You’re Still In There: Real Ways to Feel Better After Baby

Guest Post by Cheryl Conklin

Image via Pexels

Some days I look in the mirror and barely recognize the woman blinking back. Not because she looks bad — just unfamiliar. Like she’s been carrying something heavy for a while and forgot to set it down. If you’re in the thick of postpartum, you get it. You’re feeding a baby, answering texts you don’t have the energy to finish, maybe crying over something that doesn’t even make sense. And all the while, there’s this quiet hum under it all: “When do I get to feel like me again?” Not the old you. Just… a you that isn’t on fire all the time. If that’s where you’re at, I wrote this for you.

Start where you are. That’s enough.

Here’s what no one tells you: most “fitness” stuff is way too much. Especially when you're sleep-deprived, bleeding, leaking, and just trying to shower. I came across this piece from ZenBusiness about starting a fitness routine and it hit differently. It wasn’t about plans or programs. Just… better choices when you can. Like choosing movement over scrolling. Or sleep over doom-cleaning. It’s not about being “good.” It’s about remembering you still matter. And making one move today that your future self will thank you for—even if no one sees it but you.

You get to move, not perform.

Nobody told me how weird it would feel to “own” my body again. It’s mine — but it’s not the same. And getting back into movement didn’t feel empowering at first. It felt awkward. Unsteady. A little pointless, if I’m being honest. But there’s this thing I read — something about how safe physical activity after pregnancy doesn’t have to mean exercise in the capital-E way. Just walking slowly. Stretching. Letting your body process. And it reminded me that I don’t have to “bounce back.” I can wobble forward. That counts, too.

Your food can do more than feed you.

I know we’re all sick of hearing about kale and gut health, but hear me out. My mood was on a weird rollercoaster — crying at coffee commercials, snapping at people I love, foggy as hell. I figured it was just hormones or lack of sleep. And yeah, that’s part of it. But there’s this study about how dietary patterns linked to postpartum mood actually impact your gut and brain, and something clicked. I wasn’t eating like someone who deserved energy. I was eating like a trash bin. So I started small: a probiotic yogurt. Water first thing. Real meals when I could. Not perfect. Just… better. And yeah, it helped.

Not every thought is a fact.

This one’s personal. Because no one talks about how mean your inner voice can get when you’re exhausted and unsure. “You’re messing this up.” “You’re falling behind.” “Other moms are doing more.” And in those moments, it doesn’t help to “think positive” or journal about gratitude. You need grounding. Real tools. I found a study about coping strategies in postpartum women that helped me reframe some of that internal chaos. For me, it’s labeling the feeling out loud. Saying: “This is anxiety talking.” Sometimes I even laugh at it. You don’t have to fix every thought. But you can challenge the loud ones.

Eat like your body is rebuilding—because it is.

Here’s the part they don’t put in the baby books: your body is still recovering. Weeks, months later. Especially if you’re breastfeeding, barely eating, or grabbing whatever’s closest to your toddler’s plate. I started thinking about food differently after reading up on implementation of postpartum nutritional interventions. Not as calories or macros — but as scaffolding. Minerals, fats, hydration. I didn’t need a cleanse. I needed a freaking electrolyte. Once I stopped eating like a teenager and started feeding myself like someone healing from an event (because birth is an event), I noticed a shift. My brain fog eased. My fuse got longer.

Movement isn’t punishment. It’s reconnection.

Let me be clear: I hate gym culture. I hate being told I need to “snap back.” But I missed feeling in my body. Not in a performative, tight-leggings way — just in a quiet, can-I-actually-breathe-deep way. There’s solid research showing that postpartum women physical‑activity interventions only work if they make sense for the real life of a mom. Which means: flexible, doable, repeatable. For me, that was walking to the mailbox every morning. Holding the baby, breathing fresh air, no headphones. Some days that was it. Some days I did more. But that first walk? That’s where it started.

If you feel off, you don’t have to wait.

I waited too long. I thought I was supposed to. Like maybe what I was feeling was just normal new-mom stuff. It wasn’t. And even if it was, I still deserved help. The American College of OBs (not influencers, real doctors) says we need to rethink what optimizing postpartum care and follow-up really looks like. You don’t have to white-knuckle it through this. If you feel off, call someone. Even if it’s awkward. Even if you don’t know what to say. You are not a burden. You are a person who just did something enormous. You deserve care, too.

You don’t need a perfect plan. You don’t need a 30-day challenge. You need one moment today where you choose you. That might be finishing your coffee while it’s still warm. It might be texting a friend who gets it. It might be putting the baby down and sitting still for two whole minutes without a screen. Whatever it is — let it count. You’re allowed to feel good again. Even if it’s not all at once. Even if it’s weird and messy and quiet. You're still in there. I promise.

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More About The Author:

Cheryl Conklin writes and tutors for a purpose. From being a dedicated blogger, traveler, and adventurer, she created Wellness Central so she could  share her thoughts and resources gathered from her endless aspiration to achieve wellness for both herself and everyone.