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August 24, 2025 10 mins

We’re told to expect sleepless nights after birth — but no one warns us that looking in the mirror might feel like staring at a stranger.

In this episode of Notes from Motherhood, I share my own postpartum body story — the scar, the hair loss, the numbness, the night sweats — and the quiet grief that came with them. More importantly, we’ll explore how cultural pressure and “bounce back” expectations can hurt more than the stretch marks themselves.

Together we’ll talk about:

  • The real, unfiltered changes postpartum bring (from core weakness to pelvic heaviness to intimacy shifts)

  • Why “bounce back culture” is not only unrealistic, but deeply harmful

  • The difference between vanity and disconnection, and why it matters

  • How to shift from asking “How do I get my body back?” to “How can I come back to my body?”

  • A gentle journal prompt to help you reconnect with yourself:

“What part of my body do I feel disconnected from, and what would it mean to meet that part with kindness — just for today?”

Obvious disclaimer: this podcast is not therapy and should not replace it.

If this episode resonates, please hit follow, leave a review, or share it with a mama who needs to hear this reminder: Your body is not broken. It is healing, adapting, and carrying you every single day.

💛 If you’d like a safe space to talk about these changes, join our Mama Inner Circle — a supportive community where mamas share their stories, hold space for each other, and learn to rewrite the narratives around their bodies.

Your worth isn’t measured by how fast you “bounce back.” It’s measured by how gently you come back to yourself.

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