’90 Day Fiance’ Star Paola Mayfield Says Mom Shamers Make Her ‘Double Think’ Parenting Decisions

Paola Mayfield isn’t bowing to mom shamers when it comes to being herself and raising a family, but that doesn’t mean the constant criticism doesn’t get to her.

In an interview with PEOPLE published Wednesday, the 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? star opened up about how online trolls have affected her motherhood journey since welcoming son Axel with husband Russ on Jan. 1.

“People think that because I became a mother, I had to stop being like the way I was. That I had to start dressing as a mom, and I don’t even know what that means,” Paola told the publication. “I don’t need to change who I am, because I was proud of who I was before I was a mom.”

“How I raise my kids, the things I need to do, they have an opinion about how for me to be a mom,” she continued. “How I dress or the things that I do are not going to change who I am or the great mother I am because I love my son. But a lot of moms try to make me feel bad, that I’m not a great mom.”

While the TLC star tries not to let the “bad comments” affect her, sometimes all the negativity over how she is presenting her life as a mom online does get to her.

“Sometimes it makes be double think my decisions and it makes me wonder if I did something right or wrong,” she admitted. “But the decisions I am making for my son are in my heart.”

Husband Russ doesn’t face the same level of scrutiny when it comes to sharing moments with his son online, but watching Paola weather the storm leaves him feel “inspired,” he added to PEOPLE.

“She received the backlash and she was like, ‘No, this is who I am and I’m not going to change because you suddenly think I’m supposed to be this stay-at-home mom,’ ” he said. “I have responded to them to show my support. She doesn’t need to change who she is and we want to teach our son to be yourself.”

“That’s what Paola’s taught me throughout this journey together: to be yourself and be proud of it,” the reality star added. “So I don’t feel like she’s doing anything wrong. We need to continue maintaining that mentality.”

90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on TLC.

Photo credit: TLC