Lauren Bushnell Lane Responds After Troll Calls Her 'Sickly Looking'

Lauren Bushnell Lane is getting candid about her struggles with postpartum body image after welcoming her first child last year.

The "Bachelor" alum, who shares 7-month-old son Dutton with husband Chris Lane, spoke about her post-pregnancy figure during a Q&A session Thursday on her Instagram Story, sharing a direct message in which someone said she was "sickly looking."

In her lengthy reply, she said she didn't want to bring attention to such messages but chose to detail the "reality" of being on the receiving end of these types of comments.

"I don't feel like I have to defend myself, but sometimes I want to, especially when it's already an insecurity and someone hits on it," she was quoted as saying by E! News. "No matter what I do, I can't gain weight. The only time in the last 10 years I've been able to is being pregnant or on oral contraceptives. Otherwise, it's just how my body wants to be."

"I wish I had my pregnancy booty but I don't and apparently some people on the internet don't like that," she added

Bushnell Lane explained that she eats "healthy" and will usually "out-eat" her husband.

According to the new mom, what makes her "most sad" is that she's "given [her] baby everything, including [her] body, but still get messages criticizing it."

The Bachelor Nation star went on to talk about her body issues and how societal pressures made her believe she might be sick. She revealed that she's "had a bunch of bloodwork done because society tells you that if you don't fit into a certain mold—there's something wrong with you."

She said that reading messages about her weight has made her "believe" there was something wrong with her, resulting in her convincing herself that she was ill and spending "so much money on lab work and micronutrient tests."

"Everything is great," she assured fans, noting that test results showed that she's just "a little low in Vitamin D."

Bushnell Lane concluded her message by asking trolls not to comment on women's bodies as there is "a tremendous amount of emotion that comes along with it all."

Bushnell Lane officially became a mom in June 2021 after she and her husband Chris welcomed son Dutton. Their son weighed 9 pounds at birth, which shocked the country singer because his wife was very petite.

"Everyone in the room, including Lauren and me, were shocked we had a 9-pound baby! Not sure where he was hiding in her belly?!" Chris joked.

Bushnell Lane, meanwhile, said she has never felt an "immediate unconditional love" like she now has for Dutton.

"Going through this experience with Chris has made me love and appreciate him even more … I didn't think that was possible!" she added.

In September last year, Bushnell Lane shared her struggles with postpartum anxiety, writing on Instagram at the time that she was experiencing panic attacks and having a difficult time balancing motherhood and her responsibilities.

"Four-month sleep regression [is] hitting harddddd. I know this is a highlight reel but let me tell you- I was too frazzled yesterday to take a photo of this little guy inconsolable and screaming for two hours straight," she wrote. "It's truly the most heartbreaking feeling watching your baby meltdown and be overtired."

She gave fans an update on her postpartum anxiety during her Q&A Thursday, writing that she's been feeling "much better." According to Bushnell Lane, she's started taking Zoloft and organizing her home, and her son has been sleeping better so she's also been able to get more rest.

Photo: Getty Images/John Lamparski