Doireann Garrihy calls out ‘soul-destroying’ reels aimed at postpartum mums

Doireann Garrihy said there is too much pressure on new mums

Doireann gave birth to her baby girl, Rosie, in October and has been embracing her new role as a mum ever since. However, like many new mums, Doireann has been hit with the pressure to 'bounce back' from her pregnancy, a term we wish would go extinct already.

Doireann said she has come across many fitness videos targeted at new mums that pressure them to lose weight. The videos encourage new mums to get back into the gym and "become unrecognisable" in 2026.

Doireann described the triggering videos as "soul-destroying" when discussing them on her Instagram this week.

"Do you know what annoys me about reels on Instagram? It’s that they know how to keep you hooked. I will watch something like that video and get so annoyed, but then I’ll flick to the next one, and it will be something hilarious that is right up my street."

“So, then I’ll stay watching. But then every third or fourth video is another one like that, and it just keeps getting into my head.”

“It’s just soul-destroying, isn’t it?” she said.

Doireann said it does make you question if you should start working out, but stressed that she's not ready yet.

"It makes you think, ‘Should I try and feel like myself again? Should I exercise?”

No mother should ever feel pressured to bounce back from pregnancy, especially when aimlessly scrolling through social media. These types of videos always cause more harm than good, and shouldn't be encouraged. We should be encouraging new mums to take it easy, to embrace how they look, and to rest after such a life-changing moment in their lives.