‘I do not want to feed the illusion that you’re meant to look “great” immediately’: Halsey on her post-pregnancy body

Halsey took to Instagram to post unfiltered pictures of her postpartum body after receiving comments about how great she looked on Saturday Night Live. The singer posted several shots in her underwear, including close-ups of her stretch marks, to show the reality of a body that has recently given birth.

“I did SNL two nights ago and a lot of people were quick to say how good I looked,” she writes. “That was a weird feeling. My body has felt like a stranger’s for a long time.”

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She continues that she sometimes feels compelled to be honest, to the point of oversharing, but she felt she couldn’t not acknowledge the comments complimenting her getting back to her pre-baby body.

“A lot of people don’t know that you still look pregnant for a while after. It is still changing and I am letting it. I have no interest in working out right now. I’m too tired and too busy playing with my darling son.”

She then continues to explain that while on Saturday Night Live she had a custom outfit and carefully directed lighting to make her feel as comfortable as possible, she does not want to feed into the pressure women often feel to return to the shape they were before their pregnancy.

“The body behind all those compliments the other night was wearing a custom tailored outfit and lighted perfectly after much testing, so I could feel good and do my job. I do not want to feed the Illusion that you’re meant to feel and look ‘great’ immediately postpartum. That is not my narrative currently.”

Halsey also notes that it’s impossible to have her pre-baby body back, no matter how it appears to others, “Because I have now had a baby! And that has altered me forever; emotionally, spiritually, and physically. That change is permanent. And I don’t want to go back!”

She ends by saying that, like all new parents, she is tired, and things often feel hard. It’s so refreshing to hear and see a celebrity push back on the expectations of women to get ‘back in shape’, and instead prioritise the wellbeing of them and their child.