Jessica SimpsonPoor Jessica Simpson. She’s one of those celebrities who can’t seem to get a break under the fingerwagging of public scrutiny. I mean, the girl wore “mom jeans” and got more headline-making heat than the international dictator of the moment. Now she can’t even get pregnancy—the most natural, instinctive womanly function—right. At least not in the overly vocal opinions of armchair critics and medical professionals who haven’t actually examined her.

So she gained a little more weight during her pregnancy than some docs think is necessary. So she eats cheesecake for breakfast. So she’s blown up before our very eyes during this almost nine-month stretch of baby-making. Sooo what?! We spend too much of our time criticizing celebs. Heck, I’m guilty of it myself. But in this case, I feel compelled to stand up on behalf of Jess in this delicate time. 

Now, I could see if she was sucking down Marlboro 100s and a nice, cold Heineken on a daily basis or if she was tummy-surfing across the stage or diving into mosh pits at one of her shows. (Not like they formulate mosh pits at Jessica Simpson shows, but roll with me.) I know more than my fair share of friends and family who’ve packed on the pounds during pregnancy, not as an excuse to overeat but because they felt unmotivated to subject themselves to the aches and pains associated with exercise and excessive movement during the stretch of time they were with child(ren).

I know it sounds bad and this very thinking has some folks barking about a healthy pregnancy debate. But here’s the issue: if you weren’t endeared to exercise before you turned up in the family way, you darn sure aren’t going to be gunning to strap on some sneakers and sweats when you’re wobbling around with another human life inside of you. Besides, pregnancy is exhausting. I remember feeling like I needed someone to be standing with a gold medal whenever I made it to the top of a staircase. I was big, I was hot and I was not trying to do yoga, running, or anything that required me to flail about with my massive tummy knocking out bystanders who dared to stand too close.

As disappointing as it may be to some people, we can’t all delight ourselves in wheat germ and tofu burgers for nine months. Lord knows if I had to be on that kind of limited diet, Girl Child may have been physically healthy but emotionally wrecked from me passing on my snack deprived jitters. I know how it easy it is to pass judgment, especially on someone in the public eye. And I know new mom Beyonce just pumped out an infant and snapped right back into shape after following a very tailored diet. But I mean, c’mon. She’s Beyonce. Was there really a choice?

In this particular case, I think everybody should just stop sweating Jessica and her fetus and let the lady enjoy her grub. I actually think, in comparison to weight-obsessed fellow celebs, it’s refreshing to see her just enjoy the moment and the experience, calories and all.

Do you think 40-50 pounds is too much to gain during pregnancy?

Image via Carter Smith/Elle