Super-Fit Pregnant Midwife Responds to Body Shamers on Instagram

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This extremely toned mom-to-be is further proof that there's no one-size-fits-all version of a healthy pregnancy:

Hannah Polites, a midwife and fitness expert from Australia, has been documenting her pregnancy with sweet selfies on Instagram, where she has more than 1.2 million followers. Like pics of fellow Aussie Chontel Duncan and L.A. model Sarah Stage, Polites' photos showing her super-fit pregnant body have gone viral, and sadly, attracted a slew of criticism about her weight.

In an interview with the Gold Coast Bulletin, the 24-year-old Insta-star said that while she tries to ignore the body shamers, they can be hurtful: "It’s truly shocking to read some of the comments regarding my health and that of my unborn baby, especially at a time where women are particularly vulnerable and can be more sensitive to bullying," she said. "I do not take the negative comments to heart, especially when I know I am making informed decisions when it comes to nutrition and exercise in pregnancy and motherhood."

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Polites added that, as she enters her third trimester, both she and baby are in good health, noting that the little one is actually 20% larger than the average unborn baby at this stage of pregnancy.

In a previous interview with Health, Margaret Dow, MD, an assistant professor of obstetrics-gynecology at the Mayo Clinic, explained that baby bumps do indeed come in all shapes and sizes, and only a woman and her doctor know if her weight is in a safe range.

Polites is choosing to focus on the encouragement she's been receiving from her fans. "Thank you for the overwhelmingly positive support," she wrote in a recent post. "[A]ll women's bodies should be celebrated and we are all entitled to share our own journeys."

That's certainly a message we can get behind.