If you are a human being who has gestated and birthed a baby, then you know firsthand that the postpartum period is no joke.
You’re exhausted, your body feels like it belongs to an alien, your hormones are in freefall, and everyone expects you to be blissfully happy about all of it.
It helps when other moms who have been there acknowledge how hard it can be, which is why I love it so much when celebrities like Halsey speak out about their reality – in some ways, I think it’s harder to be a new mother and be famous, because not only does everyone expect you to be glowing and thrilled, they also expect you to look like you didn’t just birth a human pretty much the next time you dare step in front of a camera.
Halsey, who is 27, gave birth to her first child (a boy!) just three months before she appeared on Saturday Night Live.
After she realized everyone telling her how great she looked kind of made her uncomfortable she was inspired to post this on Instagram.
Her inspiring message…
I am posting this because no matter what I do people are going to talk about my body. It is confusing symptom of being in the public eye so rather than complain I am going to give you something real to talk about!
I did SNL two nights ago and a lot of people were quick to say how good I looked. That was a weird feeling. My body has felt like a stranger’s for a long time. I uphold myself to honesty to the point of over sharing sometimes but this feels important.
The first picture on this slide is days after my baby was already born. A lot of people don’t know that you still look pregnant for a while after. It is still changing and I am letting it. I have no interest in working out right now. I’m too tired and too busy playing with my darling son.
With that being said, the body behind all those compliments the other night was wearing a custom tailored outfit and lighted perfectly after much testing, so I could feel good and do my job. I do not want to feed the Illusion that you’re meant to feel and look “great” immediately postpartum. That is not my narrative currently. If you’ve been following me because you’re also a parent and you dig what I’m doing, please know I’m in your corner.
I will never have my “pre baby body back” no matter how it changes physically because I have now had a baby! And that has altered me forever; emotionally, spiritually, and physically. That change is permanent. And I don’t want to go back! But In the spirit of honesty, I’m really tired and not a superhuman and this is really hard.
Doing my best to serve my art and my family whilst keeping it all so very real. Love.
She is quick to point out that the whole idea of having a “pre-baby body” is silly, because now that we’ve have HAD babies, it’s an impossible standard. We will never be that woman, we will never look like that woman, and that’s ok – we’re stepping into a new future, not clinging to the past.
So listen. I know how tough it can be to look at yourself in the mirror those first six months after baby. I know you’re struggling to sleep and bond and breastfeed and figure out how to handle another human being 24/7.
Give yourself and your body some grace – it’s done good. Let it rest, let it heal, and you go along for the ride.
