Hailey Bieber opens up about birth trauma, postpartum identity shifts, and finding herself again
Credit: Instagram / haileybieber
“Being postpartum is the most sensitive time I’ve ever gone through in my life,” she said. “Learning a new version of myself is very difficult.”
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“Giving birth was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” That’s how Hailey Bieber begins her story, one that many moms will find achingly familiar. In a vulnerable new interview with Vogue, the 28-year-old opens up about the birth of her son, Jack, and everything that followed: the trauma, the identity loss, the quiet unraveling of postpartum—and the long, slow journey toward healing.
Hailey, 28, gave birth to her son, Jack, in August of last year. While she always knew she wanted kids (she once thought she’d have more than one by now), the timing of her first pregnancy came as a surprise. “I was not in a place for that at all…. Now I just think it happens to every person exactly when it’s supposed to. I really, really, really believe that,” she told Vogue.
Her pregnancy was healthy—but her labor was not what she expected
Hailey says she prepared diligently for birth: “I was doing everything. I felt stronger physically than I ever had before.” She practiced breathing exercises, did yoga, weight training, acupuncture, pelvic floor therapy—everything she could to prepare her body.
But when her water started leaking at 39 weeks, she was induced with Pitocin and a Foley balloon—a combination she called “so crazy. That was not fun.” She labored for 18 hours without an epidural. “Giving birth was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she said.
And then things took a terrifying turn.
She nearly bled out after birth—and her baby was taken away
After giving birth to her 7-pound son, Jack, Hailey began bleeding heavily. “I was bleeding really badly, and people die, and the thought crosses your mind.” Her care team tried multiple medications, but the bleeding didn’t stop.
Eventually, doctors used a Jada device—a vacuum system designed to stimulate uterine contractions. It was painful. Her newborn was taken away. “I wanted to hold my baby. I wanted to be with him,” she recalled.
She credits her doctor for helping her stay calm during the emergency. “I trust my doctor with my life. And so I had peace that I knew she would never let anything happen to me.”
Related: How to overcome—and heal from—a traumatic birth
“Being postpartum is the most sensitive time I’ve ever gone through”
In the months after birth, Hailey faced a wave of emotional challenges that will feel familiar to many new moms. “Being postpartum is the most sensitive time I’ve ever gone through in my life,” she said. “Learning a new version of myself is very difficult.”
Hailey shared that she struggled with postpartum body dysmorphia and “self-hatred” she’d never experienced before. “Every day I have to talk to myself, like, Hailey, you had a baby. You grew a human. You birthed a human. It’s okay. Give yourself grace. Give yourself time.”
She said she’s had to work on her mental health daily, like a muscle. That’s included finding a new therapist, taking placenta pills to support her mood, continuing her prenatal vitamins, and letting herself cry more. “I cry a lot more than I did before,” she said.
Related: Jennifer Lawrence says postpartum made her feel “like an alien”—as a new mom, I get it
“You’re not the same person that you were before”
Hailey is honest about the pressure to “bounce back” after birth—and how unrealistic that expectation can be. “My hips are wider, my boobs are actually bigger than they were before. They did not go back,” she said. “And great, I’ll take it, but it’s not the same body that it was before.”
She added: “You’re not the same person that you were before. You change head to toe. And I think there was a minute where I kept really hyper-fixating on getting back to what I was. And then I had to go through that acceptance of, I’m not going back. So it’s really about how do I want to move forward? Who do I want to be?”
Motherhood is teaching her who she wants to become
“It’s been my biggest teacher so far—the biggest teacher in my relationship. You see your partner so differently,” she said.
Justin, who’s been mostly out of the spotlight since pausing his music career to focus on his health, has embraced fatherhood. “I’m walking in the days I always dreamed of,” he told Vogue.
Hailey says she’s taking motherhood one baby at a time, but she knows she wants more. “At least one more,” she said. For now, though, it’s all about Jack. “He’s my priority. He is the most important thing to me.”
Have you experienced something similar postpartum? Share your story with us—or forward this to a mama who needs to hear it.
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