New mum Steph Claire Smith defends going back to the office

Influencer Steph Claire Smith has defended her decision to remain a working mom after welcoming her son Harvey 18 months ago.

The 28-year-old fitness guru says she has been criticized for going back to the office while her husband Josh Miller takes on the role of a stay-at-home dad.

Steph, the founder of the Keep It Cleaner training app, shared: 9Now she was frustrated by her critics’ ideas of what makes the “right” family composition.

She said trolls have labeled her parenting arrangement with Josh as “unnatural” and that it “shouldn’t.”

“He’s an incredible father,” she said. “He’s doing a fantastic job…he’s extremely proud to be a stay-at-home dad.”

Steph said it’s important for all new parents to have a conversation about “who goes back to work when.”

Steph was back in the office four days a week just nine months after giving birth.

Census data from 2011 shows that four percent of Australian families have mothers who work while the father stays at home.

Meanwhile, the businesswoman said Josh was criticized for his role.

“If you look at mother groups, more often than not there are null fathers,” she told 9Now.

It comes after Steph recently said she was tired of being asked when she was going to have another child.

“People ask all the time. People close to me, people not close to me, strangers,” she said during her podcast KICBUMP with co-host Laura Henshaw.

Despite growing up dreaming of having two or more children, she said the amount of work she puts into raising a child has given her a new perspective.

While she and Josh still want two, they won’t have a second anytime soon.