Although it is incredibly rewarding, motherhood is said to be one of the Everests that a woman climbs during her lifetime. From the responsibility of rearing a newborn into adulthood to finding one's individual identity beside the growing baby, no guide to motherhood can completely prepare you for what's in store. The expectations of what new mothers need to look like as per society's standards, deserve an entire chapter dedicated to it. It's no wonder that new mothers feel intense pressure to drop the baby weight and look like their old selves postpartum; as if they didn't just bring new life into the world.
At 26, Naomi Osaka is a tennis star, a Grand Slam champion and the first Asian player to hold the World's No. 1 singles ranking. Yet, the sportswomen felt like she fell short after giving birth to her daughter, Shai in July 2023; her first child with her boyfriend Cordae. Over a year later, Naomi shared a note on Instagram, giving insight into postpartum weight loss, the expectations of a new mom from her body and how she had the “overwhelming urge to “snapback”, seeing other mom's seemingly shrink immediately after having their baby”.
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In her caption, Naomi said, “Honestly I don't really know what to caption this post. I wanted to say “body changes throughout the year” but it actually means a lot more to me than that. There were moments this year where I felt really ashamed of my body, (for example when I had to wear form fitting tennis clothes lol). I was also constantly struggling with this overwhelming urge to “snapback”, seeing other mom's seemingly shrink immediately after having their baby was an expectation I began to put on myself. That self comparison always hurt because I felt as an athlete I should be losing weight quicker than most, I was in the gym everyday so that thought didn't feel too unrealistic. Most weeks would feel similar to the previous week and the weight didn't disappear overnight so it was a bit disheartening. To get to the point I'm at now was definitely a journey, an adventure I know that I'm still embracing. All bodies are different and I appreciate mine for how it is. My body has done so much for me and adapted so well to the tasks that I'm asking from it, I'm extremely grateful and thankful. While typing this I realized that if I had to title this post it would be super long and go like- “thank you body for the journey over the past year, I'm excited to learn more about what you're capable of in the years to come ” haha.
Beautifully detailed, Naomi's post gave a glimpse into the inner workings of the mind of a new mother. Despite already being a sports legend in her 20s, it's almost comforting to watch her share the postpartum emotions that many new mothers have. She detailed how she felt “really ashamed” of how her body wasn't reacting the way she thought it would and was “constantly struggling” with those feelings, even more so as an athlete who exercised daily. Once she past that point however, she began her journey to self-acceptance and was “grateful and thankful” for all that her body had done for her and how it had “adapted so well to the tasks” she asked from it. It just goes to show that no matter who they may be, motherhood can be a great equaliser. To which; time, gratitude and acceptance can be the only healer.
(Also Read: Halle Bailey On Having "Severe" Postpartum Depression: "I Feel Like A Completely Different Person")
