An influencer has sparked outrage online after sharing a clip of her applying fake tan and styling her hair before heading to the hospital to have her baby induced.
Mum-of-two Indy Clinton, a Sydney-based blogger who boasts more than 253,000 followers on Instagram and over 750,000 on TikTok, shared the footage of her "labour prep" to the video-sharing platform last week.
In the clip, which has since amassed more than 1.1 million views, the then-pregnant Clinton treats herself to a manicure and pedicure; washes, blow-dries and styles her hair; applies fake tan; and freshens up her makeup before heading to the hospital for an induction.
"By the way, my induction is not tonight. Before someone says, 'Why am I fake tanning for labour?' - do I want to look ugly when I'm pushing out a child? No," she said in the footage.
Clinton also pondered whether to wear a white crop top for her labour, noting that during the birth of her son, Navy, she'd worn the provided hospital gown - but didn't like "the vibe of it".
"It made my shoulders look really broad, and they're already broad," she added.
While some fans applauded Clinton's commitment to keeping up her appearance, others were less impressed, claiming her comments could be both detrimental and offensive.
One viewer, who describes themselves as a "recovering tanaholic", pointed out that Clinton's comment about not wanting to "look ugly" for the birth insinuated that pale, natural skin was unattractive, and could be problematic for her impressionable young followers.
"This is the kind of messaging you need to think about before saying when you have such a large platform," the woman said.
"Saying you don't want to look ugly when you're about to push a baby out because you don't have fake tan on, in other words because you'll be pale, is so detrimental.
"This is the kind of sh*t that made me feel addicted to and dependent on fake tan to feel beautiful for 12 years."
"Pale skin doesn't make you uglyyyyyyyy. Pale skin is beautiful," a second agreed, with a third adding: "So I look ugly because I've [got] pale skin? Okay."
"She is about to pop a human out of her and she is faking tanning, that's dedication," another said, while a fifth called her out for her comments on the hospital gown, writing: "Did you just say you didn't like the vibe of a hospital gown? You're having a child babe, jog on."
However, the majority of the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing their excitement for Clinton and requesting updates on her progress. Several others also admitted they had performed similar routines pre-birth, noting that a fresh tan and face of makeup made them feel more comfortable for the experience.
"I did this exact same thing before my induction! I hope your birth goes well. Can't wait to see little baby B," one fan weighed in, while another shared: "Omg I tanned in case I went into labour and got into bed and my waters broke."
In a follow-up video uploaded later that day, Clinton also filmed herself tweezing her husband's eyebrows, declaring: "You can't have a monobrow while I'm in labour."
Clinton continued to provide updates on her induction and labour from the hospital, eventually sharing that the family had welcomed their daughter, Bambi Valentine, on October 13.
"Our daughter is here," the mum captioned a sweet snap of her holding her newborn in the hospital bed.
With her still perfectly styled hair and radiant complexion, fans and fellow influencers alike were quick to praise Clinton for her post-birth glow.
"Okay you be looking THAT GOOD post-birth, wow," Amelia Marni commented, while Corinna Kopf added: "Congrats mama! You look pretty as ever."
"Aspire to look like that after giving birth," one fan said, with another exclaiming, "How does she look so good after giving birth!"
Another joked that Clinton looked more put-together than she did at her "absolute best" after "literally birthing a child".
A carousel of snaps uploaded to Instagram over the weekend appear to show Clinton and her family in good spirits as they celebrated their new arrival.
Last week, controversial influencer and new mum Trisha Paytas sparked widespread outrage after sharing a snap of her newborn daughter, Malibu Barbie, propped up in a desk chair, with many claiming the position put the baby at risk of falling.