“Proud of my body”: Natalie Decker shuts down criticism amid ‘half baked’ pregnancy update pictures

Natalie Decker responded to a fan's criticism of her 'half-baked' pregnancy photos. The 27-year-old NASCAR driver, who is expecting her first child, was seen digging into a tub of Ben & Jerry's 'Half Baked' ice cream.

Racing runs in the Decker family. Her predecessors were involved in snowmobile racing back in the 1970s and 1980s. Even Decker's cousins Paige and Claire are former NASCAR drivers. Today, Natalie Decker drives the No. 36 and the No. 92 Chevrolet, part-time for DGM Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Turck Series.

Decker is a former contestant in NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program and the Alan Kulwicki Driver Development. In 2013, she was named the ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year. The American also holds the record for the highest-ranked female driver in a NASCAR Truck Series race (5th at Daytona, 2020).

Decker is on a temporary break from her NASCAR career due to her pregnancy. She posted pictures of herself on her official X handle and captioned them:

"HALF BAKED 🤰🏼 time is going by so fast I can’t believe I am past halfway!!"

A user commented on the post, saying:

"You knew exactly what you were doing posting those pics, lmao."

"Exactly what I am doing is being proud of my body for growing a little baby. Us expecting to be Mama’s are proud of what are bodies are capable of!!" Decker replied.

Natalie Decker seems to be living her life to the fullest. Married to her longtime partner, Derek Lemke, Decker expects her first child at the beginning of 2025.

Natalie Decker clears the air around missed opportunity at Talladega Superspeedway

Natalie Decker was expected to run the Spring race at Talladega; the Ag-Pro 300, back in April. However, she stayed out of the No. 36 machine due to a sponsorship issue. According to reports, NASCAR did not approve of Decker's sponsor.

"I was on the entry list for Talladega in the 36 with DGM Racing because we had a sponsor pending approval from NASCAR," Decker stated on X."The plan was to go racing in Talladega but the sponsor was not approved that is why I am not racing this weekend."

"We knew this information a few days before the entry list was released but mistakes happen and my name was accidentally still on there," she added.

Natalie Decker has competed in just one race this year, i.e. at Charlotte in May. Wheeling the No. 92 DGM Racing Chevy, she finished 29th. However, she has confirmed her return next year.

"...I want to make one thing clear once a race car driver always a race car driver. I’ll be back in the car in 2025," she wrote, replying to a comment on one of her earlier posts.

Meanwhile, NASCAR prepares for next week's (October 26) playoff race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 134-lap event will begin from 12 PM ET onwards and will stream live on FS1. Fans can listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.