While many women have positive pregnancies and birth experiences, an increasing number of women are speaking out about their negative journeys into motherhood.
According to the Office for National Statistics fewer children are being born in England and Wales than ever before and the fertility rate is at its lowest level on record. There are many reasons why women might choose to be child-free, such as independence, financial considerations, professional goals or they simply don’t want to have children. However, a particular narrative which is gaining traction on social media has opened a discussion concerning the negative changes to health and to the female body during pregnancy, birth and postpartum recovery.
Women are talking louder about the inevitable metamorphosis their bodies must ‘endure’ rather than ‘experience’ in order to have a baby; including weight gain, stretchmarks, stitches, prolapses, perineum tears, pelvic floor damage, incontinence, painful breastfeeding, postnatal depression and anxiety and many more seemingly endless changes. In fact, many women end up navigating long-term health challenges within their postpartum recoveries that can last not months but years. And due to the fertility decline that takes place in a woman’s early 30s, it’s young women who are impacted most by these health complications. So, women in their prime are putting their bodies on the line both functionally and cosmetically to start a family. Of course, many argue that this sacrifice is worth it when the result is a baby. But when fathers are simply presented with the child without being required to experience the full spectrum of pregnancy, childbirth and the extensive recovery, some women are asking: how many men would choose to become fathers if they too had to experience the same journey into parenthood?
It’s these kinds of questions that women today are asking themselves. Especially now women are being exposed to easily accessible information and personal stories shared online. This is in contrast to women from previous generations who often entered into pregnancy with little to no knowledge of what to expect. TikTok has become one of the main online platforms for women to openly speak about their stories of the physical and mental changes postpartum. This ranges from gentle reminders to in-depth educational platforms that provide detailed information of the toll on women’s bodies. Some women are bravely shedding light on the more traumatic side of pregnancy and childbirth including postnatal depression and anxiety as well as postpartum PTSD. And the women who have experienced some of the more severe health complications are actively encouraging others to reconsider having children altogether; referring to motherhood as the “ultimate ego death” and feeling like they are “attending their own funeral.”
Of course, motherhood is not solely defined by negative experiences and many women have joyous pregnancies and births. However, more and more new mothers are speaking out about the consequences of going into pregnancy unaware of the potential knocks to their health and not having the knowledge available to deal with it. The MUTU® System, an exercise programme designed to alleviate adverse postpartum symptoms, has launched a new campaign called ‘#IWishIKnew’ which addresses the lack of awareness around postpartum recovery. Campaigns like these amplify postpartum struggles to create a supportive network for new mothers and to ensure that every voice is heard.
If you are struggling with your own postpartum recovery, please take a look at the MUTU® System website: https://mutusystem.com/en-uk/
by Phoebe Allcott
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