Kim Kardashian faces online backlash after she introduces a new Skims maternity line

Kim Kardashian debuted a brand-new line of her popular shapewear brand Skims on Saturday that’s aimed at pregnant women.

But the new item sparked controversy on social media as some users criticized the message that pregnant women might need to slim down.

The 39-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star shared the news on Instagram with an array of pregnant women in different styles and shades of her product. 

‘What you’ve been waiting for: @SKIMS Maternity is coming soon! Introducing Maternity Solutionwear™ that offers the best in comfort and support for your changing body during and after pregnancy,’ Kim captioned the ad.

The reality star noted the maternity line would be available on the Wednesday, September 16, and would come in nine different colors.

Her Skims Instagram account also featured some closeups of the pregnancy clothing, with models caressing their baby bumps.

In addition to a one-piece set, the look also came with separate bras and full-length leggings or shorts.

Some of the clothing advertised was functional, including the Maternity Nursing Sculpting Bra with easy-to-open clasps to make it easier to nurse.

Crucially, all of the maternity bodysuits advertised ‘non-compressive cores,’ so as not to apply pressure on the stomach.

In her Insta Stories, Kim showed off the new clothing and revealed that the new Skims still had ‘butt-shaping’ designs, but that a thinner fabric was used over the midriff ‘so it’s not compressing on your stomach which is really important because you obviously don’t want to do that.’

‘But you want to shape everything else around it,’ she said.

‘If only there were cute bras like this that were holding you up and snatching you and making you feel better about yourself while you can breastfeed — that would have been everything to me,’ Kim continued while perusing her items. ‘I never wore a maternity bra because there was nothing out there, so this was really important to me.’ 

Despite those practicalities, many social media users questioned why pregnant women needed to be sculpting their physiques at all.

‘…. shape wear for pregnant bodies… what the f*** is this???’ wrote one outraged Twitter user.

Another person offered a more sarcastic take: ‘I’m sure that’s the one thing pregnant women need above all! Being pressed to a slimmer figure.’

But plenty of others seemed excited about the new development, with one person admitting, ‘I’m getting this and I’m not even pregnant.’

In fact, users have been commenting on Kim’s past Skims-related posts throughout recent months asking if a maternity line would be forthcoming, and multiple pregant women had expressed disappointment that they didn’t have the same options available to them.

Kim’s new items arrive following news that her long-running series Keeping Up With The Kardashians will be coming to an end it 2021 with its 20th season, which just began filming.

Page Six reported Saturday that the decision to pull the plug came from Kris Jenner, after both Kim and her younger sister Kylie Jenner expressed a desire to leave the show.

Kim’s older sister Kourtney Kardashian had already quit before the most recent season, though her former partner Scott Disick and her sister Khloé Kardashian were both reportedly interested in continuing the series.