Montana Brown has addressed her 'rage-baiting' social media videos for the first time, as she admitted her online presence 'hasn't been the best' after a new health diagnosis.
The Love Island star has sparked backlash with her strong parenting views in a string of TikTok videos, where she blasted school desserts, sugar and children's food pouches.
Montana had already shared a cryptic post hinting that all was not well, raising questions about whether she'd split from her fiancé Mark O'Connor.
But in a lengthy Instagram post, the star has shared with her followers that she'd been battling a series of health issues, and after learning she had female pattern baldness, she has also been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.
In her post, Montana said that she realises her content could be more 'positive,' and said she felt 'pressured' to post videos with views that could have been kept private.
The star shares son Jude, three, and daughter Miley, 21 months, with Mark.
Montana Brown has addressed her 'rage-baiting' social media videos for the first time, as she admitted her online presence 'hasn't been the best' after a new health diagnosis
The Love Island star has sparked backlash with her strong parenting views in a string of TikTok videos, and in her post she shared how breastfeeding took a toll on her mental health
She began: 'A year ago I was breastfeeding, not enjoying it, had insomnia and was drinking a lot before bed to try and knock me out so I could actually sleep...
'This ended up giving me panic attacks towards the end of last year, which was terrifying and it really affected me as I'd never dealt with them before. I thought I was having a heart attack and was becoming very anxious which was unlike me.
'I love co-sleeping, I loved reactive feeding, however on reflection I breastfed for too long with both babies as I was at breaking point for both. Staring up at the ceiling in the middle of the night when your baby is asleep is not fun.
'After stopping this time round, something mentally really shifted for me. I thought I might have post partum depression. I had a lot of rage, sadness, irritability and very emotional about everything. I spoke to Pippa Campbell as I just didn't feel myself at all, she suggested to get my hormones checked as she suspected an under active thyroid, as this can mimic symptoms of PPD.
'So it's been a bit intense dealing with all of that alongside my hair rapidly falling out in clumps and also trying to show up and be the best mum I can be.
'After being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, female pattern baldness, extremely low iron and just dealing with it mentally whilst not being able to sleep properly, I've struggled.'
Addressing her social media videos, Montana then said: 'I am also reflecting on how I've been showing up online too in this time period is not my best.
'I have felt pressure to create content in a moment just 'because' I've had a genuine thought about something important to me and probably more appropriate to share with friends or work on the delivery to be in a more positive light.
In her post, Montana reflected on reaching 'breaking point' during her breastfeeding journey
Montana shared that originally she feared she had 'post-partum depression' after her hair began 'rapidly falling out in clumps'
In her post, Montana said that she realises her content could be more 'positive,' and said she felt 'pressured' to post videos with views that could have been kept private
Montana added that she 'fundementally cares' about the parenting issues she speaks about online, and thank fans for being 'supportive'
'I look back a few years and I used to embody a lot more positivity and joy. I guess I've struggled to channel that this year because I genuinely feel like I'm carrying more sadness with everything going on in the world.
'I feel angry, distraught and like we're going backwards and I'm scared. So whilst I always want to speak about the difficult topics because I want to, I can definitely work on my delivery. I really appreciate you all and don't take what I have for granted.
'I'm so grateful for the community who have been here since the start. It's been a crazy journey and I've grown from a young woman to a mother.
'You have all been so supportive throughout my different phases of life and witnessed, the good, the bad and the ugly.'
An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) occurs when levels of these hormones are too high, causing symptoms such as palpitations, rapid weight loss, sweating and itching.
Women are ten times more likely to be affected than men, although it’s not clear why — and the most common trigger for both thyroid problems is an auto-immune condition, where the body mistakenly attacks the thyroid tissues.
Montana has sparked controversy with her outspoken views on parenting, and she previously blasted schools for serving desserts with school lunches.
The star slammed schools for 'serving sticky toffee pudding every day' and alleged children were also given biscuits at break time, thus normalising the exposure to 'addictive' sugar and ultra processed foods.
Much like her previous videos about parenting, the reaction was furious with followers claiming she is 'demonising' sugar while many others flagged that for children living in poverty the food could be their 'only hot meal of the day'.
Her remarks saw her say to the camera: 'Why do children need desserts every day at school? Like why do they need a sticky toffee pudding every day?...
'That would be strange if you went to work and one of your colleagues was like tucking into a sticky toffee pudding and like custard every lunch. You'd be like, bit excessive. So why do we do it for kids?...
'I'm deadset this is why all of us have weight issues as it's so difficult to kind of wean yourself off like the sugar and all of this crap because at school it was just the norm...
'You’d have pudding after pudding after pudding and I am a firm believer that just kids shouldn’t have pudding. They should have yogurt and fruit and if they're still hungry they should be having extra protein...
'And I know you guys hate it when I talk about this but this is genuinely how I feel. I’m not even rage baiting.'
Montana has also sparked backlash from fans for sharing a 'patronising' post complaining parents 'shouldn't buy ready-made pouches' for their children.
In a post on TikTok, Montana said she was 'sickened' that parents were lured into the idea of buying 'kid-friendly' products such as branded snacks and pouches of food, insisting that most of them are 'full of c**p'.
The star continued that it's become 'hard' to avoid ultra-processed food when it comes to making meals for her family, and urged other parents to just give their children 'a piece of carrot or cucumber instead'.
Her post sparked a sea of complaints, with some accusing Montana of 'guilt-tripping parents', who may rely on pouches to feed their children while juggling their busy work schedules.
She also sparked fury among parents after detailing her thoughts on using Calpol and how she opposes the children's medicine.
The star posted a video in which she was asked her opinion on using Calpol when a child has a temperature, to which she said she does not use the medicine as she claimed it counteracts the body's reaction to a virus.
Many of Montana's followers pointed out Calpol is used to relieve discomfort as well as help in reducing the fever, which can put children at risk of febrile seizures, thus illustrating the importance of Calpol and similar paracatemol-based medicines.
She was accused of 'spreading dangerous misinformation' when she said she would take her child to A&E rather than give Calpol, and relayed how she gave her son Jude 'homemade soup and homeopathic tinctures' when his temperature hit 40 degrees.
Montana explained that she opted to give her son 'homeopathic tinctures'. Tinctures are concentrated herbal extracts - typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol and used for medical purposes.