Wellbub, a trailblazer in promoting maternal well-being in Singapore, launched its groundbreaking campaign, ‘The Ruin I Need To Fix,’ on Tuesday, 27th February 2024.
This transformative initiative aims to challenge societal norms surrounding postpartum bodies, fostering inclusivity and empowering new mothers to embrace the beauty of their journey.
The Wellbub team, in collaboration with photographer Palita Drury, has captured powerful images of expectant mothers in the late stages of pregnancy and newly postpartum. These images boldly showcase the aspects of the body that media often hides or shame: stretch marks, body fat, scars, cellulite, and perceived imperfections. ‘The Ruin I Need To Fix’ seeks to normalize the pregnant and postpartum body, challenging unrealistic beauty standards perpetuated by the media.
In a society saturated with images of airbrushed motherhood perfection and an undue emphasis on “bounce back” culture, Wellbub is taking a bold stand to normalize the pregnant and postpartum body. The campaign aims to celebrate the beauty of all bodies and alleviate the shame and pressure placed on new mothers to rapidly regain their pre-pregnancy figures.
The global perinatal mental health crisis is prevalent, and Singapore is no exception. KKH reported a 78% increase in postnatal depression diagnoses in 2023 alone. Reports of women struggling to cope and turning to suicide highlight the urgent need for more support during this vulnerable period.
Wellbub recognizes the significant impact that societal expectations can have on the mental health of new and expectant parents. The campaign aims to inspire change by presenting realistic and diverse images of motherhood that resonate with the experiences of everyday women. To ensure no Mother feels isolated, shamed or made to feel under pressure to change or alter their body.
To amplify the campaign’s message, Wellbub has collaborated with renowned motherhood poet Jess Urlichs, who has penned an exclusive poem for the initiative. Titled ‘Reflection,’the powerful poem serves as a moving accompaniment, reflecting the brand’s commitment to supporting and empowering new mothers.
“I will never apologise for you, make excuses or look down on you. You aren’t some ruin I need to fix, or excess baggage I need to claim. As you’ve evolved I have too. This idea of beauty, now magic skin. Feeding on demand, creating life, rocking until I can no longer feel. A selfless love that you have shown, stretching to the stars, with maps of our journey, a now mutual address. Sharing the spaces of you and holding my hand. Even when I haven’t been so kind, you didn’t let go. Throughout these years of carrying me, through reflections of disapproval, I’m finally smiling back. Thank you for what you have given me. To my body, and the skin I am in,” said Urlichs.
“As a mother currently navigating postnatal depression myself, I know how important it is to share the vulnerability of the journey. To normalize what is totally normal motherhood and to ensure we’re doing what we can to say to women, hey, your body has done so much for you and it deserves to be admired – not hated,” says Sasha Carroll, Co-Founder at Wellbub”.
“Even the imagery used in Hospitals in Singapore portrays what is ultimately an unrealistic image of a new or expectant Mother. Brands do the same thing. The fact that this is what women are seeing as they enter or leave the hospital at their most vulnerable time is shocking and needs to be challenged”.
