An Australian model and podcaster has ignited a firestorm of criticism after posting a video of herself consuming alcohol while pregnant. Daphne Berry, host of the Airing Your Dirty Laundry podcast and partner of Lime Cordiale musician Oliver Leimbach, shared a now-deleted Instagram clip this week showing her at a bar drinking a glass of wine.
Controversial Caption
The post was captioned: 'Having sips of wine pregnant, because there's literally people that do crack pregnant.' This dismissive remark prompted widespread condemnation, particularly on Reddit, where users voiced their outrage.
One Reddit user wrote: 'Daphne Berry, girlfriend of Oliver Leimbach (1/2 of popular Aussie duo Lime Cordiale) who is currently 24 weeks pregnant, posted and dirty deleted this reel last night admitting to drinking while pregnant. I've seen no one talk about this. Keep in mind there's no known 'safe' amount of alcohol to drink while pregnant + how are we to know this is the only time she has/will consume alcohol while pregnant? If she was willing to post this knowing she would most likely receive backlash, who's to say she wouldn't lie about how much she's actually drinking?'
Another commenter added: 'To rationalise it by saying people do crack is wild, how about not exposing your unborn child to a literal poison??' A third echoed: 'Because there's literally children that are born with and live with alcohol syndrome. I seriously hope she means just a few sips here and there and not actually full size drinks multiple times when she's only 24 wks.'
Criticism from Health Professionals
The backlash extended to medical professionals. One paediatric nurse vented: 'As a paeds nurse, I see kids who live with FASD or equivalent - why would you even do this? It's simple – don't drink when pregnant, I don't know how much clearer it can be. I could also guarantee none of the doctors I've ever worked with (obstetricians and all) would recommend any alcohol at any stage of pregnancy, ever. This s*** makes me mad!'
Some users highlighted Daphne's previous fertility struggles, suggesting she should be more cautious. 'You would think after having such a big cry online about struggling to conceive and then acting like she is the only pregnant person on earth that she would be much more careful,' one wrote. 'Very disappointing to be behaving like this with such a large audience.'
Pregnancy Announcement
Daphne announced her pregnancy with Oliver Leimbach in February. On Instagram, she revealed they discovered the news on Christmas morning: 'We wrapped the pregnancy test up and gave it to both our mums to open as their 'gift'. It was one of the most special moments of our lives.'
Despite her joy, she admitted pregnancy has been challenging: 'My body started changing almost immediately (pregnancy bloat is no joke), and mentally it has been one of the most challenging things I've gone through. I keep reminding myself that what my body is doing is incredible. It truly is. But I also think it's important to say this out loud: you can feel overwhelmingly grateful for the life you're creating and still mourn the version of yourself that seemed to disappear overnight.'
She continued: 'I wasn't prepared for how quickly I would feel sick. I wasn't prepared to suddenly not be able to do the things I love. I wasn't prepared to be mostly confined to bed, watching my body change in what felt like the snap of a finger. If you haven't experienced the first trimester and no one has warned you, let me be the one to say it. It will take you to places within yourself you didn't know existed. You will be transformed in those weeks.'
Daily Mail has contacted Daphne for comment.
