“I Didn’t Think It Was Possible to Feel Like Myself Again,” A Mother's Story

From leaking breast milk to the mental and physical exhaustion of childbirth and raising a newborn, the range of turbulent emotions a new mother experiences is incredibly vast. Despite that, mothers often do not have the chance to properly recover and take care of their health as they are mostly occupied with the presence of the child. Here’s a story from a mother on how she overcomes the challenges of being a mother for the first time.

I had my baby 3 months ago. It’s true what they said…nothing can prepare you for it. Once you’ve gone through the childbirth and postpartum phase, you realise that every book on parenting or maternity you’ve read only touches the motherhood experience pretty much on the surface level.

Everything you see online is pretty much shown through a rose-coloured glass – even the bad events are portrayed to be less extreme and intense than how they actually are in reality. My brain has mentally blocked some of the bad memories, but here are some of what I could remember.

What I Went Through

Breastfeeding Challenges

For a start, breastfeeding was taking a huge toll on me and my body. I almost felt like a milk machine whose only job is to produce and pump milk. It also didn’t help that my milk supply and flow took some time to stabilise and I did not know how to properly help my baby latch on. I ended up with breast engorgement, blocked ducts, and mastitis all at once!

Exhaustion & Baby Blues

I could not describe how exhausted I was at all times. I was walking around feeling – and perhaps looking, too – like a zombie! I did not have proper sleep every night and I was easily woken up by the slightest sound because I was worried about my baby. At some point, putting all my days into looking after my newborn made me feel like I was starting to lose my sense of identity, which was indication enough that I needed a real proper break.

Weight Gain & Loose Skin

I know weight gain is completely normal and expected after birth, but I couldn’t help feeling frustrated and wanting to lose all the weight I gained, particularly because it already took a lot of efforts for me to get my ideal body shape before I got pregnant. At 5 weeks postpartum, I still looked very much pregnant. People and articles keep saying the excess weight will go away on its own, but I’d rather put in a little bit of effort as well to achieve my ideal figure. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror for weeks because I was scared to see how my body looked.

Dull Complexion

At the risk of sounding vain, it was hard enough that my hormonal fluctuation was causing me breakouts through pregnancy, but after birth, my skin looked even duller! This is pretty hard to talk about, but it’s only fair that I do because despite how normal and common they are, changes to our skin condition are not highlighted as much as they should be – I’d assume because we (mothers) think there are bigger issues to care about. But it was an issue that mattered to me, so I was searching high and low and asked many mothers for solutions to improve my complexion.

Figuring My Way Out of the Misery

I was lucky enough to have connected with several other mothers who gave birth around the same time as I did. We often exchanged experiences and could empathise with each other.

It was from several of them that I was introduced to and recommended postnatal care massage treatments from Postnatal Massage Singapore. One friend had even tried their massage for pregnant women and was satisfied by it, so much so that she immediately booked for postnatal massage as well. That was pretty much what convinced me to give it a try as well even though I was already about 2 months postpartum at the time.

Meeting Postnatal Massage Singapore

Having only heard about the massage pregnancy or post-pregnancy treatments from other moms, I was slightly sceptical because I felt like anyone – including my husband – could’ve massaged me at home, among other reasons.

As you can predict, all those initial thoughts went right out the window after my massage started. My masseuse was not only amazing at her job but she provided the emotional comfort for me to be able to easily confide in her. I had no problem telling her which parts were ‘killing’ me and sure enough, she knew all the right techniques to get rid of them.

The Massage Package I Chose

I opted for the Premium Massage Package because it was the most comprehensive package where you get the 3-in-1 massage treatments of postnatal recovery massage, slimming massage, and relaxation massage. My opinion? Worth every cent. Here’s a breakdown of what was in it:

5 Sessions Postnatal Massage

The treatment started with 5 days of head-to-toe postnatal body massage which were exactly what I needed at that point. And I really mean from head to toe. Apart from relieving tense muscles and joints all over my body, my masseuse also performed some face-lifting techniques! This improved the blood circulation on my face and helped with the common skin conditions.

Some other visible results from this part of the treatment were that my night sleep was better and more importantly, my blocked ducts were cleared! Engorgement made breastfeeding so much harder than it already was, so this was a life-saver. Every session ended with a belly binding session which helped tone my abdomen and fixed my posture!

3 Sessions Slimming Massage

This was the part I most looked forward to, and the massage did not disappoint! It started with a full-body scrub and application of ampule on areas with stubborn fats before proceeding with the massage and binding. I thoroughly enjoyed the body scrub and seeing all the dead skin cells being exfoliated was satisfying! My skin looked more radiant afterwards too!

On one out of the 3 days of slimming treatment, there was an added step of a mud wrap which was meant to get rid of water weight. My body felt so refreshed that I wish this was in every session! At this point, I was already seeing some reduction in my waistline and my tummy felt tighter. For that alone, I can vouch that it is possibly the best slimming massage for new mom.

2 Sessions Relaxation Massage

No better way to end the treatment than with a relaxing massage! I still got a full body massage and this time they focused more on the chest, breast and head areas to improve blood circulation. It was so effective in calming me down that I ended up falling asleep during the massage. At the end of it all, I can honestly say that every part of the massage was successful in what it is meant to do.

All in all…

I ended the treatment feeling so much better and ready to perform daily duties again. I didn’t think it was possible to feel like myself again, what’s more, to be able to pick myself up and feel even more motivated to raise my child. But I did! All it took was reaching out to PNSG for help and it proved to be the right decision.

Hence, if it’s within your means, I would suggest you go for it whether you are a first-time mom or already has several kids. They also have an individual slimming & relaxation package only so if you are looking for a home-based relaxing and slimming massage in Singapore, this is where your search ends!

If any future or new mother is reading this, my advice is to love and care for your body (both inside and out) like it’s your most valuable asset that will carry you for the whole lifetime – because it is. The best part of it all for me is that my child has now gained a happier, more confident mommy. Your child deserves that too.