Dr Zoe Williams has hit back at mum-shamers who criticised her when she appeared on This Morning back in the summer to introduce son Lisbon Lion.
Zoe and her partner Stuart McKay introduced the little boy, who is now almost five months old, to hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
And, while many commented on how beautiful the baby was, others took to Twitter to accuse Zoe of rocking her baby too vigourously.
In fact, Zoe said looking through comments on social media, she found people commenting that she “should know better” because she’s a doctor.
What happened when Dr Zoe Williams introduced baby Lisbon?
Looking gorgeous in a red dress, Zoe appeared on the show with partner Stuart and baby Lisbon.
To make sure the tot was settled in the interview, Dr Zoe was seen on screen rocking the baby as he slept peacefully.
Except people at home said Zoe’s rocking technique was anything but peaceful.
Read more: Dr Zoe reveals Lisbon Lion arrived so quickly her partner had to deliver him alone at home
Now she’s had her say.
Zoe exclusively told Entertainment Daily: “If they’d have seen the three minutes before I was on air, he was about to scream his head off.
“Just as we were about to go on he started crying. Lisbon has always liked, when he’s going to sleep, to soothe him, quite a firm rock. I was running and exercising in my pregnancy so it’s something he’s used to.
“Before I went on air I was doing these deep squats which he loved and that’s what settled him. So that’s what put him to sleep.
“People were saying: ‘She doesn’t even know how to hold a baby.’ I know how to hold a baby,” Zoe hit back.
“If I’d have just held him we wouldn’t have got that interview.”
‘The world of mum-shaming is a joke’
Asked if she’s since fallen victim to mum-shaming, Zoe told us: “Oh god yeah, I think every mum does.
“The added criticism I get is: ‘You’d think she’d know better because she’s a doctor.’
“But the world of mum-shaming is a joke. It’s the same as when you’re pregnant. All of a sudden people feel they have a right to comment, everyone thinks they’re an expert.
Read more: Dr Zoe Williams predicts Holly Willoughby could try for baby number four
“My message to mums out there is nobody is as much of an expert when it comes to your child as you are. Maternal instinct is such a strong thing.
“While there will be people who have good intentions, all your baby really needs is you and you know what’s best for them.
“We all get it, everyone gets mum-shamed. I retaliated against that by sharing the good stuff and also being honest on social media,” she said.
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Dr Zoe on her parenting ‘anxiety’
So, does being a doctor add pressure when it comes to parenthood?
“I wouldn’t say I feel pressured,” Zoe admitted. “I’d say there was an expectation as a doctor that you’re an expert in everything.
“I’m not an expert in parenting, I’m a complete novice, I’ve only got four and a half months experience. I’m not an expert in children’s sleep, in weaning, any of that stuff.
“As a GP I’m much more clued up medicine and disease and on when things aren’t going right or when a child gets unwell, so we’re up on what’s normal.
“So when we do think about what’s normal as a GP we’ve been taught textbook normal. I actually think being a GP can make things more anxiety provoking.
“I’ve got all this information in my head, they should do this by this age, they should sleep for this long, of course babies don’t conform to that.
“So on the one hand it’s great to have medical knowledge and know what I’m looking out for and what to do, but on the other hand it can make you more anxious having that knowledge.”
Dr Zoe Williams has partnered with Tommee Tippee on the launch of the Dreammaker, a new sleep aid developed for babies by sleep scientists.
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