Dear Mama, your postpartum body doesn’t owe anyone a comeback…
Let’s get one thing straight- you’re a human being, not an rubber band. The concept of ‘bouncing back’ is bizarre and so far-removed from the reality of bringing new life into the world.
In the glossy, filtered world of social media, we’ve been sold a lie. It’s a narrative that suggests your post-birth objective is to return to the form you once were. We see celebrities and influencers posting selfies looking like they didn’t just birth an entire human…and everyone asks, ‘how can I look the same?’
But let’s call it what it is: toxic nonsense
My narrative is all about re-writing the first forty days, and my social media presence aims to remind women how monumental matrescence is- because bounce back culture isn’t just annoying: it’s medically and psychologically colonising. It steals the baby bubble we talk so much about and replaces a season of sacred healing with a season of aesthetic anxiety.
Muting the constant noise…
Here's why saying a firm ‘f*** off’ to bounce-back pressure is the most radical, healthy thing you can do for your postpartum self.
When we talk about ‘bouncing back’, we’re ignoring the sheer physiological magnitude of what just happened. For forty weeks, your body performed the most incredible feat of biological engineering. Your organs literally shifted locations to make room for a guest. Your ribcage expanded. Your blood volume increased by nearly 50%. Your joints softened thanks to a hormone called relaxin, which doesn't just disappear the moment the cord is cut.
The idea that this complex, multi-system transformation should be reversed in six weeks is, frankly, delusional. When you try to bounce back through restrictive dieting or intense exercise before your body is ready, you aren’t being disciplined, you’re being unkind to a healing wound.
The pelvic floor that carries you through doesn’t care about the size of your jeans…
One of the biggest casualties of bounce-back culture is the pelvic floor. Pushing yourself into high-impact workouts can lead to long-term issues like prolapse or incontinence. Your internal structures need time to regain their integrity. Appropriate postpartum care and support allow your pelvic floor to recover after pregnancy and birth, reducing the likelihood of pelvic floor dysfunction later down the line.
Why are we so obsessed with returning to our pre-baby selves? The subtext of bounce-back culture is that the version of you that exists now- the soft, wider, scarred, tired version, is a degraded version of the original. It suggests that motherhood is a detour- a momentary lapse- when the truth is, it’s an evolutionary transition.
So, how do we resist the urge to bounce back? How do we protect our peace when there is so much noise around us?
Curate your feed- or just stay off socials completely: If you follow an influencer whose ‘postpartum journey’ makes you feel like s***, unfollow them. You’re so vulnerable during this time, stay in emotionally safe spaces.
Change the language: Stop saying you want to ‘get your body back’. Your body never went anywhere. It stayed right here, kept you alive, and grew a human. It deserves a thank you, not a reprimand.
Invest in specialised support, not supplements: Instead of spending money on supplements and naff takeaways, invest in a postpartum doula or a postpartum meal delivery service. Focus on nutrient density- foods that heal your tissues and support your hormones.
Honour the first forty days: Give yourself the grace of the first six weeks. Stay in bed. Wear the dressing gown. Let the house be messy. As a traditional postpartum doula, I help families plan for this period, so they have the logistical and physical support to stay still, nourish their bodies and recover. I hold them through the emotional rollercoaster of the early postpartum.
I centre the mother throughout this transition…
The world will focus on the baby. But who’s holding you? What I offer is designed to be the buffer between you and the ‘bounce back’ noise. I’m there to tell you that your soft belly is a badge of honour, that your rest is productive, and that your worth is immeasurable.
So, the next time you see a ‘bounce back’ headline or feel that familiar twinge of inadequacy whilst looking in the mirror, remember you don't owe the world a return to your former self. You owe yourself a gentle, supported, and unapologetic recovery.
Ready to reclaim your postpartum experience? Whether you're looking for birth support or a postpartum package that prioritises you, I'd love to help.