When a baby decides to arrive in the middle of December, the scene immediately evokes a warm birth, surrounded by garlands and emotional loved ones. However, the study carried out by Censuswide for INTIMINA among 1,000 women who gave birth in the last trimester tells a more contrasting reality. While 53% of them describe this moment as joyful, 33% admit to having had to smile and receive visitors even though they were completely exhausted. This contrast sums up the issue: the holidays impose a collective ideal of happiness, but the postpartum period follows its own rhythm.
The gap between the perfect image and the reality of postpartum
The study reveals a gap between the image of the “radiant mother at Christmas” and what women really feel. Amandine Ranson, marketing and communications manager at INTIMINA, sums up the situation lucidly: “These figures highlight a profound gap between the image we collectively have of motherhood during the holidays and what women actually experience.s”.
She continues by recalling the extent of the taboos: “When we see that 33% of women had to put on a good face even though they were exhausted, that 24% felt invisible, and that 16% had urinary leaks while laughing at the table, we understand to what extent the taboos remain strong. At INTIMINA, our mission is to normalize these postpartum realities. Leaks, extreme fatigue, bodily disconnection: these are not failures, they are normal experiences that deserve to be recognized and respected“.
These data highlight concrete difficulties: unannounced visits, intrusions into personal space, increased mental load, still fragile body, feeling of being relegated to second place behind the baby.
A massive need for rest, without expectations and without pressure
At the heart of the study, a request constantly comes up. What Amandine Ranson underlines: “What particularly strikes us is that 41% of women simply want ‘more rest and no waiting’“. This aspiration goes beyond simple fatigue: it reminds us that celebrations impose codes – large tables, visits, obligations to present the baby – which do not agree with the postpartum period.
The INTIMINA spokesperson also emphasizes this inconsistency: “This is a very clear call: women are not asking for complicated things, they just want their need for recovery to be respected. However, our holiday traditions – the large tables, the numerous visitors, the obligation to ‘put on a good face’, make this rest almost impossible. It’s time to collectively rethink the way we celebrate when a young mother is present“.
Added to this are other realities noted by the study:
- 25% had to deal with endless visitors when they wanted to sleep;
- 26% received no concrete help;
- 26% have seen relatives insist on holding the sleeping baby;
- 22% have seen people touch the baby without asking.
So many situations revealing a lack of limits and listening.