'Six-Pack Mom' Takes Heat for Tiny Baby Bump in Nude Photo at 9 Months Pregnant
Controversial ‘six-pack mom’ Sarah Stage is gearing up for baby number two with a NSFW [...]
Her first pregnancy:
During Stage's first pregnancy with now 2-year-old son James, her abs remained well-defined and her pregnant belly showed only a tiny bump. The fit mom-to-be credited her super fit physique before getting pregnant.
After posting her first pregnancy photo, her Instagram account quickly grew to over one million, but Stage told Cosmopolitan that she didn't really understand what set her apart from any other pregnant woman.
"I didn't think anything of the way I looked, I just thought, This is me," she said. "I think women are beautiful, and we're all different shapes and sizes. Some women don't show a lot when they're pregnant and my mom carried this way when she was pregnant. She didn't show until around six months, so I didn't think anything of it."
Stage also admitted she was able to continue modeling lingerie and swimsuits up until she was seven months along.
At nine months, Stage was attracting even more attention on Instagram. After posting a lingerie photo with the caption "Still waiting..." the comments from "Wow! You look amazing!" to "My stomach gets
Three days after the above photo was shared, Stage gave birth to a healthy son, who weighed 8.7 pounds and measured 22 inches, at 37 weeks.
"I was most surprised at how big James was!" Stage told Cosmo. "[Childbirth is] a different experience for everybody, but with me, it wasn't traumatic at all. There were no complications, so we were lucky."
Stage said she gained 28 total pounds during her first pregnancy, and she lost nearly all of it within two weeks after giving birth.
prevnextPregnancy #2 announcement:
Since Stage's announcement of baby boy number two at five months along, the fit mom has received criticism for her size and washboard abs.
"I could eat a taco and look more pregnant than that!" one person commented on her Instagram birth announcement. Another wrote, "Is the child underdeveloped or a damn jelly bean, cause her stomach makes no sense?"
But despite the haters, she says she's trying to remain positive and rely on her doctor's advice. "The majority [of comments] are very supportive and positive, so I focus on that," she told Cosmo. "The entire [first] pregnancy, I felt reassured from the feedback from my doctor, which was always that the baby was measuring normal and healthy. The same goes for this pregnancy."
As her pregnancy has progressed, Stage has continued to work out, modifying her pre-pregnancy routine and squeezing in time for fitness while James is napping at home.
"Having a toddler makes it tricky to have the time [to work out]," she said.
She works out three to five times per week, mostly weight training — just with lighter weights. She's a big fan of exercises that get her heart rate up, like squats, lunges and ab work, she notes.
prevnextPregnancy workouts and criticism:
At seven months pregnant, Stage proved she's keeping up her healthy routine by sharing one of many at-home routines as James toddles around her.
A few weeks prior to this post, commenters questioned the safety of the moves she was performing in another video. Her workout in question included crunches, though the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends avoiding lying on your back during the second and third trimester. Still, Stage wrote in the caption that she had been cleared by her doctor to perform all the exercises.
In the above video, Stage rocked through all standing toning moves instead.
She called out the "bullies" who continue to put her down in the caption: "I represent anyone who has dealt with doubters, trolls, and bullies. It feels great to prove ignorant people wrong and even better to know that all you have to do is believe in yourself."
But her haters still criticized the fit mom's routine.
"Hope there is enough space for that baby in your abdomen, and hope that he/she will be alright," one user wrote.
Others have accused Stage of lying about her pregnancy based on the size of her stomach, assuming she's using a surrogate instead.
prevnextStage claps back at haters:
Stage penned a strong message to "Instagram medical experts" in a post at eight months pregnant, giving those who've critiqued her a piece of her mind.
"As I'm nearing 8 months I've wanted to share what's been on my mind. Since I've announced my second pregnancy, I've had certain 'Instagram medical experts' tell me what I should and shouldn't do. And while I find some of the comments hilarious, I choose to only listen to my OBGYN and of course I also listen to MY body. If something feels off, I don't do it! I always do what's best for my growing baby and put him first!," the fit mom and model began.
"It's a proven medical fact that continuing exercising while pregnant has many health benefits for you and baby. Clearly, I have greatly reduced the intensity of my workouts and stick to at home home exercises…" she continued.
And for those who say she's putting vanity above her baby's well-being, she had a stark response.
"There are also some people who assume that since I am exercising while pregnant, that I'm obsessed with how I 'look' but in fact I'm obsessed with maintaining a healthy lifestyle that will give my baby and myself the best possible quality of life," she wrote. "Alternatively, I don't judge anyone who chooses to not be active while pregnant etc. as it's their own life... I'm just sharing my pregnancy journey and appreciate the positive support from most of you."
Though Stage says she's only gained 18 pounds at 31 weeks, she insists she's following her doctor's orders while preparing for her second son, due October 22.
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