Baby2Body Mamas Get Real About The Pressure to “Bounce Back”

During pregnancy, your body changes quickly, and you might have found that your body became the focus of those around you - people commented on your bump or they wanted to feel your belly. After pregnancy, the focus on your body doesn’t normally go away, suddenly people want to talk about you “getting your body back”, and you might be feeling the pressure too.

Recently, it's been clear in the media that despite all the steps women have made to overcome this pressure in recent years, the focus on women after they have children is still on their bodies.

We reached out to our amazing community of mamas to check-in and ask “How are you feeling about your postpartum journey and body?”. And whilst we got some inspiring and uplifting answers (which we’ve shared below!), lot’s of our mamas were feeling the pressure too: 

‘Excited to get my body back’

‘I’m working on finding my abs again’ 

‘Too much pressure to bounce back!’ 

‘Super hard work to get the body back’ 

Whilst we want the pressure of bouncing back to be a thing of the past, the truth is, it’s not, and the battle for body confidence after pregnancy is very real. If you’re feeling it, you’re not alone, mama.

We want all of our mamas to feel confident after they give birth, so we’re sharing some tips on building back your confidence and learning to love your new body. We know it’s not that easy, but we are here to help and we have an amazing community of mamas you can connect with for support.

1. Try to shift your focus to what your body has done and what it has achieved

We know it’s not easy, but when you notice negative thoughts creeping in about your body, try repeating this mantra to shift your focus:

“My body has undergone the most incredible achievement it might ever make, I have created another human, I have nurtured and carried and grown, and made room for this wonderful being. I have been on an incredible journey, and I want to be PROUD of my body.”

If this doesn’t work for you (everyone is different!) then try to come up with your own mantra that you can come back to whenever you feel negative about your postpartum body - we’d love to hear what you come up with, so share it with us in the comments!

2. Try to stop comparing your journey to others

Have you ever heard the phrase “comparison is the thief of joy”?

One way we can work to beat the pressure of “bouncing back” is to work against our instinct of comparing ourselves to other mamas, influencers, and celebrities. Comparison can give us unrealistic expectations, but try to remember that more often than not, social media is a highlight reel of peoples’ lives so, in reality, your journey will look different to theirs.

If you aren’t finding joy in your social feeds, we really recommend trying these 4 Tips To Cleanse Your Social Media Feed (That Actually Work).

3. Take it slowly and adjust your expectations

Instead of focusing on “getting your body back” take your recovery slowly and focus on how your body feels rather than how it looks. The truth is, pregnancy and childbirth are incredibly difficult on your body and not everyone is going to “get their bodies back” quickly, if at all - and that’s ok! Your body is just as incredible and beautiful as it was before pregnancy, even if you don’t quite recognize it yet.

If you are exercising (after the 6-week clearance from your doctor) and eating well, then try to focus on the positive effects it is having on your emotional and physical health.

We want to leave you on a positive note, so we’re some uplifting answers we got from our community about their postpartum journeys. But remember, this is their journey, and it’s ok if you don’t feel the same.

‘I love my body for the strength and all it did, and I'm proud of my body more than ever before.’

‘[The] journey will take time, [my] body just created a miracle. Proud of it.’

‘Even though my body is scarred and looks foreign to me, it was home to my baby.’

Everyone's journey is different and everyone's pregnancy and postpartum experiences are different. But if we all work a little harder to spread positivity, change the narrative, and share our experiences, then maybe we’ll all feel a little better and a bit less pressured to “bounce back”.

Want to share how you feel about your postpartum body? Have a question you want answered? Let us know in the comments.

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