Australian influencer and financial expert Victoria Devine has drawn criticism after a comment she made about her pregnancy experience prompted debate online.
Devine, a money columnist and podcast co-host, gave birth to her first child, Harvey, in March.
The new mother is widely known for offering finance and business advice through her She’s on the Money podcast. More recently, she spoke about her pregnancy with Harvey and the financial cost of having a baby.
During the May 22 episode of the podcast, Devine made a comment about taking prenatal vitamins before trying to conceive, saying they could help women have a ‘good quality baby’.
‘My doctor recommended that I started prenatals at least 12 months before trying [to conceive],’ she said.
‘If possible, because obviously then all the vitamins and minerals and stuff that are coming into your body can settle into your body and you can get your levels up. Because pregnancy does take a lot out of you.
‘But it’s things like iron and folate – folate’s really important for pregnant women. And it’s full of stuff that just makes sure that the baby you’re making is a really good quality baby.’
Although prenatal vitamins can be important for people trying to conceive, helping ensure the body receives nutrients needed to support a healthy pregnancy, Devine’s use of the phrase ‘good quality baby’ sparked discussion beneath a video that has since been deleted.
Victoria Devine (pictured), an Australian money columnist and podcast co-host, welcomed her first child Harvey in March and has since sparked a wave of controversy after innocently opening up about her pregnancy journey
According to watchdog account @influencer.updates.au, one commenter said she had taken prenatal vitamins but her newborn was born with spina bifida.
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Another user made the sarcastic comment saying ‘it’s a shame’ the vitamins don’t make her ‘a good quality mum’, while another stated ‘it’s not nice to see babies with genetic defects as not being “good quality babies”.’
Even if you have a varied diet, there are certain nutrients it is impossible to get in adequate quantities from food, which is where prenatal supplements are important.
Devine has since apologised for the comments, taking to her Instagram to write: ‘I wanted to share my deepest apologies for a post which was shared last week, I made a comment in jest without thinking about the ways in which it could be interpreted.
‘As someone who has struggled with pregnancy loss myself, I am all too aware of how precious life is, and how out of our control the experience of pregnancy can be.
Speaking on the She’s On The Money podcast, Devine made a divisive comment about taking prenatal vitamins before conceiving to ensure women have a ‘good quality baby’.
‘To clarify, I was reflecting on my own experiences and my desire to grasp on to absolutely anything that I could that might help improve my possibilities of falling pregnant.’
‘I’m so sorry for my poor choice of words, and as always I’m grateful for the kindness and accountability you share with me,’ she concluded her statement.
Victoria Devine is the host of the wildly popular She’s On The Money podcast from Melbourne, and she works as a wealth management adviser dedicated to making financial jargon understandable and relatable.
She welcomed her son Harvey in March this year with husband Steve, whom she married in 2022.