OBGYN shows why ‘bouncing back’ right after baby is physically impossible in viral TikTok

We’re all familiar with bounce-back culture and why it’s toxic, but something that often gets lost in the conversation is the physical aspect of “bouncing back” after having a baby. Specifically that it’s impossible—and should be, based on what this OBGYN shows in a now-viral TikTok video.

Portland-based OBGYN Dr. Jennifer Lincoln takes just 30 seconds to show why expecting anyone who’s given birth to look like they did pre-pregnancy is absurd. And she does it by using one of the best tools to get people to learn and understand something—compelling visuals!

Did you know a uterus is typically the size of a lemon in a non-pregnant body? And did you also know that it can grow as big as a watermelon (or bigger) during pregnancy? Well, now you do. You’re welcome. (Sure, it’s something we all assume—the uterus would have to expand. But to see it the way she shows it in this video is just *chef’s kiss.*)

It takes 10 months to grow a full-term fetus. So why on earth are women still expected to somehow shrink their bodies to look as though they didn’t spend 40 weeks undergoing the most intense body transformation of all time?

Many celebrities have opined about the pressures they face to “bounce back” after giving birth, and it’s really disheartening to see that society still enforces that impossible standard on new moms. Even celebrity moms like Ashley Graham and Maren Morris aren’t immune to it—because how could they be?

In the comments section of the TikTok, Dr. Lincoln writes, “The uterus starts contracting down after the placenta is out, getting back to size by about 6 weeks.”

She also notes that the large uterus model she displays “would have just birthed the baby and placenta. It’s the coolest organ ever.”

Indeed it is. And it’s beyond time we give new moms the grace they deserve and stop putting pressure on them to look a certain way after birth.

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