Ayshen Webbe Speaks to Smart Cells About Normalising Postpartum Recovery

تعتبر فترة النفاس هي الأسابيع الستة الأولى بعد الولادة ، وتعد هذه الفترة هي الأهم للتعافي من ألم الولادة، لذلك يجب على كل من الأم والطفل الحصول على الرعاية المتخصصة خلال هذه الفترة. بالنسبة لبعض الأمهات قد تستغرق مدة التعافي المزيد من الوقت وقد يبدو أن البعض الآخر “يتعافى” بسرعة لا تصدق

In modern-day society it’s becoming the norm for new mothers to jump straight back into daily activities, diets and exercise regimes almost immediately after giving birth. This unrealistic expectation of ‘bouncing back’ post-baby is becoming a dangerous culture and more and more women are feeling pressured to conform. The postpartum period, and beyond this timeframe for some women, is essential to allowing the body to heal after childbirth.

With so many celebrities and influencers posting about ‘what they did’ to ‘bounce-back’ and postpartum diets and exercise regimes it’s easy to feel pressured into getting your pre-baby body back immediately. It’s so important to know that everybody heals and recovers in their own time, and this time frame is just as unique as the individual. Having these unrealistic goals and standards is unhealthy for anybody but especially so when your body is also going through hormonal changes too. The truth is your body has created life and therefore it will never truly be the same again, it’s even better than it was before.

However, this is not the case for all and we wanted to talk about Ayshen Webbe, who took to Instagram to share her real-life postpartum recovery after storing her baby’s stem cells with Smart Cells.

Ayshen, who is married to famous singer-songwriter Simon Webbe from the boy band Blue, admits in her powerful Instagram post that she hadn’t felt confident enough at first to post it after feeling immense pressure to ‘get back to normal’.

We reached out to Ayshen and asked her if she would be happy to share some details of her birth and answer a few questions about her postpartum recovery. Ayshen had a caesarean section which often means a longer recovery period is needed.

“Honestly, it was so traumatic. I was so nervous the second I stepped into the hospital. I was so nervous when I entered the procedure room. I think I had a small anxiety attack. I just couldn’t relax. The needle going into my lower back started me off and I couldn’t relax. I honestly couldn’t wait for it to be over and meet my little princess. I could feel hands inside me and I just felt as though I couldn’t breathe. So they gave me gas and air to calm me down. I didn’t enjoy the experience one bit but the minute they told me she was out safe I didn’t care about anything else after that. My world had changed and the happy tears just kept pouring.”

“I found it hard being alone and having no visitors because of COVID. It was hard not being able to have my husband by my side. Thank god for FaceTime.”

We asked Ayshen some questions about her postpartum recovery:

How long did it take you to feel fully recovered after the birth of your baby?

“The recovery was just so bad I couldn’t walk, move or hold my baby. I really struggled. It took me around 3 months to feel healed; I felt as though the day would never come as the healing process took so long for me. I remember taking small daily walks which really helped me after 2 – 3 months.”

Did you feel pressure from other mums on social media to ‘bounce back’ after your baby was born?

“Yes, I felt as though I had so much pressure to be a certain way. So many Mums were looking and feeling great, having bounced back straight after giving birth or having a c-section. Then, I was comparing to myself who could hardly walk. I felt so down.”

Do you feel that this ‘bounce back’ culture we see on social media is unrealistic and an unhealthy goal for new mums?

“Yes, I most certainly think so. A new Mum has so much to learn and think about. The last thing we should worry about is our weight that early on. Social media definitely plays a big part in the pressures felt.”

What were your main priorities during your postpartum period?

“My main priorities were to make sure my baby girl was ok, safe and happy. Spending time with my little family adjusting to our new life in our own little bubble was my only priority.”

Do you wish you had done anything differently in your postpartum period?

“I wish I gave myself less pressure as I was a new mum adjusting to life with a newborn.”

What feedback did you receive when you took to Instagram to share your postpartum journey?

“I was so nervous, especially sharing pictures but the feedback has been incredible. The messages of support have been amazing and quite overwhelming. It reminded me that I’m not the only Mum feeling the way I am. It reminded me that I’m not alone.”

It’s wonderful to see influencers sharing their honest postpartum journeys on social media and we think this post could help lots of mothers see the reality of postpartum recovery.