Hey, you! Yes, you with the beautiful round belly. I see you shuffling along, tugging at the waist of your maternity jeans, wondering how you could possibly ever fit into your normal clothes again. I see you hunched over in your chair, trying to make your belly look a bit smaller because it is so much bigger than your friend’s who is a month ahead in her pregnancy.

Do you know how sexy you are? And not in the creepy, depths of the Internet fetish kind of sexy. I’m talking full on, goddess, make the Earth shift with every movement sexy. Do you know that’s what you are? Do you know you drip with marvelous, soul-moving desire?

You are creating life, fewer things are more powerful, and power is sexy. You should own every inch of your awesome, life-bearing skin. You are the embodiment of all that is the tremendous beauty of the feminine. You have every reason to feel glorious about each inch of your changing figure.

But, I understand if you don’t feel so hot.

I know, most days you feel exhausted, your body is swelling in places you never thought could swell. Some days you just want to hide in an enormous t-shirt. I get it. I’ve been there. And it’s ok to not feel sexy. It’s ok not to like the way pregnancy has treated your body. I’m still going to tell you how sexy you are, and I hope your partner, if you have one tells you the same. Even if you don’t have anyone telling you this, then let it be me. I hope, eventually, it will come from you.

Do me a favor, find one thing to put on that makes you feel gorgeous. I know some of the pieces you may have chosen in the past may no longer fit. That’s ok. Find some jewelry, a pair of stocking, a scarf, anything. Strut around the room with pride. Put on a song that makes you smile. Dance like you are at a club. Show off to your partner. Or don’t. This is something you can share, but is ultimately for you. Remind yourself of your beauty. Remind yourself of how growing a baby has shaped you. Remind yourself that though your body will forever be changed, those changes are the marks of one of the greatest things you can do.

I realize after reading this, you may still feel like crap. Pregnancy is a hard road, and the words of an unknown writer, are not much against raging hormones, morning sickness, heartburn and every other “joy” of human creation. I do hope that you will maybe begin to see yourself a little bit better, and yes, I will tell you, you are sexy.

This post originally appeared on Maybe I'll Shower Today.