Everybody told her not to do it.
But when it came to spilling the secrets about how most women's bodies react after childbirth, she had to warn her fellow ladies.
A terrifying abyss is the perfect way to put it. Yes, childbirth is one of many biologically intriguing things that a woman's body can endure, but it's also been portrayed as an incredibly mysterious and terrifying experience that's rarely spoken of. As a new parent, I remember my anxiety as I went into labor, thinking, "I just want to make it through to the other side." Even though I'd done plenty of research and talked to friends, I had no real idea what would happen in the delivery room or what it would feel like afterward.
No one usually talks about birthing details. The same goes for what happens postpartum. I'm so glad that someone is finally telling the truth.
HelloFlo, a customized delivery service for fem care products, created a hilarious commercial to promote their "new mom kit," a survival box filled with everything from nursing shirts to nipple balm.
The ad tells the story of a fictional character named Mira, a new mom living in New York who puts on a fake production called "Postpartum: The Musical." The result is a delicious blend of Broadway-styled singing, piano playing, and hardcore Rockette-themed dancing that had me LOLing all the way through.
The commercial opens with a clearly stressed-out new mom intensely staring into the camera. Then, she lifts the veil on body happenings that lots of postpartum women don't know they'll confront, until it's a stone-cold reality.
#1: Your boobs will likely be huge ... and hard.
"I have suction cups attached to my nipples, squeezing milk out of my rock-hard boobs. I fear nothing." — Mira
If you breastfeed, your boobs probably won't feel the same. Initially, you may sympathize more with farm animals, as you lactate, feed, and pump milk into what feels like perpetuity. At the same time, you may also feel incredibly unstoppable, almost like you could feed the world. Just make sure you get some new sturdy bras because, for the first couple of months, you'll even have to wear one to bed.
#2: Your nipples will stretch like elastic, and it'll probably hurt like hell.
No matter how big or small your nips were pre-baby, you may be amazed at how long they can stretch to fit into your baby's mouth or the breast pump. Yes, it's incredible and beautiful that you're able to feed another mini-human, but the process of squeezing a bottle full of milk out of a minuscule hole is NOT cute. At times it can be a downright bloodbath.
"I mean no one ever warned me about cracked nipples. The blood, the pus, the pain. I wanted to stick my nips in a tub of ChapStick and stay there. Forever. ... It sucks. I'm trapped. My ducts are clogged, and my nipples are chapped. Mastitis." — Mira
#3: Prepare for "Vaginal Fallout"
"I expelled that placenta but the fun starts now. Cause, hon, my hoo-ha's who knows how. My perineum's torn, so I sometimes bleed. Plus, I raised this arm, and like, whoops, I peed." — Mira
Sure, it's impossible to think that you could escape the birth process without some sort of bloodshed, but no one ever tells you that it'll be flowing like the River Ganges. And I'm not talking about just a few minutes afterwards; depending on your birthing process, it could last for weeks. A lot of women have to wear disposable underwear, double up on pads, and sit on ice. Not to mention the thought of pooping can be scarier than giving birth all over again.
"Vaginal Fallout, you'll never get it all out. Vaginal Fallout, for what it's worth. There's no laughter after afterbirth." — "Postpartum: The Musical"
#4. Annnnd finally — the "Sex Week" checkup
At your six-week post-baby checkup, the conversation with your doctor may sound a bit like this:
Doctor: "And good news, you can start having sex again."
Mira: "It's basically like being told your war-torn vagina's been cleared for drone strikes!"
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
A tired woman relaxing in a chair.via 
A tired woman laying on the couch.via 
Simpsons Gif
Aging happens in bursts, scientists find.
Research shows the body goes through specific changes in our 40s and 60s.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."