Becoming Someone New
Postpartum week 5
Audio player: Becoming Someone New
Background sound
- Duration:
- 6 min
- Stage:
- Postpartum · Postpartum week 5
- Best for:
- A disoriented day, when you do not quite recognise your life or yourself
How to practise
The fourth trimester asks a lot of a person in a short time. This episode holds the identity shift of new parenthood; grieving the old self while growing into the new, without asking you to perform gratitude or bounce back on cue.
New parenthood is one of the biggest identity changes a person can go through, and it can be genuinely disorienting. You may grieve the freedom and the self you had before, even while loving your baby completely. This practice makes room for that grief without guilt, and reminds you that you are not losing yourself. You are becoming someone new, and that takes time.
Find a position that supports you (seated or lying down). Press play and let the guidance move at its own pace. There is no correct way to feel, and nothing to visualize on demand.
This episode is written for postpartum week 5. It fits best a disoriented day, when you do not quite recognise your life or yourself, though you can return whenever the week feels heavy or unfamiliar.
Each week in the series stands alone. Listeners often join at their current week and circle back later; the arc rewards continuity, but nothing here assumes you have been listening since week one.
Full transcript
Welcome to your fifth week.
Somewhere in these weeks, you might catch yourself wondering who you even are now. Your days look nothing like they did. Your body feels different. The person you were before has not vanished, but she is not quite who is standing here either.
That disorientation is real, and it has a name: this is one of the biggest identity shifts a person can live through. So today we make room for all of it. The grief for who you were, and the slow becoming of who you are now. Let's begin.
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Let's begin by letting your body settle.
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Find a position that supports you. Let the surface beneath you take your weight.
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Let your eyes close, or rest them softly open.
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Take one slow breath in.
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And a long breath out.
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Let's steady the breath together. In… one… … two… … three… … four…
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And out, longer. Out… one… … two… … three… … four… … five… … six…
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Again, in your own time.
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Let the counting go.
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Becoming a parent is not just adding a baby to your old life. It is becoming a different version of yourself, and that kind of change is rarely smooth. It can feel like grief and growth at the same time.
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If you miss who you were, the freedom, the spontaneity, the version of you that had time and energy and a body that felt like home, that missing is allowed. Grieving the old you does not mean you regret your baby. You can love this new life and still mourn the one you left behind. Both are true.
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And you have not lost yourself. Think of a river that widens as it flows. The water is still the same river, just moving through new land, taking a new shape. You are still you. The person you have always been is still here, inside the person you are becoming.
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This becoming takes time. You do not have to have it figured out, or feel like yourself again on any schedule. You are allowed to be in between for a while, neither fully who you were nor fully who you will be. That in-between is not lost. It is just becoming.
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Now, three quiet truths. Let each one land in the body, not only the mind.
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The first. I can grieve who I was and grow into who I am becoming.
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Notice where you feel that, if anywhere.
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The second. I am still myself, and I am someone new.
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Let it settle.
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And the last. Becoming takes time, and I am allowed that time.
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You do not have to be certain. Just let these be true.
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Stay a little longer, breathing, in the becoming.
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And when you are ready, begin to come back. Feel your weight. Feel your hands.
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Let your breath rejoin your day.
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Open your eyes slowly, if they were closed.
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And be patient with the person you are becoming.
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That is the end of this practice.
Some disorientation is part of this transition. But if you start to feel as though you have lost yourself completely, or a low mood lingers, please reach out to your GP or health visitor. You deserve support in finding your footing again, and you do not have to do it alone.
We will meet again next week.
FAQ
- When should I listen to Postpartum Week 5?
- This practice is designed for a disoriented day, when you do not quite recognise your life or yourself, though you can return any time during postpartum.
- Is this meditation safe during postpartum?
- Yes. This is gentle guided practice with no breath-holding or physical exertion. Listen in any comfortable position. If a practice increases distress rather than easing it, stop and speak with your midwife, GP, or a mental health professional.
- Do I need the app to listen?
- No. Press play on this page for the full guided audio and transcript. The My Maternal Mind app adds offline caching, ambient sound mixing, and a daily meditation written for your current week.
Related practice
- The 3am Hour, Postpartum week 4
- When You're Touched Out, Postpartum week 6
- Read the full guide
Practise with the full toolkit in the app
This episode is one of fifty-one in the Pregnancy Weeks series, with ambient sound mixing, streak tracking, and a daily meditation written for your current week.
My Maternal Mind supports your wellbeing during pregnancy and birth preparation. It does not replace medical advice, midwifery care, or mental health treatment. Discuss your birth plan and any concerns with your care team.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-30