It started with the censorship of a postpartum diaper ad set to air during the Oscars on February 12, rejected as "too raw." This profound silence inspired feminist activist Illana Weizman to launch the #monpospartum hashtag on Instagram.
She posted two photos of herself in underwear days after giving birth, captioning: "Here I am, in an adult diaper absorbing blood flow for days and weeks, belly still swollen, uterus extended, contractions easing it back, bruised legs, pulling stitches, unable to sit without pain, burning urine, feeling steamrolled."
She added: "The deliberate vagueness around postpartum and erasure of its cultural representations contributes to the decline in women's mental health."
This ignited testimonies from women on obstetric violence in childbirth, silenced postpartum depression, isolation, and daily pains.
Adrien Taquet, Secretary of State for Child Protection, responded on Twitter, praising the effort to "break these taboos" and reaffirming the government's pledge to "listen, support, and better accompany" parents.
Find a deep dive on this in the next Biba magazine issue.
