes of memory brought back an image that had struck a cord with me at a very young age, a long long time ago. The cover page of the August 1991 issue of the Vanity Fair magazine featuring Demi Moore was so fascinating. She was seen flaunting her bare pregnancy belly with such confidence and aplomb. I wanted to do something similar to capture forever this beautiful phase of my life. I sat down to call some of the photographer friends I had worked with in the past. I narrowed it down to one female photographer who I thought I would be most comfortable working with. I was beyond excited that she was thrilled about working on this project with me. She loved the idea and we started the shoot in the 8th month of my pregnancy.

I wanted this to be completely spectacular. The rule breaker that I was, I also wanted it to be bold and expressive, something out of the ordinary. So I did not design any clothes for this shoot. We used drapes of white, gold and black fabric to create a very feminine yet bold look. One of the other looks was me in all black with ruffled leather leggings and high heels. Being pregnant never felt so strong and sexy at the same time. I couldn’t wait to share these images.

I also decided to capture some more personal images for myself celebrating and depicting the woman’s body and form. We experimented with a few very bare yet aesthetic shots that turned out to be beautiful pieces of art. It was such a lovely gift to myself, so personal and in tune with nature. The feeling of loving and cherishing my body was unparalleled. I felt great about indulging in myself while caring for the life growing inside of me. I was and still am as important as the baby and I’m so glad that I did not sidetrack myself. After all, a happy and content mother is all that a baby needs.