+
upworthy
Family

Kylie Jenner opens up about her postpartum struggles, sparking a conversation about postpartum expectations

Kylie Jenner opens up about her postpartum struggles, sparking a conversation about postpartum expectations

Kylie Jenner.

It’s pretty safe to say that everyone who has ever been pregnant has gone through pregnancy and the postpartum period differently. Everyone processes the hormones in their own way, gains weight differently and loses weight differently. But the overall experience of pregnancy and postpartum, while different, is also strikingly similar. In today’s world we have become accustomed to celebrities bouncing right back after giving birth. It seems as though they give birth and are walking the red carpet the following week in a sleek fitting gown, glowing with smiles and laughter. Kylie Jenner is no exception. After she had her first child, Stormi, Kylie’s social media went right back to business as usual.

All of the content she put out was perfectly crafted, and she showed up in public spaces looking as if she just stepped away from a magazine shoot. There was little to no evidence outside of pictures of her child to show that she had actually had a baby. Jenner kept her entire pregnancy under wraps until the birth of her first child, while continuing to push out content that showed her in the best of light. While some women feel the Kardashians and Jenners perpetuate unrealistic body images, and the sisters have been accused of using photoshop to continue showing the world perfectly sculpted bodies clad in equally perfectly coordinated outfits, Jenner's recent confession has some moms rejoicing.


In a rare moment of transparency outside of the confessional on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," Jenner opened up about her journey post new baby Wolf, who she welcomed with Travis Scott February 2. Jenner admitted that her recovery since having baby number two has been completely different to her first pregnancy. She said in an Instagram story, “I just want to say to my postpartum moms that postpartum has not been easy. It’s not been easy—it’s very hard.” They youngest Kardashian-Jenner sister went on to say, “This experience for me personally has been a little harder than with my daughter. It’s not easy mentally, physically, spiritually … it’s just crazy.”

Kylie Jenner opens up about postpartum recovery.

Jenner said she “didn’t want to just get back to life without saying that, because I think we can look at the internet and, you know, for other moms going through it right now, we can go on the internet and it might look a lot easier for other people and put the pressure on us." She continued: “But it hasn’t been easy for me either. It’s been hard, and I just wanted to say that.” At the time of the Instagram story, the mom of two was six weeks postpartum and sitting on gym equipment preparing to work out.

Jenner’s experience is not unique. Up to 80% of new moms experience a mood disturbance after giving birth. While some don’t have prolonged symptoms of “baby blues” or other mood disorders, some go on to have longer term effects. Jenner concluded her post by informing fans that “It’s OK not to be OK.” Experiencing mental and physical struggles after giving birth is completely normal for most women, and having an open honest conversation with your doctor is the first step in feeling better.

It's OK not to be OK.

It’s wonderful to see a young celebrity who is known for her looks and heavily curated social media come out and be honest about her struggles. Let’s hope other celebrities continue this trend so new parents everywhere can rest assured that their experience isn’t happening in a vacuum.

A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


Dogs are naturally driven by a sense of purpose and a need for belonging, which are all part of their instinctual pack behavior. When a dog has a job to do, it taps into its needs for structure, purpose, and the feeling of contributing to its pack, which in a domestic setting translates to its human family.

But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

Keep ReadingShow less

An English doctor named Edward Jenner took incredible risks to try to rid his world of smallpox. Because of his efforts and the efforts of scientists like him, the only thing between deadly diseases like the ones below and extinction are people who refuse to vaccinate their kids. Don't be that parent.

Unfortunately, because of the misinformation from the anti-vaccination movement, some of these diseases have trended up in a really bad way over the past several years.

Keep ReadingShow less

A woman looking at her phone while sitting on the toilet.


One of the most popular health trends over the last few years has been staying as hydrated as possible, evidenced by the massive popularity of 40-oz Stanely Quencher cups. The theory among those who obsess over hydration is that, when you pee clear, you’ve removed all the waste in your body and are enjoying the incredible benefits of being 100% hydrated. Congratulations.

However, according to Dr. Sermed Mezher, an NHS doctor in the UK, peeing clear isn’t always a sign of being healthy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Innovation

A student accidentally created a rechargeable battery that could last 400 years

"This thing has been cycling 10,000 cycles and it’s still going." ⚡️⚡️

There's an old saying that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.

There's no better example of that than a 2016 discovery at the University of California, Irvine, by doctoral student Mya Le Thai. After playing around in the lab, she made a discovery that could lead to a rechargeable battery that could last up to 400 years. That means longer-lasting laptops and smartphones and fewer lithium ion batteries piling up in landfills.

Keep ReadingShow less
via PamTina_/Twitter

Pam's little brother is so sweet.

Pam has a little brother, who recently learned that he is actually her half-brother.

Of course, half-siblings are still very much siblings, but Pam's brother doesn't quite grasp the concept yet and seems upset about having to part with 50% of his sister.

Keep ReadingShow less

Jennifer Garner's Ziploc care package.

Homelessness has been on the increase in America since 2016 and the numbers exploded in 2020. On a single night in January 2020, there were more than 580,000 individuals who were without a home.

There are many reasons for the increase in homelessness and one of the leading causes is a lack of affordable housing across the country. Housing prices have been on a steady increase and, according to PBS, we are about 7 million units short of affordable housing in the country.

So what can the average person do about this human tragedy taking place in America’s streets? Some people who would like to help don’t feel comfortable giving money to homeless people, although experts in the field say that most of the time it is OK.

Keep ReadingShow less