Sarah Stage, whose Instagram selfies fueled undue concern and criticisms from other women who thought her barely-there bump was unhealthy, has finally given birth to a healthy baby boy on Tuesday.
While Sarah Stage was still pregnant, she made headlines after her baby bump at eight months do not resemble the usual pregnancy belly. According to Metro, the 30-year-old Los Angeles-based model raised eyebrows and was even accused of putting her unborn child at risk with her healthy diet and exercise regime.
Despite several criticisms thrown at Sarah Stage, the accusations were unfounded. As per the official NHS guidelines in UK, exercising during pregnancy is perfectly healthy. However, the site also warns that women shouldn't suddenly take up exercise during pregnancy, particularly those who aren't active before they got pregnant.
"The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain," the NHS Web site explains. "Exercise is not dangerous for your baby - there is some evidence that active women are less likely to experience problems in later pregnancy and labor."
Meanwhile, in spite of the concern that her social media photos have caused, Sarah Stage proved that she delivered a very healthy baby. E! News reported the proud mom gave birth to her son James Hunter, who came out 8 lbs. 7 oz. and 22 inches long.
"Yes!! Thank you! All of that is indeed true :) he's a big healthy boy and he got an APGAR score of 8-9. Thank you for supporting me throughout my pregnancy!" Stage said.
During the pregnancy, Sarah Stage only gained 20 pounds as Us Weekly noted. However, she told Entertainment Tonight that she and her baby were perfectly fine.
"The doctor said my baby is healthy. All my girlfriends that are pregnant now, their bellies are a lot bigger, so I asked him and he started laughing. He was like, 'You're fine,'" she said, Hollywood Life quoted.
Stage also told Good Morning America in March that the most important thing is to have a healthy baby.
"As long as the baby is healthy, I don't think anything else matters," she said. "That should be the most important thing."
In spite of the criticisms, Sarah Stage never directly responded to it. But she did posted a very loaded quote that has surely silenced her critics.
