A year after the birth of her youngest daughter, Kylie Kelce is doing what she does best: Shattering illusions of womanhood and motherhood from behind her podcast mic.
The former athlete and current podcast superstar unleashed the fury of hell — or, more accurately, the fury of a mother of four — as she addressed some of the most heinous myths she’s encountered about the postpartum period throughout her six-year career of birthing humans.
It’s a period, she explained on this week’s episode of “Not Gonna Lie,” that lasts a lot longer than most people realize.
“People still believe postpartum only applies to the first six weeks after giving birth. That’s crazy,” she said.
The six-week mark is typically when a woman has a post-birth check-up with her doctor to address immediate complications. But it’s hardly a finish line.
“It takes me until I am typically a year out of giving birth to feel more like myself,” said Kelce, 34, whose youngest daughter, Finnley, turns 1 next week. “This is f—ed up because when you read studies about when you’re truly healed, it isn’t even close to six weeks.”
Medically speaking, she’s spot on. The postpartum period is generally thought to last about a year. Studies show anywhere from 47% to 94% of women in high-income countries experience one or more postpartum health issues like urinary incontinence, sex and libido changes, fatigue and depression.
A 2025 postpartum health review found that mental health problems — ranging from typical depression and anxiety to “severe disorders” like bipolar and psychosis — can occur up to a year after childbirth, too.
While the first few weeks after delivery are an especially sensitive time marked by emotional distress for most new moms, postpartum symptoms can persist and shift as time passes.
The first three months after birth are cheekily called the “fourth trimester,” when many women report receiving the most support from family, friends and even doctors.
But somehow, by the close of that narrow window, new moms are expected to magically recover from the trauma of birth and be back to their “old” selves.
Kelce hasn’t been shy about “banning” common phrases that haunt many new mothers, especially the dreaded “bounce back” — or the idea that a woman who recently gave birth should fixate on completely restoring her mental, emotional and physical health as soon as possible.
“We’re not ‘bouncing back’ in six weeks,” she asserted. “You’re not even cleared for strenuous activity until six to eight weeks after giving birth.”
That includes lifting anything heavier than your baby and having sex.
Kelce, whose four daughters were born vaginally, gestured to her groin. “She is not ready, ‘cuz she is not healed.”
While the experience has been different after each birth, postpartum sex with her retired NFL husband, Jason Kelce, is “not all fun and games, guys.”
“We can’t be out here like, ‘No, that was great!’ What? A human just exited that door,” she added.
A 2025 study in the journal Midwifery confirms that postpartum sexual activity is “problematic for many women.” Changes in desire and self-image can play a role, but perineal injury — or vaginal tears, which are common — has a major impact on when sex can safely resume between partners.
At the start of the episode, Kelce rattled off a handful of “dos and don’ts” when talking to postpartum women a year after birth.
Among the “don’ts”: Don’t ask if she’s back to her “pre-baby weight.” Don’t ask when the next one is coming. Don’t ask if she’s going to “try for a boy.” Don’t ask if she’s worried about her baby reaching certain milestones.
A solid “do”? Ask how she’s feeling.
And for postpartum women feeling caught in a cloud of everyone else’s expectations, Kelce offered a grounding reminder.
“Don’t let those comparisons steal the joy of the amazing things you’re watching your kids do.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
