Former Miss Ireland Pamela Flood has defended comments she made regarding motherhood, when she suggested that mums in their thirties are eager to have babies quickly so they can “go back on the lash”.
Speaking to Colette Fitzpatrick on Newstalk, Flood (44), who is expecting her third child with restaurateur husband, Ronan Ryan, said she was making an ‘extreme example’ and that social media trolls took the opportunity to ‘jump on the hate train’.
“I said when you’re 30 and you’re pregnant and you just wanna get the baby out so you can go on the lash. I was making an extreme example to say I don’t think what I’m doing is selfish or irresponsible.
“People read the quotes from the interview and thought ‘she’s attacking 30-year- olds’.
“One of the first comments was ‘I’m 23 and I love my kids,’ and I remember thinking, ‘I didn’t say you didn’t love your kids, where did this come from?’
“I think there is a certain mentality out there in social media land, they just want to jump on the hate train and they ain’t getting off ’til they draw blood.”
The former Off the Rails presenter revealed she is feeling more relaxed about her third pregnancy, but has given up alcohol completely this time around after reading up on the risks. Flood, who is already mum to Harrison (4) and Eloise (2), also revealed she wouldn’t rule out a fourth child in the future.
In July, in conversation with Brendan O’Connor, she responded to the opinion that having a baby in your forties is selfish:
“To all the nay sayers out there I say if you really have a problem with me having a baby at 44 take it up with mother nature.”
Take that, Internet trolls.
