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Melissa Suffield shared an empowering post about body confidence on Instagram on Thursday, where she talked about embracing her 'fat rolls' and post-baby body. 

The former EastEnders actress, 28, who gave birth to her son River last March with her fiancé Robert Brendan, uploaded a photo in a red silk dress and told fans how she nearly didn't post it because of how she looked. 

Melissa, who played Lucy Beale on the soap, penned: 'I almost didn't post this. Fat and rolls spilling over the top of the thick waistband of a pair of Robert's pants, the dress clinging to it.

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'The angle I'm sat at, that's accentuating my lower half and messing with my proportions. I could probably sit and dissect this photo for ages. 

'But I won't. We're so conditioned to pick out our flaws, and then just stop there. And it can be so hard to see past them once we've acknowledged them, and it just leaves us feeling so much less than.

'I'll see a photo of me, and be gutted when I don't look as good as I thought I did in the real world- that's bonkers! Surely the real world is what matters, not the photos we take on those days. 

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'Capturing memories is a beautiful thing, but it's important to remember that they're nothing compared to the memory itself. I felt fierce that day, and no photo is going to make me feel otherwise.' 

Making light of wearing her fiancé Robert's pants, Melissa added: 'Also, omg GALS. Boys pants are so great- that thick waistband is an absolute winner.'

Melissa looked gorgeous in the photos as she showcased her natural beauty with a minimal make-up look as she posed on a sofa outside. 

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The actress is well known for her portrayal as Lucy Beale on EastEnders from 2004 to 2010, and she has been sharing a number of heartfelt posts about her experiences as a new mother, as well as adjusting to her changed physique. 

Earlier this year, the actress shared her belief that readjusting and getting used to the changes in her body since giving birth could take a 'mental toll'.

She told how keeping fit is 'going to be quite a long journey' for her. Describing her body as 'broken', she said she is 'trying to be kinder to' herself and is 'not giving up'.   

The actress shared a photo of herself in a grey crop top and black leggings as she posed on the ground alongside her son.

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She wrote: 'River there, doing the yoga that I keep saying I'll get back into doing (swipe. He's absolutely obsessed with doing this and some day soon the kid is going to go full roly poly).

'Fitness is going to be quite a long journey I think. Working through understanding what used to be a dancers body, and is now comparatively, quite a broken body, is taking a physical and mental toll. 

'It's not as simple as throwing on my trainers and having a go at couch to 5k- every step I take is measured, to make sure I never push myself so hard that it compromises my parenting, but still work hard enough to heal the parts of me that need fixing.  

'I started the @mamawelluk method last week and although I cried genuine tears at how difficult I found something that just a couple of years ago wouldn't have even broken a sweat, I still feel positive about making a change and the programme really is excellent.

'It's so easy to feel defeated when my fitness was so good before, but I'm not giving up. Just trying to be kinder to myself and allow me the time I need. Baby steps.' (sic)

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