"Becoming a Newborn Mama" - A Postpartum Chat with the beautiful Viktorija 🤍 🌻
When we spoke with Viktorija, just a few weeks into motherhood, her presence was calm, glowing, and grounded. While she didn't sugarcoat the hard parts, she spoke about postpartum with an honesty that was both refreshing and uplifting.
“I wish there were more happy stories about postpartum. There’s so much beauty in this time, even if it’s hard.”
Slowing Down & Letting Go
Like many first-time moms, Viktorija entered postpartum with a long to-do list, until she realized that just getting to the garden for 10 minutes was a full day’s achievement.
“I’m so used to doing things all the time,” she laughed. “So it was mentally challenging to accept that doing less was enough.”
But that shift in pace became part of the transformation. “It’s almost like pregnancy naturally slows you down to prepare you for motherhood. Your body is already showing you how to rest and be present.”
The Magic of 40 Days
One of the most sacred parts of Viktorija’s journey was her 40-day postpartum confinement. Rooted in cultural wisdom, the practice encourages rest, warmth, and healing for the mother in the first six weeks after birth.
“Once she was born, I just felt it, like I needed that sacred space,” Viktorija said. “I really believed in the magic of those 40 days.”
It made the experience even more meaningful to share that sacred time with her own mother by her side, a beautiful, full-circle moment between generations.
“You become so much more sensitive in those weeks. Everything, the room temperature, smells, the food, it all hits differently.”
She followed the rituals as best she could: warm, nourishing meals, lots of bed rest, and no washing her hair or going outside. “I didn’t expect to care so much about it, but I did. It felt like something my body craved.”
Missing Pregnancy
Viktorija also shared a tender and unexpected truth: she missed being pregnant.
“I didn’t expect to miss pregnancy so much. I really loved feeling her so close to me,” she said softly. “The first week after she was born, I looked at my bump photos and just cried.”
While holding her daughter in her arms brought deep joy, Viktorija wasn’t prepared for the emotional wave of saying goodbye to that intimate phase.
“It was the most amazing thing to finally meet her, but losing that closeness, not having her inside me anymore, was a feeling I hadn't expected. It hit me hard.”
Finding Her Inner Power
Perhaps the most powerful part of our conversation was when Viktorija spoke about how birth changed her.
“You don’t lose yourself, you level up,” she smiled. “Rick said it’s like Pokémon evolution. You’re still you, but with superpowers.”
She described birth not as pain, but as “sensation with purpose.” With a supportive doula, she was able to approach labor with presence, strength, and trust in her body.
“I didn’t know my body could go through so much. You become like this lioness. It’s primal. It’s powerful.”
A Word to Newborn Mamas
Her message to new moms?
“It will pass. The hard moments will pass. You are so much stronger than you think. And remember, it’s not just your baby who’s newborn. You’re a newborn mama too.”
