Pregnant Laura Adlington stripped down to her underwear on Wednesday as she shared a candid body positivity message on Instagram. 

The Great British Bake Off star, 36, who announced her pregnancy in April, is an avid advocate for self-love and often encourages her followers to embrace their figures.

Taking to her social media page, Laura posed in black underwear in a mirror selfie with 'Not a "before" photo...' penned on top.

Opening up with her followers, she wrote: 'Lately, my feed has been full of “before and after” photos – most of them starting with a body that looks like mine. Or smaller.

'And I get it – people are allowed to change. To feel proud of themselves.

'But I wish more people would think about how they speak about their “old” selves.

'Because a lot of us still live in those bodies. Still *are* that body. And it hurts to be reminded, over and over, that your version of a nightmare body is ours.

'The body positivity movement was supposed to make space for people in marginalised bodies, the bodies the world ignores or mocks. 

'But it feels like that space is shrinking again – and the loudest voices belong to the people who were never excluded to begin with.

'I’m getting really tired of the fatphobia disguised as wellness.

'Of the casual cruelty in “progress” captions. Of feeling like simply existing in my body is something I have to defend.

'So no, this isn’t a transformation photo… It’s a reminder that this body, as it is right now, is enough. And so is yours.'

It comes after Laura left her followers in tears as she penned an emotional letter to her unborn baby last month.

The star reflected on reaching the halfway stage of her pregnancy after a nine-year fertility battle.

Laura confirmed the sex of her first child with her husband Matt in June, after sharing the news they were expecting a baby after quietly 'giving IVF a try.'

In the picture, Laura cradled her blossoming bump in a pretty white and blue summer dress, while sharing her letter to her baby in the caption of her post.

She began her post: 'Dear baby, We’re over halfway. Can you believe it?

'Some days it still doesn’t feel quite real, and if I’m honest I still feel like I’m living in a dream. Like I don’t deserve this.

'Ever since the day I found out about you, I’ve been waking up at around 4am. I lie there in the dark, imagining what it will feel like to finally hold you.

'I wonder what kind of person you’ll grow into, what your laugh will sound like, what little quirks will make you, you.

'It’s been a really long journey to get here, one filled with a lot of heartache. And although I’d be lying if I said we weren’t both still waiting for the rug to be pulled from under our feet, we are finally letting ourselves dream a little louder.

'I’ve been busy making lists of all the things you might need. I can’t wait to get your pram and start putting your nursery together – tiny steps towards the day you come home.

She finished emotionally: 'But more than anything, I just can’t wait to meet you. To hold you. To look into your eyes and finally whisper, “You’re here. We did it.”

Meanwhile a storm of fans flooded the TV baker with supportive comments.

It comes after Laura reveal the couple are expecting a boy, while sharing a sweet story about how their much-wanted baby was always 'meant to be'.

She confirmed her pregnancy in April after 'quietly deciding to give IVF a try' over a year ago.

The television baker previously gave up her hopes of having a baby after she was told by doctors that her only chance to get pregnant was to try IVF and she would have to lose a substantial amount of weight first to qualify.

Posing with an adorable teddy bear outfit, Laura revealed she and Police Community Support Officer Matt eagerly bought the dungarees not long after she'd come off the contraceptive pill in the hope that their journey to parenthood would be swift.

Although Laura was initially 'excited at the thought of finally becoming a mum', she 'had no idea how long or how hard the journey ahead would be'.

Alongside the sweet photograph, she wrote: 'True story: About nine years ago, not long after I'd come off the pill, we popped into Tesco to grab a few bits for a family picnic.

'Excited at the thought of finally becoming a mum, I made a beeline for the baby section and picked up this little outfit. I held it up to Matt and said, "Shall we get it?". He laughed and reluctantly agreed. And into the trolley it went.

'Back then, I had no idea how long or how hard the journey ahead would be. Months passed. Then years. Negative test after negative test. So many tears. So much heartache.'

Laura admitted she found it difficult seeing her friends and family get pregnant while it wasn't happening for her and Matt - and said she came close to giving away the baby outfit on many occasions.

She continued: 'One of the hardest things was watching all our friends and family get pregnant, while we kept waiting with empty arms, wondering "When is it going to be our turn?".

'Over the years, there were times we were caught short needing a baby gift, and I was tempted to give this little outfit away (I didn't really know what else to do with it) until a friend gently asked how I'd feel seeing someone's else's baby in it, and suggested I hang onto it.

'And so I did. Three house moves and nearly a decade later, this tiny outfit has quietly stayed with us, tucked in a bottom drawer, or in the corner of a room that never got touched.

'Unless on very rare occasions I'd find it while spring cleaning and would hold it close to my chest, praying one day our baby might wear it. Well, earlier this year, as many of you know, our prayers were finally answered.'

Confirming the gender of the couple's baby and her feelings about expecting a boy, Laura told her followers: 'And recently we found out we're having a little boy. I'll be honest: part of me had hoped for a girl.

'But looking back, we never bought a girl's outfit – just this one. So maybe that's the universe's way of saying this was always meant to be.

'Now, this little outfit isn't just a symbol of hope. It's waiting, just like we are, for the little boy who was always meant to fill it.'