6 Gentle Reminders When You Don’t Recognize Yourself After Having a Baby
1.Feeling “Different” Is a Sign of Transition, Not Failure
If you wake up and think, “Who even am I anymore?” — that doesn’t mean something is wrong. It means something meaningful has happened. Major life transitions reshape identity, and motherhood is one of the biggest there is.
2.You Don’t Have to Feel Like Yourself to Be Doing This “Right”
Loving your baby and missing your old autonomy can coexist. Joy and grief aren’t opposites here — they’re parallel experiences. You’re not ungrateful for wanting parts of your old life back.
3.Your Body Is Often Carrying What Your Mind Can’t Name Yet
When discomfort with your body feels loud, pause and ask:
• What has this body survived recently?
• What emotions haven’t had space to land yet?
Your body isn’t the problem — it’s often the messenger.
4.Identity Isn’t Lost — It’s Reorganizing
Rather than searching for the “old you,” notice what’s emerging:
• New boundaries
• Different values
• A deeper sensitivity or strength
This isn’t erasure. It’s integration.
5.Comparison Will Steal the Nuance of Your Experience
Someone else’s “bounce back,” joy, or confidence doesn’t tell the full story — and it certainly doesn’t define yours. You are allowed to move slowly, unevenly, and in your own timing.
6.You Deserve Support While You’re Becoming
This season wasn’t meant to be navigated in isolation. Whether that support looks like honest conversations, community, or perinatal-informed therapy — you deserve to be witnessed, not just “get through it.”
If you’re struggling to recognize yourself postpartum, let this land gently:
You are not behind. You are not failing. You are in the middle of becoming.
This isn’t about fixing your body or forcing yourself to feel grateful enough. It’s about honoring the full, messy, tender identity shift that parenthood brings.
If You’d Like Support in This Season
If any part of this resonated, you don’t have to hold it alone.
I work with pregnant and postpartum parents who are navigating identity shifts, body image struggles, and complicated relationships with food—often while trying to break old patterns and show up differently for their children. Together, we move at your pace, with care for both your nervous system and the season of life you’re in.
Support isn’t about fixing you or rushing you to feel better. It’s about having a steady, compassionate place to make sense of who you’re becoming.
If you’re curious about working together, you can learn more about my therapy offerings and current availability [here], or reach out when it feels right. There’s no urgency—just an open door.
