Fans have rushed to the defence of television presenter and former Strictly Come Dancing champion Stacey Dooley after a number of Instagram users offered the mum-to-be some unsolicited advice.
The 35-year-old, who is set to welcome her first child with partner and professional dancer Kevin Clifton, who she first met in 2018 when they were paired up on the popular dance show Strictly Come Dancing, posted a selfie of herself sporting a cross-boy bag and camel-coloured outfit that highlighted her blossoming baby bump as she celebrated her penultimate day of work before the baby arrived.
Posting on Wednesday, December 21, Stacey, who recently revealed she told her boyfriend the news she was pregnant on FaceTime while she was in the back of a black cab (as reports Grimsby Live), captioned the picture: "My penultimate day of work before the baby comes. I haven't got a steriliser yet but I have got this completely impractical bag for expectant mothers so DON'T WORRY, (I'm gonna be great at this clearly)."
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And while celebrity pals were quick to comment on how perfect the bag and the soon-to-be mother looked, others slid into her comments, with many simply assuming she would not be breastfeeding as a result, even though Stacey herself had not revealed whether she plans on breastfeeding or not.
One wrote: "If you’re breastfeeding you won’t need a steriliser… problem solved", alongside another who said: "Steriliser just another way to make money out of parents. Not needed!"
A third added: "If you breastfeed/pump, you don't need to sterilise, it's only formula you need a steriliser for. It's only good for 24 hours after too so no point sterilising anything till baby is here. I've never used my steriliser for that (only used the heating function for heating food or a pumped bottle), I have 2 children."
Another said: "Breastfeeding doesn’t require sterilisers #normalisebreastfeeding".
Sterlising is the process of ensuring your baby's bottles and teats are clean and sterile - aka free from bacteria or other living microorganisms. This can usually be done with a particular cleaner, or in a microwave. According to the NHS, it is recommended to sterilise "all your baby's feeding equipment, including bottles and teats, until they are at least 12 months old. This will protect your baby against infections."
As reported by The Mirror, the NHS recommends breast milk - ideally - for the first six months of a baby's life, but offers advice and help for parents who decide to feed their baby formula. Whether to use formula or breast feed is entirely a personal choice and can be influenced by several factors.
And although many comments were offering the media personality unwanted and premature advice on feeding her baby, some were encouraging of whatever choice she decides to make.
One wrote: "Breastfeed….if you want to……bottle feed…..if you want to…..sterilise…..if you want to or don’t….if you don’t want to…..if you want to start on solids earlier than 6 months….do it….or if you don’t, don’t. Just do whatever feels right in your gut because there is no manual to raise your baby, it’s just a life full of choices for you and your partner to make because this is your child….not ours! Ignore any pressure to do absolutely anything and if people don’t like it then that’s their issue….not yours. As long as you feed your baby and they are healthy then your job is done."
Another wrote a lengthy post which began:"So much judgement. I had absolutely no intention of breastfeeding. I didn’t want to. And I wasn’t going to be pushed into it." They detailed how their baby wouldn't breastfeed, adding: "The nurse on the ward made me feel like absolute scum for ‘not trying hard enough’ and I think in this day and age it’s appalling that a new first time mum is made to feel that way for choosing how she wants to feed her baby." They concluded the message with: "You do you and all the best for your new arrival. You will make all the right decisions for you and your baby xxx"
A third fan commented: "It’s fine, we’re all winging it pretending we know what we’re doing anyway. 15 years and 3 kids in and I still don’t have a clue what I’m doing." As well as these words of encouragement, another sweetly told Stacey: "All they need is your love, which you have so much to give."
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