After giving birth, even amid the baby bliss, the world can feel upside down and backward. The postpartum period can be a deeply tender and even lonely time. During labor, the mind often has to take a backseat while the body takes the wheel. Afterward, the mind comes back online as you begin caring for the beautiful baby who has just come into existence, while the body is simultaneously being asked to heal and continue providing for that baby. It’s a lot for our whole being to take in.

I’ve often described birth as one of the most transformative experiences a person can go through. Creating life and then birthing that life into existence is an incredible miracle. I’ve gone through what I like to call “the birth portal” twice in my life, with the births of my two little girls. I had two very different births and two very different postpartum experiences. Both came with their challenges, but both also held a beauty and magic that are hard to put into words.

I used birth affirmations through hypnobirthing during both of my births and found them incredibly helpful. But I found that postpartum carried that same need for encouragement and reassurance. With my second baby, I began using affirmations through journaling, and they helped me so much through the ups and downs of hormonal changes, sleep disruption, healing, and navigating life with a new baby.

Below are affirmations for every stage of postpartum. Whether this is your first time moving through this season or you’ve been here before, I hope these words can serve as an anchor, a gentle way to return to yourself. Please share the ones that resonate most with you in the comments below.

If you’re looking for more affirmations to return to, read our 99 positive morning affirmations and our affirmations for parenthood, too.

For healing and honoring your postpartum body

  1. My body and my baby work together.
  2. I stay hydrated and drink plenty of water.
  3. I listen when my body needs rest.
  4. I am grateful for all my body has done.
  5. I am grateful for the healing my body is doing.
  6. I am tender, but that doesn’t make me weak.
  7. I nourish my body with foods that make me feel full and give me strength.
  8. I let my body receive the nourishment it needs to heal.
  9. I take time to remember that the changes happening to my body are all signs that I created life.
  10. My body is a masterpiece.
  11. My body is sacred.
  12. I don’t rush the healing process.
  13. Rest is productive in this season of healing.
  14. I remember my energy levels are different now.
  15. I remove timelines for healing.

“I am tender, but that doesn’t make me weak.”

For embracing rest and a slower pace

  1. I remember this phase will pass.
  2. I find stillness.
  3. I find quiet moments to breathe. 
  4. I let myself be, without changing or judging.
  5. It’s okay to let the house be messy and the laundry pile up.
  6. This season is meant for slowness.
  7. I won’t always be tired. Everything shifts and changes.
  8. I trust that I will find my rhythm in time.
  9. When I feel overwhelmed, I remember to breathe.
  10. I allow for a slower pace.
  11. I lean into bursts of exhaustion.
  12. I meet myself where I am.
  13. I find tools that help ground me.

“I won’t always be tired. Everything shifts and changes.”

For holding all the emotions with compassion

  1. I am so strong.
  2. I am allowed to feel both love and sadness at the same time.
  3. It’s okay to feel vulnerable and powerful all at once.
  4. Even if it feels hard today, I am brave.
  5. Motherhood is messy, and it’s okay if I feel like a mess.
  6. I give myself grace.
  7. I know each hard day has a beautiful day right around the corner.
  8. I find the tiny moments of magic in each day.
  9. I can be fearful and fearless at the same time.
  10. I allow myself to cry when I need to.
  11. I hold myself with deep love and care.
  12. I let my emotions act as a roadmap for what I’m needing.
  13. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed.
  14. I don’t have to love every moment to deeply love my baby.
  15. I remember that each new day starts anew.

“I know each hard day has a beautiful day right around the corner.”

For trusting yourself as a mother

  1. Each day is a new day to learn my baby and my body.
  2. I was born a mother alongside my baby. We’re both learning.
  3. I’ve got this.
  4. I have all I need inside me.
  5. I trust my intuition.
  6. I know what my baby needs.
  7. I am an amazing mom.
  8. I am a powerful goddess.
  9. I can take motherhood one moment at a time.
  10. I am fearless.
  11. I am always learning how to deepen my intuition and trust.
  12. I am enough for my baby exactly as I am today.
  13. Every day I’m learning how to mother.
  14. My baby is my teacher.
  15. I let my baby and my body guide me on my motherhood journey.
  16. My motherhood journey is sacred.

“I am enough for my baby exactly as I am today.”

For asking for and receiving support

  1. I can ask for help when I need it.
  2. I am supported.
  3. The wisdom from the mothers before me helps hold and guide me.
  4. When I feel lonely, I text a friend.
  5. I honor the friendships and people in my life who understand where I’m at.
  6. I accept how others show up to help.
  7. Finding a tribe takes time.
  8. I ask for guidance from other mothers when I need support.
  9. I allow myself to share how I’m feeling with those around me.

“Finding a tribe takes time.”

For caring for yourself and protecting your needs

  1. I’m going to do something that makes me feel like me today.
  2. I take space for myself when I need it.
  3. I don’t feel guilty for needing time to myself.
  4. I remember to give myself love.
  5. I honor and love who I was before children, and I honor and love the person I’m becoming with children.
  6. I release old stories about myself that don’t serve me in motherhood.
  7. I fill my cup with things that bring me joy.
  8. It’s okay to say no right now.
  9. I find self-care rituals that make me feel good.
  10. I give myself the same care I give to my baby.
  11. I talk to myself with a best friend’s voice that helps lift me up.
  12. I only do things that I want to do, not things I “should” do.
  13. I release feelings of guilt when asking for what I need.
  14. I release the pressure and judgment that I should get “back” to me.

“I honor and love who I was before children, and I honor and love the person I’m becoming with children.”

For honoring birth and transformation

  1. My birth story is my own. It’s beautiful in all of its complexity.
  2. When I think about my birth, I hold the hard parts with love and know that my body and my baby worked together.
  3. I listen to Mother Nature and remember how she holds and changes.
  4. I am like a butterfly coming out of a chrysalis.
  5. I write my birth story as a way to record it, but also to process it.
  6. I practice gratitude for the journey daily.

“My birth story is my own. It’s beautiful in all of its complexity.”

For navigating relationships in a new season

  1. I hold myself and my baby.
  2. I accept my relationships might be different now.
  3. When I give my baby love, I give myself love in return.
  4. I give grace to my partner as they are learning too.
  5. My motherhood is their childhood.

“When I give my baby love, I give myself love in return.”

For grounding, learning, and finding wonder

  1. I spend time outside, feel my feet on the earth, and the sun in the sky.
  2. I embrace each new change with patience and love.
  3. When I start to compare myself to other moms, I remember each journey is different and we’re all at different stages.
  4. I observe the world through my baby’s eyes, with wonder and curiosity.
  5. I take time to study and learn when I feel overwhelmed or confused.
  6. I lean into bursts of creativity.

“I observe the world through my baby’s eyes, with wonder and curiosity.”

Courtney Jay Higgins is a Contributing Editor at The Good Trade. She has a BA in Visual Communications from The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and is the founder of Coincide, a subscription-based yoga platform focusing on inclusive, sustainable yoga rooted in ancient Eastern practices and spirituality. Her 10+ years of experience in yoga include a 200-hr YTT certification in a Hatha-based yoga practice and a certification in prenatal yoga. She has been featured in Shoutout Colorado, Voyage Denver, and Cora’s Blood & Milk. Since 2017, she has been reviewing sustainable fashion, natural makeup, organic wellness, and safe pregnancy products for The Good Trade’s readers.