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Kitty Finer, 30, artist, musician and mother to five-year-old Olive Ray Butler

Olive was born very early. I was only 28 weeks into pregnancy when I gave birth to her. Many people didn’t even know I was pregnant and those who did were only just starting to notice a bump. My body didn’t get a chance to noticeably change much.

The biggest change was my attitude towards my breasts as they were my fixation in terms of milk production. I was so focused on expressing enough milk that my body became a factory working nonstop – every three hours with the pump, day and night. I didn’t care what they looked like until I stopped breastfeeding and felt the sudden impact of reclaiming my body for pleasure rather than just being for my baby.

It’s not so much my attitude towards my body that has changed but instead I have more of an interest in heavily pregnant women’s bodies as I feel as though I missed out on the full physical experience. I look at my body now and don’t notice that it has changed as a result of having once been pregnant.

I have more of an interest in heavily pregnant women’s bodies as I feel as though I missed out on the full physical experience

I was 24 when I was pregnant and some people made me feel as though I was a ‘young’ mother-to-be. I am aware that women are having children later and many women I know have more money and time during their pregnancy and are able to indulge in buying special clothes, going to yoga, etc.

Funnily enough, my grandmother still mentions how smart I looked whilst I was pregnant. I find it amusing, as I don’t think I changed my style but I did stop wearing jeans. Being an artist and someone who enjoys clothes, I think I set my own standards and rarely give in to outside pressures.

I love dancing and yoga; I took up both recently when it felt right for me to concentrate on myself again. I think it has taken five years to reach this point. When I look in the mirror I see a body that makes me happy. I look after myself and enjoy feeling healthy. I’m very happy that I have had a baby in my belly.

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