Thinspiration blogger Chontel Duncan’s post-baby selfie revealing toned stomach divides the nation

THIS new mum couldn’t even wait two weeks after giving birth to show off her flat stomach in an awful look-at-me bathroom show pony pose, writes Susie O’Brien.

THIS woman needs to put her phone down and look after her baby.

It’s no wonder there’s an outcry about this image, which is dividing parents across the nation.

On one hand we have the softies who say women shouldn’t ever criticise other women — especially someone who has just given birth.

On the other we have those (like me) who think this image is so absolutely ridiculous that it needs to be discussed and denounced.

As far as I am concerned, this new mum thinspriation blogger should stop posing and start parenting.

The woman in question is Chontel Duncan, who couldn’t even wait two weeks after giving birth to show off her flat stomach in an awful look-at-me bathroom show pony pose.

Making matters worse, she is holding her son awkwardly — has anyone talked to her about the need to support a baby’s neck?

Now, I should point out that Duncan has since come out and said her son just put his head back for a moment before cuddling back into her.

“Making matters worse, she is holding her son awkwardly — has anyone talked to her about the need to support a baby’s neck?” writes Susie.

“Funnily enough, she’s the skinny, toned, tall, tanned one,” writes Susie.

I am sure this is true. However, she selected that image to post so she has no one to blame when people react to it.

Reaction rather than reassurance is what people like this are after, so they can hardly complain when they get it.

Duncan is just one in a long line of women who feel the need to capture every moment of their pregnancies showcasing their tiny tight muscle-bound tummies.

In her case, sometimes she even posed with other more normal looking women in order to show how pregnant women come in all shapes and sizes.

Funnily enough, she’s the skinny, toned, tall, tanned one. I’m glad she didn’t want to pose with me as I was short, white and round for every one of my three pregnancies.

Either way, I’d suggest she should concentrate a little less on enjoying motherhood without posing for silly selfish selfies showing off her immaculate post-baby body.

It is possible to care about your body and health, and want to be fit, and still not carry on like this.

I’m with fitness trainer Michelle Welsh, who runs mishfit, and who specialises in training pregnant and post-natal women.

She reckons Duncan’s definition of normal may seem “more unattainable than many new mums who are struggling to manage both getting dressed and brushing their teeth in the same day”. 

“Mums need to remember that their bodies took around 10 months to change to have a baby and it is not a competition to see who is first to return it.  The best work post-baby, will always be how you train the inside — pelvic floor muscles.

“Defined abs look great, but weeing your pants or prolapse is just not that sexy!”

she told me today.

She’s right. Pelvic floor exercises and discussions about prolapse are not sexy, but they are important.

But instagram has never really been about what’s important, has it?