Catherine Tyldesley has opened up to fans about her pregnancy in a frank social media post.
The former Coronation Street star is expecting her second child, a baby girl, with her husband Tom Pitfield.
But the actress appears to have been having a tricky time of it.
Catherine took to Instagram on Sunday to share an open and honest post with her thousands of followers as she implored them to check in on their pregnant friends.
The 38-year-old shared a snap showing off her blossoming baby bump.
She gazed adoringly at her stomach and cradled her bump while wearing a denim shirt over a striped bikini.
"Pregnant Pause. Ponderings of an oestrogenic woman," Cath began her post.
"Don't assume your pregnant pals are doing fine. Regardless of whether it’s their second, third, fourth child. I began to see very early on that this pregnancy was COMPLETELY different from my first.
"Not knowing how I am going to feel from one day to the next makes me feel weak. I hate feeling weak- mentally or physically. I hate ‘giving in’ … and certainly don’t like ‘giving up’."
The Salford-born star then opened up about the struggles she has been facing.
"Each day has brought me new obstacles- my hormone sensitivity means- some days I am met with loss of vision at several points during the day through ocular, hormone related migraines," Cath said.
"I have had to pull over in my car and ride out vision loss, crying on my own till it passes…But baby needs those hormones to flourish. For me it’s an inconvenience- to her its staying alive."
She continued: "My pregnancy insomnia means that some days , I can barely get out of bed. I can’t ignore my body- it’s doing it’s(sic) thing. Yes it’s hard - but my daughter is strong and thriving. That is what matters the most.
"I am grateful beyond words for this pregnancy- please don’t get me wrong, I know how lucky I am. It’s very difficult for me to admit I’m not firing on all cylinders. It’s very difficult for me to sometimes say ‘I can’t’. But when I look back on this section of my life - it will feel like such a short space of time."
The star then urged her followers to check in on any pregnant friends and their partners, saying that sometimes they feel like they can’t "moan" because it seems like they're being "ungrateful".
"It is a lesson to me- to always check in with my pregnant friends AND their partners!!!" the mum-to-be continued.
"Because actually - the more I talk about my experiences, the more I see that SO many other women are struggling. But they feel they can’t ‘moan’ because it seems ‘ungrateful’.
"But sometimes that’s all you need. A phone call with a friend- a damn good oestrogen-riddled cry. Someone to tell you - you’re doing this. Stop being hard on yourself- you are growing an actual HUMAN. Remind them - this will pass… and the greatest gift you ever had will bring you unimaginable love and joy. We need to hear that. Tell them."
Cath, who is mum to son Alfie, ended the post: "You got this mommas- WE got this. And we are stronger than you could ever imagine - even in your most vulnerable moments- you are POWER!!!! You are NOT alone."
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