It’s impossible to pinpoint when I started having a negative perception of my body, but it’s unsurprising to me that I can trace these negative thoughts as far back as being four years old. Despite the lack of social media, the early 2000s was a minefield for anyone trying to have a more positive relationship with their body.

We need to talk about the idea of “bounce-back culture” postpartum. You’ve probably felt it: the subtle (or not-so-subtle) comments about your body, the Instagram reels showing a flat stomach at six weeks, the casual “you’ll get back to yourself in no time.”

It’s incredibly challenging to feel uncomfortable in your body. More than that, it’s challenging to feel strange in your body.