The truth is that no one can prepare you for what it’s like to gestate and birth a baby until you’ve done it yourself – and every single woman I know has had a different postpartum experience.
Bodies are different – they are before we have babies, so why would we expect all of them to react the same to the entire experience?
Still, social media is big on pushing “snapback” culture, in which new moms see images of recently postpartum ladies rocking bodies that look as good (or better) than the ones they had before falling pregnant.
https://www.tiktok.com/@mama3xxx/video/7135582025133673771?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7135582025133673771
Mom of four Danisha Lestaevel knows how hard it can be to watch other women look great after giving birth.
“I fell into postpartum depression after giving birth, feeling alone. I hadn’t seen anyone with a similar body and didn’t think it was normal to have as much loose skin and stretch marks as I did.”
So, after giving birth for the 4th time, she decided to share what her physical experience of postpartum looked like, for those who don’t “snapback” easily.
Her videos are definitely resonating, with over 15 million folks checking out a TikTok where she shares what her body looks like 2 weeks after giving birth.
And to no one’s surprise, hundreds of thousands of other moms whose bodies don’t look like they expected after giving birth are really loving Danisha’s videos.
https://www.tiktok.com/@mama3xxx/video/7136216795664534830?is_from_webapp=v1&item_id=7136216795664534830
Danisha spoke to Buzzfeed about how hard things were for her.
“It was almost as if my body was foreign to me. It wasn’t mine. I realized that I wasn’t prepared for the bodily changes that occurred after giving birth.”
But then she figured that there were probably other women out there who felt the same – they just weren’t the celebrities posting on social media.
“…as I posted, I started receiving positive feedback that made me feel so honored to be a voice for women and showcase what postpartum can look like and that it’s completely normal. …I want people who don’t have children to know that not all bodies are the same and that snapback culture is extremely toxic, as it puts unrealistic beauty standards and expectations on a high pedestal.”
Basically, Danisha (and the rest of us) want you to know that giving birth is no joke, and for many people it can take months (or longer) for your body to return to something like normal.
“It takes a major toll on your body and more discussion needs to be in place that speaks up on these natural changes. Loose skin, stretch marks, sagging breasts, and more.”
If you want more content like this, make sure to follow Danisha on TikTok and Instagram.
And listen. Try not to judge yourself against anything you see on the internet.
Would these videos have been helpful to you postpartum? Tell us about your own experience in the comments!
