Celebrities and influencers across the UK are sharing their ‘real birth’ stories to increase the conversation around the honest reality of childbirth.
From cracked nipples to tearing, new research has showed that 8 out of 10 UK mums are shocked by what their bodies experience after childbirth and 74% of mums admit they have not really felt themselves since giving birth. Mum and baby brand Frida want to encourage the reality of what goes on during both birth and the postpartum period and have teamed up with several influencers and celebrities to share their ‘real birth’ stories.
Paloma Faith
Celebs supporting the campaign include singer, activist and mum-of-two Paloma Faith, who revealed her real-life experience following an emergency C-section that left her unable to walk for months.
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See more of the other celebrities and influencers backing the movement below:
Catherine Tyldesley
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Chessie King
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Sarah Jane Crawford
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Georgia Kousoulou
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Maria Fowler
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Fearne Cotton also shared unseen photography from the maternity ward and discussed not wanting anyone near or talking to her throughout the whole labour process. “No one told me about cluster feeding and when you’re exhausted and starving, and you get stuck for about two hours – it can be a lot,” she said. “My top tip would be to try and get someone there every night for support.”
Real Mums, Real Birth Stories
With birth announcements often only showing cute babies and soppy captions, Frida also approached British mums to share raw images and real birth stories that are currently appearing in billboards nationwide, featuring six real mothers’ honest descriptions of postpartum experiences.
Chelsea Hirschhorn, Frida CEO and mum of three, said, “Frida is here to prepare parents for the unfiltered, unsexy moments of parenting – the ones you don’t typically see on Instagram.
“And that starts with mum: we want to demystify the realities of becoming a mother and encourage more upfront conversations about what really goes down in the delivery room – and beyond.”
The research also revealed a third of mums admitted being unprepared for the realities of childbirth, over half said they wish friends or family had told them more about what they experienced in the fourth trimester and nearly half said that they were often asked more about their baby’s wellbeing than their own. In terms of postpartum, a third were not aware how long bleeding would last and a third felt unprepared for the fourth trimester.
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