Kate Upton reflects on 'extremely unnecessary' snap-back pressure for moms

The model welcomed her daughter with baseball player Justin Verlander in 2018.

ByABC News via logo
January 23, 2020, 3:22 PM

Kate Upton is speaking out about the hardships of being a new mother.

In an Instagram post Wednesday, the supermodel shared that there were "major pressures" to "snap back" after she gave birth to her first child -- she tried to work out regularly and eat "perfectly," all while caring for a newborn.

Upton and her husband, professional baseball player Justin Verlander, welcomed their daughter Genevieve, or VeVe, in November 2018.

"Every woman needs to give their body time to heal and to soak in those early, precious moments. I realized quickly that between breastfeeding, healing, little-to-no sleep, off-the-charts hormone changes and experiencing everything for the first time that those weight-loss pressures are extremely unnecessary, and I decided to turn my energy towards my family," she wrote. "Every mother's experience is different with every baby."

Upton, 27, shared her thoughts, along with a photo in which she's breastfeeding her 14-month-old daughter, Genevieve, in an effort to clarify comments she made last week to Editorialist. When asked about motherhood, the model said that for the first few months, she felt like she had to "be doing all these things, like breastfeeding on the go -- when the reality, for me, was that breastfeeding was sucking the energy away from me."

In her Instagram post, she explained that her answer came from being asked about getting back into shape.

"I've learned everyone's journey is extremely personal and no two are the same," she added. "My energy was drained but my heart was extremely full, and I decided to not let others' opinions and expectations get in the way of my own personal timeline. In my opinion, enjoy the moments with your new baby and growing family, allow your body time to heal and make sure to go at your own pace."