Giving birth marked a pivotal moment in my life, a sentiment that resonates profoundly with many mothers. In an open interview with Vogue, Hailey Bieber, 28, candidly shares her reflections on welcoming her son, Jack, into the world. She discusses the ensuing struggles she faced: trauma, a loss of identity, the gradual onset of postpartum challenges, and her ongoing journey toward healing.
Hailey welcomed her son in August of last year. Although she had always dreamed of motherhood, the timing of her first pregnancy caught her by surprise. “I was not in a place for that at all…. Now I just think it happens to every person exactly when it’s supposed to. I really, really, really believe that,” she confessed to Vogue.
While her pregnancy was uneventful, her labor experience was far from what she anticipated.
Hailey was thoroughly committed to preparing for childbirth: “I was doing everything. I felt stronger physically than I ever had before.” She practiced breathing exercises, yoga, weight training, acupuncture, and pelvic floor therapy to ensure her body was ready.
However, when her water broke at 39 weeks, she underwent induction with Pitocin and a Foley balloon—a combination she labeled “so crazy. That was not fun.” Her labor extended 18 hours without an epidural. “Giving birth was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she stated.
Soon, things took a alarming turn.
Following the birth of her 7-pound son, Jack, Hailey faced severe bleeding. “I was bleeding really badly, and people die, and the thought crosses your mind.” Despite numerous interventions from her medical team, the bleeding continued.
Eventually, doctors used a Jada device—a vacuum system aimed at inducing uterine contractions. The pain was substantial, and her newborn was taken away. “I wanted to hold my baby. I wanted to be with him,” she recalled.
Hailey credits her healthcare provider with helping her stay calm during this ordeal. “I trust my doctor with my life. And so I had peace that I knew she would never let anything happen to me.”
“Being postpartum is the most sensitive time I’ve ever gone through”
In the months after childbirth, Hailey encountered emotional challenges that many new mothers relate to. “Being postpartum is the most sensitive time I’ve ever gone through in my life,” she acknowledged. “Learning a new version of myself is very difficult.”
She opened up about experiencing postpartum body dysmorphia and unfamiliar feelings of “self-hatred.” “Every day I have to talk to myself, like, Hailey, you had a baby. You grew a human. You birthed a human. It’s okay. Give yourself grace. Give yourself time.”
Highlighting the significance of her mental health, Hailey treats it like a muscle that requires regular exercise. This journey has led her to find a new therapist, take placenta pills for mood enhancement, maintain her prenatal vitamins, and embrace her emotions more openly. “I cry a lot more than I did before,” she mentioned.
“You’re not the same person that you were before”
Hailey is transparent about the societal pressures to quickly “bounce back” after childbirth, noting how unrealistic this expectation can be. “My hips are wider, my boobs are actually bigger than they were before. They did not go back,” she explained. “And great, I’ll take it, but it’s not the same body that it was before.”
Additionally, she remarked, “You’re not the same person that you were before. You change head to toe. And I think there was a minute where I kept really hyper-fixating on getting back to what I was. And then I had to go through that acceptance of, I’m not going back. So it’s really about how do I want to move forward? Who do I want to be?”
Motherhood is illuminating the woman she wants to become
“It’s been my biggest teacher so far—the biggest teacher in my relationship. You see your partner so differently,” she reflected.
Justin, who has mostly retreated from the public eye to concentrate on his health, has embraced fatherhood wholeheartedly. “I’m walking in the days I always dreamed of,” he confided to Vogue.
While Hailey acknowledges that she is approaching motherhood one child at a time, she expresses a desire for more. “At least one more,” she mentioned. For now, though, her primary focus is on Jack. “He’s my priority. He is the most important thing to me.”
Image Source: Hailey Bieber @ Instagram
