Kelly Howland was body shamed while shopping with her newborn.

It was one of her first outings with her newborn. The baby was curled up and swaddled to her chest. Maybe she needed clothes, supplies; maybe she just need to get out of the house.

What she didn’t need was to be body shamed.

New mum Kelly Howland was shopping in a department store last Wednesday when she was approached by a woman looking to promote a weight-loss program.

“I’m a brand new postpartum mom,” Howland posted to Facebook following the incident.

“A woman approaches me and chats me up the usual small talk about ‘how old is she?’ and ‘how much does she weigh?’ And then she asks The Question. ‘Have you heard of It Works before?'”

For the uninitiated, ‘It Works’ is a line of weight loss products. The company is known for “that crazy wrap thing“, a cloth wrap infused with a botanical formula designed to “tighten, tone and firm” the skin.

There are garments for thighs and stomachs and hips and upper arms.

Howland wasn't surprised she was approached by the 'It Works' sales representative. She believes her "baby billboard of being brand new postpartum" made her a predicable target.

"Let's not pretend that approaching me specifically was a coincidence," she wrote to Facebook.

"Because it's not like she ran up to every female to hand out her card.

"I don't think I have to spell out for a single woman the cultural pressure that postpartum mothers face regarding their physical appearance. We know. We all know. She knew. And that's why she approached me."

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Howland did not name or identify the woman who approached her in the store. She said she's "not about to put another woman on blast like that".

But she's sharing her story to remind the rest of us to be kind to one another. To not be so fast in jumping to conclusions. And to remember what the body can do, and value that more than anything.

"Can we PLEASE not perpetuate the pressure, the impossible expectations, and therefore keep alive the insecurities that we newly postpartum women face regarding our new and changing bodies as we enter motherhood?" Howland wrote.

"My body doesn't need to be wrapped or squeezed or changed. It needs to be valued and revered for the incredible life it just brought into this world. THAT is beauty and THAT is all it needs."