The Science Is Clear: Mothers Don't “Bounce Back” After Birth | Dr Federica Amarti

During August, the Motherkind team and I try to practise what we preach by slowing down, taking some time off and making the juggle just a little easier over the summer holidays.

So, throughout the month, we're bringing you some of our most listened-to episodes of the year so far.

Pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding can be some of the most physically demanding experiences a woman's body will ever go through. So why are mothers expected to simply carry on afterwards?

This week, Zoe is joined by nutrition scientist and bestselling author Dr Federica Amati for an eye-opening conversation about what a mother's body actually needs through pregnancy, postpartum recovery and the first years of motherhood.

Federica explains why the first 1,000 days aren't only important for our babies — they're a crucial window for maternal health too. Pregnancy draws heavily on our nutrient stores, birth has an enormous physiological impact on the body, and breastfeeding can require significantly more energy than pregnancy itself. Yet this is often the exact moment mothers have the least time, energy and support to properly nourish themselves.

Together, Zoe and Federica explore what to eat before and during pregnancy, the truth about pregnancy cravings and morning sickness, and why fertility shouldn't be treated as solely a woman's responsibility.

But it's their conversation about postpartum depletion and recovery that every mother needs to hear. Federica shares practical advice for nourishing yourself after birth, why asking for and accepting help matters, and why we desperately need to move away from the expectation that women should simply "bounce back".

They also discuss pregnancy spacing, breastfeeding, maternal burnout, the mental load and what happens when postpartum recovery begins to overlap with perimenopause.

Above all, this is a reminder that your body isn't supposed to return to the woman you were before children. Motherhood changes us — physically, hormonally and emotionally — and perhaps the goal isn't to fight that change, but to learn how to support the body we're in now.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

What to eat before, during and after pregnancy

Why mothers can become so depleted after birth