A MUM-TO-BE has been applauded for proudly displaying her "veiny" chest in a stunning bump shot.

Belle Lucia, 24 – from Sydney, Australia – took to Instagram this week to share the candid photo, explaining that the lines often appear during pregnancy.

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A post shared by 🌸 B E L L E L U C I A (@belle_lucia)

In the snap, Belle shows off her growing stomach as she poses in a pretty floral bikini by Cupshe.

She added the caption: "1 more week until I'm in the 3rd trimester. Casually got a 37cm baby inside me.

"P.S. I know I got a veiny chest.

"Happens because your blood volume increases by 50% when pregnant and they go away after pregnancy when your blood volume returns."

The influencer was quickly inundated with positive comments, with many praising her decision not to edit her veins out of the shot.

One follower wrote: "I love that you don't Photoshop the veins in your chest! I'm 31 weeks and have yet to get the boobs."

Another message read: "Love how true the photo is."

When one person said: "Thank you for not photoshopping!!! Your pregnancy is beautiful and so are the side effects," she replied: "I love my veins! I think they're pretty. Not even kidding."

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This isn't the first time that Belle – who now lives in London – has sparked a conversation about body positivity with one of her maternity posts.

Back in April, she used the platform to speak out against trolls who shamed the size of her bump.

Posting photos of other women who were also at the 17-week mark of their pregnancy, Belle wrote on her Instagram story: "As you can see, women show very differently but are all carrying a little life.

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A post shared by 🌸 B E L L E L U C I A (@belle_lucia)

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A post shared by 🌸 B E L L E L U C I A (@belle_lucia)

"Just because I'm not showing as much as you like doesn't mean my pregnancy is 'unhealthy' or that I'm promoting a 'skinny' pregnancy.

"It's just my body and I can't help it if it doesn't look the same as other women.

"Body shaming is not okay no matter how 'big' or 'small' someone is."

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Meanwhile, Mothercare has been slammed for promoting £90 "sexy" corsets to women who've just given birth without warning they "could cause damage".

A mum-to-be was stunned after discovering the name she picked for her daughter is that of her dad's mistress.

And pregnant women are "living at the limit of human endurance", a study has claimed.

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