Genetically blessed and incredible at what she does, international model and influencer, Belle Lucia is one of Australia’s great prides.
The 23-year-old is planning on sharing that gene pool, as she is expecting her first baby.
However, during what should be a magical time, the size of her baby bump is up for discussion, and it’s being widely criticised as being too small.
At 23 weeks pregnant, Belle Lucia is sporting an adorable little bump.
(Credit: Instagram/BelleLucia)A recent stunning image shared to Belle’s Instagram account, which boasts 1.3 million followers, showed the model posing in a bikini on a beach in Spain, while cradling a little bump.
“Beach and bump #23weekpregnant #6monthsbump” penned the mum-to-be.
And while many commenters were quick to jump in and praise her pregnancy glow, there were many who took it upon themselves to make commentary on the size of her bump.
“Are you for real pregnant?” asked one fan.
“Pregnant?? I’m 25 weeks pregnant and my tummy is going to explode!!” exclaimed another.
“Where tf the bump at?” another shocked onlooker commented.
“If I didn’t read the caption, I would’ve thought pregnant at all! Wow!” was the response from one surprised fan.
Others were quick to show their support.
“I don’t think people realise how tiny a baby is in the belly at 23 weeks,” suggested one fan. “It’s perfectly normal to not show or to show a lot.”
“Interesting how our bodies are different,” came the comments of an experienced mum. “At 6 months I was huuuge, You look elegantly pregnant.”
“I think what people don’t realise is you have a naturally TINY waist 22-23″ so this is showing for you!” offered one supportive fan.
As for Belle herself, she’s not worried about the size of her bump. “It doesn’t bother me,” she responded to a fan who asked if she would have liked a bigger bump. “I’m just happy my baby is healthy and I’m healthy.”
WATCH: Belle Lucia is pregnancy hair goals. Continues after video …
It’s not the first time that the Aussie model has answered queries about her size.
Speaking with told Husskie in March, she said: “I’ve actually never been on a strict diet. I get a lot of enjoyment out of eating,.”
Belle, who is of Portuguese and German ancestry claims that her relatives would not have that at all!
“‘I think eating in moderation is healthy and a part of enjoying life. I come from a very traditional European background where dieting is sort of frowned upon, my nana would be very upset if I went on a diet!”
A quick look around any antenatal class is enough to tell you that women at the same stage of pregnancy will sport bumps in a range of shapes and sizes.
More often than not, it’s related to the body type of the mother rather than overall weight (if they’re tall, their baby can pretty much stand up and do star jumps, while shorter-torsoed mums tend to push bubs out the front).
However, sometimes, a smaller bump really does relate to a baby that is small for its gestational age. If you are concerned this article explains some of the implications if you are considered ‘small for dates’.
