By Savannah Young, Daily Mail Australia
Updated on July 2, 2024 at 23:34 and July 3, 2024 at 00:17
The influencer and financial expert has sparked controversy after making a seemingly innocuous comment about her own pregnancy journey.
Australian money columnist and podcast co-host Victoria Devine welcomed her first child, Harvey, in March.
The mother-of-one, who is known for sharing financial and business tips on her podcast, “She’s on the Money,” recently opened up about being pregnant with her son and the costs of giving birth.
During a podcast on May 22, Devine made the controversial comments about women taking prenatal vitamins before pregnancy to help them have “good quality babies.”
“My doctor recommended I start taking prenatal supplements at least 12 months before I became pregnant. [to conceive],’ she said.
“If possible, it’s to help the vitamins and minerals that you put into your body settle in and build up your levels, because pregnancy is so draining.”
“But iron, folic acid, folic acid are really important for pregnant women. There’s a whole bunch of stuff that’s going to make sure that the baby that’s going to be born is a really good quality baby.”
If you’re trying to conceive, it’s important to ensure your body is getting the nutrients it needs to grow a healthy baby, so prenatal vitamins can be essential, but Devine’s “good quality baby” comment sparked a debate over the since-deleted video post.
According to watchdog account @influencer.updates.au, one user said her newborn baby was born with spina bifida despite taking prenatal vitamins.
Another user sarcastically commented that it was a shame that taking vitamins didn’t make someone a “good mother”, while another said: “It’s not good that babies with genetic defects are not seen as ‘good babies'”.
Even with a varied diet, there are some nutrients that are impossible to get in sufficient amounts from food, which is where pre-conception supplements become important.
Devine has since apologised for her comments, posting on her Instagram: “I sincerely apologise for the post I shared last week. It was made in jest without considering how it might be interpreted.”
“Having suffered pregnancy loss myself, I know all too well how precious life is and how the experience of pregnancy is completely outside of our control.
“To be clear, I was reflecting on my own experiences and my desire to have access to anything that might help improve my chances of conceiving.”
“I deeply apologize for my poor choice of words and, as always, I appreciate the kindness and responsibility you have shown me,” she concluded her statement.
Victoria Devine is the host of the hugely popular Melbourne podcast She’s On The Money and a wealth management advisor committed to making financial language easy to understand and relatable.
She welcomed her son, Harvey, into the world in March with her husband Steve, whom she married in 2022.
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