Motherhood Rising: In Conversation with Chessie King
Presenter, content creator and founder of Welcome to Babyhood, Chessie King has built a powerful community by sharing the honest, unfiltered realities of motherhood. A mother of one and expecting her second child, she has spoken openly about everything from her IVF journey to the physical and emotional challenges of postpartum recovery.
In this conversation with The Tenth, photographed by celebrated photographer, Susheel Schroeder, Chessie reflects on her path into motherhood, the lessons she learned during those early newborn days, and how she’s approaching pregnancy differently the second time around — with honesty, perspective and her signature infectious energy.
Where are you in your motherhood journey?
I’m extremely lucky to say I’m pregnant with my second & I’m totally rewriting my pregnancy story, from the very start. We conceived via IVF after a long old wait & it’s given me such a different perspective on carrying a baby. It’s been magic since finding out & my daughter Auraelia will be 5 when she meets her sibling
Was there a moment - whether during IVF, pregnancy, or postpartum - where you realised you couldn’t do it alone and turned to the support of others?
Definitely 3 weeks postpartum. The adrenaline ran out & I soon realised love doesn’t replace sleep! It was Covid so external help was difficult & when we could have it, it was all masked up. Recovering from a caesarean is one way to test your inner strength & my goodness did it!
Do you find it hard to ask for help, or do you feel it's an essential part of motherhood?
Asking for help doesn’t come naturally to me, but I soon realised it’s essential. Motherhood isn’t a solo sport, even if we’re conditioned to treat it like one. I’ve learnt from having Auraelia & I’m lining up those extra hands as soon as I’m in labour!
In those early weeks after birth, what small things made the biggest difference to your physical or emotional recovery?
The most powerful support was Mat saying ‘I’ve got her, you go off & do whatever you need to do’ sometimes that was a 10 minute walk outside sometimes it was an uninterrupted bath in darkness & silence!
Do you ever feel pressure to appear like you are coping during challenging times?
I’ve always been very very honest with how I’m feeling, online & offline. I can’t lie about struggling, I talk about it to process it & understand I’m not the only one.
What do you think women underestimate about postpartum recovery?
That it’s not just a physical thing, it’s every single part of your brain & body adapting to this new version of yourself. There’s so much focus on the birth but not on the weeks after.
Do you think women undervalue their own recovery compared to everything else they invest in?
We’ll invest in the highest tech prams & spend hundreds on a beautiful nursery that won’t be used for 6 months, but hesitate over therapy or paying for extra support. Our recovery should be non negotiable.
