Former Love Island star Dani Dyer has opened up about her experience of receiving 'mum-shaming' comments from trolls on social media.
The 25-year-old - who welcomed a baby boy named Santiago in January 2021 - said she loves being a mum but revealed when her son was first born all she did was "cry" because she "didn't know what to do".
Dani, who is the daughter of EastEnders soap actor Danny Dyer, said having social media and being able to talk to her 3.4 million Instagram followers after giving birth during lockdown allowed her to ask other mums questions and "have a support system".
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But Dani also said the 'mum-shaming' responses she has received on her posts have prompted her to share 'less' of her son on social media.
Speaking on Channel 4's Steph's Packed Lunch on Wednesday, January 19, the reality TV star recalled one of her experiences.
"I had it with him crawling, because it took him a little while..." the actress explained: "He only just started crawling at 11 months but I was excited, I mean it's more of a drag, I can't say it's a crawl.
"I was so excited and I thought I want to share that and all my friends who have babies share it on social media and then you do get that 'well shouldn't he be walking by now'... and they put a laughing face.
"I'm not asking for that and people say 'well you shouldn't advertise it' but I'm proud of my baby I want to advertise him.
"I definitely feel like I do share less [on social media]," Dani added: "Because it is true, if are having a bit of down day and you're not feeling great in yourself and then someone sort of adds it on there, you're like 'well they must be right then'. So yeah I do definitely think I've held back a little bit."
Presenter and singer Denise Van Outen, 47, was also on the Channel 4 daytime show and recalled feeling like she'd "been judged" after having her child Betsy in 2010.
"When Betsy was little it was mainly Twitter because Instagram wasn't as big," Denise explained. "I did find it was also quite hard because you feel like you're being judged as well constantly.
"I had a situation when Betsy was a baby and I couldn't breastfeed because she just wouldn't latch on, it wasn't right for me and it wasn't right for her... and the amount of abuse I got on social media for not breastfeeding her was just unbelievable."
Steph's Packed Lunch airs weekdays on Channel 4 from 12.30pm.
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