Pregnant ‘Six-Pack Mom’ Sarah Stage Responds to Photoshop Accusations

More controversy follows ‘Six-Pack Mom’ Sarah Stage just one month before she’s due to give birth.

The lingerie and fitness model stepped out in Valencia, California on Tuesday, August 22, wearing a baggy t-shirt and boyfriend jeans. In the photos captured, Stage appears to have a regular baby bump. That same day, she slipped into a teeny white bikini to show off her barely-there bump and visibly shredded abs on Instagram.

Her fit Insta photo garnered major attention, leading followers to question her pregnancy. “Are you 7 months or 7 minutes?” one wrote, while another asked, “Are you pregnant with a lima bean?”

But looking at the shots side-by-side, Stage looks almost unrecognizable from her ‘usual’ lingerie or bikini look to her baggy street style. Still, the model’s rep says her social media posts aren’t doctored to change the size or shape of her body.

“Sarah would never Photoshop any photo,” Stage’s rep Anthoni Allen tells Us Weekly. “She shares her images with her audience to embrace all different body types and her pregnancy. She’s been shamed through both pregnancies. She’s trying to put her journey out there to encourage others.”

Stage wore the same jeans for a photoshoot last week, one in which she looks just as fit as ever. “This goes to show that Sarah is just a regular mom, on the go, wearing comfy clothing as she runs errands,” her rep adds.

The model has also been documenting her exercise during pregnancy on Instagram. She posted a video Thursday, August 24 to further prove that her tiny belly and shredded abs are all her.

But this isn’t Stage’s first run-in with controversy over her barely-there bump.

Stage’s first pregnancy:

When she was pregnant with her first son in 2015, Stage documented her journey on Instagram, which she quickly grew to over one million followers.

The fit mom credited her small belly and visibly shredded abs to the fact that she took care of her body before pregnancy and continued a healthy, active lifestyle throughout. 

“I didn’t think anything of the way I looked, I just thought, This is me,” she told Cosmopolitan. “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.”

Though many accused the model of carrying a malnourished baby due to the small size of her bump, she gave birth to healthy boy James, who weighed 8.7 pounds and measured 22 inches. 

“I was most surprised at how big James was!” Stage said. “[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 the extra weight just two weeks after giving birth.

Bump controversy:

When Stage announced her pregnancy on Instagram in June, her abs were exposed and she looked insanely fit (still does!). 

But comments of congratulations were overshadowed by the confusion and question of her barely-there bump.

“I could eat a taco and look more pregnant than that!” one person commented. Someone else wrote, “Is the child underdeveloped or a damn jelly bean, cause her stomach makes no sense?”

On more recent photos, followers have accused the mom of lying about her pregnancy, insisting that she’s using a surrogate to carry the child.

The model said she isn’t letting the criticism surrounding the size of her bump ruin her glow. “It gets exhausting but I’m determined to stay positive,” she told Us Weekly in July. “I have so many amazing comments and 99 percent of them are always encouraging and supportive.”

Working out while pregnant:

As a fitness personality, Stage has shared workout videos throughout her pregnancy.

When she hit the six-month mark, she shared an exercise video on Instagram that had users fired up.

The model was performing crunches, a move many doctors prohibit during the second and third trimesters.

“Are you allowed to lie on your back because you’re on the smaller side?!” one pregnant woman asked. “I wish I could do crunches, but my doctor told me after the first trimester to not lay on my back. (This is my 4th child and [I] always am told the same thing).”

These comments of question and criticism came after Stage had already addressed the issue in her video caption. “Baby is perfectly fine in my tummy nice and safe while I work out. My doctor has given me the OK to continue exercising while pregnant but if you’re expecting please check with your dr. first since everyone is different!”

Stage has maintained vocal that she’s following the advice of her doctor throughout every stage of her pregnancy.

Addressing the criticism:

After eight months of receiving criticism over the size of her belly—not to mention the hate she received during her first pregnancy—Stage took to Instagram on August 15 to try to squash the issue.

The mom-to-be posted a workout video, but the caption went in a different direction.

“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 fitness 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…”

And for those who say Stage is only after vanity or an obsession with her looks, she has words. “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. 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.”

Photo credit: Instagram / @sarahstage