Actress Mom-Shamed For Daring To Go On A Date Night Without Her Newborn

She clapped back after being judged for going on a date a few weeks after giving birth

Some moms aren’t ready for their first baby-free night out until months after they give birth. Others are raring to roll mere days after coming home from the hospital. Want to know who should be judged for their stance on date nights post-baby?

Neither. No mom. Ever.

That’s why Australian actress and model Megan Gale took to Instagram to let her followers know exactly how she feels about taking heat for a recent night out with her husband. Gale gave birth to her second child, Rosie, in late September and is also mom to three-year-old River. Since it wasn’t her first time around the mommy block, she felt comfortable leaving both kids in the care of their grandmothers so she could get some much-needed chill time with her spouse.

Trouble is, she forgot to clear her plans with the judgmental meanies of the internet.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ5fC7zHhVa/?taken-by=megankgale

Her original post was simply a cute date night selfie with her husband explaining the babysitting situation and a little advice for new parents. “River with his Nanna ✔️ Rosie with her Nonna ✔️ With about 10 mins to get ready my man & I are out for a quick dinner date. Missing our babies but SO important for parents to have some couple time when / if they can grab it.”

Preach.

But the Perfect Parents of the Internet were not feeling her sensible relationship advice at all, as evidence by the long edit Gale added after absorbing the comments.

“For sure we have to devote the majority of our time to our kids. However, IF it can be managed well, stealing an hour or two, here and there as a couple or an individual is a ‘win’ for parents,” she writes. Gale defends their decision (as if she should have to) by noting that each kiddo had their own personal grandma to care for them, and Rosie had been bathed, dressed, fed and put down for the evening by her mom before she headed out. Oh, and there was enough expressed breastmilk for two feeds, “just in case.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZz9552nvJs/?taken-by=megankgale

Gale shares that her newborn currently sleeps 4-5 hours before needing a feed (jealous) and that the night of their date was no exception — she slept from 6-10:30, or as Gale says, “more than enough time for a 1 hour dinner, which was 3 mins from our house.”

Her choice to seize the moment and have a few hours where she didn’t have to be a mom is one she comes by through experience. “With River I barely left the house for the first 6 weeks, out of fear, out of guilt and I lost a little part of myself and also developed what I now feel was a mild case of post natal depression. If you’ve ensured your child is well looked after in your absence, then there is nothing wrong with some alone time as a couple or as an individual.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaDvoUKnoR8/?taken-by=megankgale

Yup. With my first baby, I was terrified to leave her, but had to be in a wedding when she was only five weeks old. Try as I might to enjoy myself, despite her being in very good hands with a family member, I missed her the whole time and was a worried wreck. But it was also nice to have an evening with my husband where we weren’t trying to decide whose turn it was to change her diaper and neither of us were covered in baby spit-up. When our second baby came along, we didn’t hesitate from fairly early on to go on brief dates so we could get a break. It helped tremendously.

Gale agrees. “You’ll be happier people for it and more importantly, better parents.”

Conversely, if you truly feel uncomfortable leaving your infant until they reach a certain age or you just flat-out don’t want to? Awesome. The beauty of this whole parenting thing is we can all do what feels right for us — and it would be very cool if the internet could remember that. Just because Gale felt ready to leave her infant when she did doesn’t mean she’s not a good mom — she just made a different choice than some.

As far as the cruel commenters on her page, Gale has no time for it. She explains in her post that she deletes or blocks anyone “projecting negativity” on her page, as she should. We’re all just doing the best we can, and there’s no room in any mom’s life for this kind of judgmental bullshit.