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Shawn Johnson defends her 3-month-old daughter's first flip

One critic accused the former Olympic gymnast of being "too rough" with her baby.
/ Source: TODAY

Shawn Johnson preemptively shut down mom-shamers when she shared a video of her 3-month-old daughter, Drew, doing her “first flip.”

“(She was PERFECTLY safe… so don’t even haha),” Johnson, 28, wrote on Instagram.

In the clip, that was filmed on a beach in Miami, Florida, on Monday, the former Olympic gymnast is seen slowly turning Drew upside down.

Despite Johnson’s disclaimer, several self-appointed parenting experts sounded off in the comments.

“While she may have been perfectly safe, sometimes you are a bit rough handling such a young baby, and not making her warm enough when you take her out. She needs at least socks if not shoes, as well, and hats,” snipped one person.

Rather then let the criticism roll off her back, Johnson responded, “Were you holding her? Have you physically felt her sweat when she wears socks? Or felt her strength when she stands? Or seen her fuss until she stands up because she hates laying down? Nope. You haven’t. I’m her mama. I know.”

Dr. Jay Lovenheim, a New Jersey-based pediatrician, came to Johnson's defense.

“If you watch the video, the baby holds her neck well, it’s not like Shawn was throwing her in the air. It’s all very controlled. It’s not rapid,” Lovenheim told TODAY Parents.

Lovenheim noted that Drew is also close to the ground. “Even if she fell, she’d likely be just fine,” he said. "She doesn't appear to be in any danger."

Johnson admitted on Monday that the comments from the peanut gallery get to her and encouraged people to deliver feedback in a gentle manner.

“All of us moms are doing the best we can,” Johnson revealed in her Instagram Stories. “So you guys should celebrate all the mamas out there. If you have advice, try to say it in a very kind way because, let’s be real: None of us know what in the heck we’re doing.”