AFTER settling her four-week-old baby, Marcus, in his cot, Danielle Spink headed downstairs and opened the fridge.
But she wasn’t craving a late-night snack – she was searching for a drug and within seconds, would inject herself.
Despite criticism, mum-of-five Danielle Spink insists losing her baby weight helps her be a better mumCredit: Emma Barrow
At her heaviest, Danielle reached 18st 7lb and a size 18Credit: Jam Press
Reaching for the pen sitting in the door, Danielle swiftly jabbed herself in the stomach before dashing back upstairs to check on her sleeping son.
Danielle’s decision to start using so close to childbirth has seen her judged harshly.
She has been branded a “disgrace” on social media, told that she “doesn’t deserve children” and should even be sterilised.
And trolls have said she cares more about her looks than her baby, and that the medication is “worse than heroin”.
Despite the vitriol, Danielle, 44, doesn’t regret turning to jabs to shift the 3st she gained during .
She says: “It isn’t a choice between being a good mum and looking great – you can have both.
“I’m happier when I’m at a size 10, and if Mounjaro is the way to get there, then I’ll take it.
“For me, looking and feeling my best will help me to be a good mum.”
It is thought around 1.5 million people are using so-called in the UK, including many women wanting to manage weight post-pregnancy.
star previously to shed pounds after giving birth to her two daughters, saying: “I don’t really care what people are saying about my body any more. But what is important to me is transparency.”
Executive assistant Danielle, who lives with her army warrant officer husband, Stefan, 41, and started taking a month after Marcus was born on December 22 last year, agrees.
“I don’t feel ashamed. Why should I?” she says.
“I put on 3st during my pregnancy and after eight weeks on Mounjaro I’ve already dropped 26lb,” explains Danelle, who is 5ft 9in tall.
“I’ve got another 15lb to lose to reach my goal weight of 11st 7lb, and then I will stay on a lower maintenance dose.”
It was when Danielle shared her pregnancy journey on social media that she was slammed for using Mounjaro so soon after childbirth.
“Within an hour of posting, the comments came,” she says.
“I was called a disgrace, while one woman said being on the injections was akin to taking heroin.
“I hid the comment which said I should be sterilised and didn’t deserve children, as I didn’t want other women doing the same to feel judged.”
Executive assistant Danielle started taking Mounjaro a month after Marcus was bornCredit: Jam Press
Danielle doesn’t regret turning to jabs to shift the 3st she gained during pregnancyCredit: Emma Barrow
Danielle has since her late teens.
She explains: “Up until I was 18, I could eat pretty much anything.
“Then I met my first husband and gradually put on weight, as so many do when they get comfortable in a relationship.
“I freely admit I’m greedy. I love food and can eat huge portions, enjoying carbs like bread and pasta with plenty of cheese.”
Danielle, who has four other children, Leah, 23, Hanna, 20, Wilson, 17, and Miles, 13, with two previous partners, says it was after Leah was born that she reached her heaviest weight – 18st 7lb and a size 18.
For me, looking and feeling my best will help me to be a good mum.
“It affected my confidence,” she recalls.
“When I was overweight, I felt frumpy, dressing in oversize rugby tops and leggings.
“Before family occasions like birthdays, I’d have meltdowns as I couldn’t find anything nice to wear.
“I felt I’d lost myself in being a mum and neglected my appearance. I’d try to lose weight, but I’m impatient, so I resorted to fad diets like juicing and only eating 800 calories a day. But they weren’t sustainable, and I’d feel like a failure.”
Danielle’s weight continued to fluctuate, and when she met Stefan four years ago on app , she weighed 13st and was a size 12/14.
She says: “Stefan has always loved me, whatever shape I am, but being a size 10 is where I am happiest.”
STRUGGLE TO CONCEIVE
In October 2022, the couple started trying for a baby, but shortly after conceiving in December, Danielle miscarried in January 2023.
When she struggled to conceive again, she decided to shift her focus to weight loss.
With a of 28 she was eligible for jabs and bought them through a reputable online chemist.
NO JABS DURING PREGNANCY
DR Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor , says:
“Weight loss injections, such as Mounjaro and Ozempic, are not considered safe in pregnancy, because we don’t have enough data to confirm their safety for a developing baby.
“Women of childbearing age should use reliable contraception throughout treatment and plan ahead carefully if they’re considering conceiving.
“Current UK guidelines state they should be stopped at least two months before attempting conception to allow time for the medication to clear from the body.
“If a woman does become pregnant while on weight loss jabs, the advice is to stop them as soon as they realise and seek medical advice promptly.
“The limited data we have so far doesn’t clearly show an increased risk of miscarriage or major birth defects with early exposure.
“But the evidence base remains small and incomplete, so we take a precautionary approach and avoid use during pregnancy.”
“I didn’t think I could conceive because after over a year of trying doctors said I wasn’t ovulating any more – I don’t know how I’d got pregnant so quickly before as that only took a few months,” Danielle recalls.
“So I decided to draw a line under having another baby and focus on myself – and we didn’t use contraception because I didn’t think I’d need it.
“Stefan is fine with me using weight loss jabs, anything that makes me feel good.”
However, after eight weeks on Mounjaro and 2st lighter, Danielle fell pregnant in July 2024 and came off the jabs immediately.
Sadly, she miscarried again nine weeks later and began taking the jabs again in February 2025 to help her reach her goal weight of 11st 7lb and a size 10.
But in May, she discovered she was expecting again.
Danielle’s weight continued to fluctuateCredit: Jam Press
It isn’t a choice between being a good mum and looking great – you can have both, says DanielleCredit: Emma Barrow
“I was thrilled to be pregnant again, but a tiny part of me felt deflated knowing I would put on weight that I’d worked hard to lose,” she says.
“I came straight off the jabs, and my doctor reassured me that, should I miscarry again, it would most likely be down to my age and the quality of my eggs, rather than the fact I was on weight loss drugs when I conceived.”
When she married Stefan, who has a 12-year-old son from a previous relationship, at a chapel in last August, at 24 weeks pregnant, she already had her heart set on returning to Mounjaro after the baby was born.
“It’s not just my weight,” she says.
“I’ve suffered from migraines for years, and I don’t get them when I’m on Mounjaro. I also don’t suffer from aching joints which I’ve endured for years.”
When I was overweight I felt frumpy, dressing in oversize rugby tops and leggings.
Experts advise women against whilst using weight loss jabs in case the drug passes to the mother’s milk.
Danielle admits this was partly why she made the decision to bottle feed when Marcus was two weeks old – so she could go back on the injections.
“Breastfeeding gives me the ick,” she says.
“I didn’t do it at all with my eldest four children as I didn’t like the idea of it. I was really surprised that I even tried with Marcus.
“The biggest reason for stopping was that he’s such a hungry baby and bottle feeding suited him better.
“But whatever my reason, it is my choice and I shouldn’t be berated for it.
“I love being a mum, but that’s not all I am.
“It felt great when I went back on Mounjaro, I have no regrets.”
Now, Danielle plans to stay on the jabs until she reaches 11st 7lb and a size 10. She’ll then stay on a lower dose to maintain her weight loss longer term.
And she refuses to listen to the hate that’s been slung at her on social media.
“It is hurtful, but the comments are a reflection on them, not me,” she says.
“New mums are allowed to make their own choices about their bodies.”
How to take Mounjaro safely
IF you're thinking of starting Mounjaro, here's everything you need to be aware of to ensure you use it safely.
Consult your doctor first
- Discuss your medical history with a GP, especially if you have: thyroid issues, pancreatitis history, gastrointestinal disorders and kidney or liver issues.
Start a low dose and increase slowly
- Starting dose is usually 2.5 mg once weekly, injected under the skin.
- Typical progression: 2.5 mg → 5 mg → 7.5 mg → up to 15 mg weekly (in 2.5 mg increments every four weeks, as tolerated).
Administer it properly
- Inject once a week, same day each week, with or without food.
- Inject subcutaneously in stomach, thigh, or upper arm and rotate injection sites weekly.
Watch for side effects
- Common side effects include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, decreased appetite and fatigue.
- Seek medical help if you experience any of the following serious side effects: signs of pancreatitis (severe stomach pain), allergic reactions and kidney problems (low urine output, swelling).
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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