It's been more than two months since Nikki Bella and fiancé Artem Chigvintsev welcomed their first child into the world, and we simply cannot get enough of baby Matteo. But as much as we adore all the baby photos his parents share, we've also loved keeping up with Nikki during this time, because no matter what's going on in her life as a new mom, the former WWE wrestler keeps it real no matter what, and she's openly and honestly sharing every step of the way with her fans as she experiences it all — both the good and the bad.
Though Nikki is obviously over the moon for her little man, it hasn't all been easy. Like many other new moms, the Total Bellas star has struggled with things like postpartum depression, coping with the way her body has changed since pregnancy and giving birth, and her relationship with her fiancé … just to name a few of the things she's talked about in the months since Matteo was born.
Read on for all of Nikki's most relatable mom confessions. While the fourth trimester is often filled with lots of newborn snuggles, tiny smiles, and other happy moments, it's not all positive stuff.
So far, Nikki hasn't held back from sharing anything — good or bad.
New Mom Happiness
In one of her first posts after Matteo's birth, Nikki opened up about all of the happiness she'd been feeling since becoming a mother — especially since she'd been able to take time off of work to bond with him. "I have taken in every single second with our baby boy. And will continue to do so," she shared at the time. "I have never cried so many happy tears in my life. God truly has blessed me in the most amazing way ever! The love, goodness, it’s just indescribable."
Postpartum Body
A little more than a month after giving birth to Matteo, Nikki took to her Instagram stories to share her postpartum body while only wearing underwear. That took guts, but her honesty was undoubtedly appreciated by other moms who have been through the same experience.
"Because I feel like sometimes on social media, with people in the spotlight, we truly don't showcase how hard postpartum can be, and the journey of getting your body back," Nikki said at the time. "So I want to bring you all along in the realest, rawest way possible. So here I am."
Sleep Training Matteo
Nikki shared that she was beginning to sleep train Matteo when he was about 6 weeks old — something that earned her a lot of backlash from her followers who judged her for starting the process so early. She even opened up about the situation on her Total Bellas podcast, admitting, "For someone like me and my personality, I need a schedule. And it keeps Matteo happy."
Postpartum Sex Confession
On her podcast, Nikki shared all the intimate details about having sex with Artem after having a baby — including the fact that the experience itself was a bit different than it once was. "Last night, it didn't seem fine, but that's OK. It was a little different," she said at the time. "I felt like organs were about to drop out. I was like, 'Shoot, did I mess up?'"
More Postpartum Shots
Nikki Bella has been all about keeping her fans updated on her postpartum body, including this shot of her sitting on the couch in her undies — something she said she was "so scared" to share. Ultimately, though, Nikki ended up getting a lot of compliments on her bod and her confidence, which goes to show that being so honest and open has paid off.
Postpartum Depression
On the podcast, Nikki also shared that she had been suffering from postpartum depression, and that it wasn't until her sister asked her how she was doing that it all came out. She said:
"I think Brie [Bella] was the first person who's asked me in weeks — it was in front of Bryan — she goes, 'How are you doing?' I was about to say, 'Fine.' And my lips started shaking and I burst into alligator tears. Like, I broke down. Because that was the first time someone asked me in a while how I was doing, and I wasn't doing OK."
'Hating' Her Fiancé
In the same episode of the Total Bellas podcast, Nikki admitted that her postpartum depression also changed the way she felt about her fiancé Artem. "He's like 'At times, I felt like you were starting to hate me.' He's like, 'You could be mean,'" she said at the time. "And I'm not gonna lie, I did have moments of being mean. I did have moments when I looked at him and I hated him. It’s true. There were times I’d look at him and I'm like, 'I think I hate you.'"
Communication Is Key
At the same time, Nikki got real about how her depression has made her want to communicate better with Artem, because fighting the depression on her own was impossible.
"Communication is key. Talking to people is key. If you are someone who's fighting postpartum [depression] and you're just trying to be strong like I was, you can't. We can't win this battle," she said. "We cannot fight postpartum depression; we just physically and mentally can't and we have to talk to people."
Getting Her Groove Back
As open as Nikki was about her depression, she's been just as open about when things are good. In a very steamy video she shared on Instagram, Nikki said she was getting her groove back and feeling more and more like herself every day … even though she was still wearing postpartum underwear at the time. There's no holding back with this lady!
Not Getting a Minivan
In a video she shared with her sister, Brie Bella, as they drove with their boys in the backseat, Nikki admitted that, despite how convenient it might be, she was not getting a minivan — unless a company like Tesla or Bentley wanted to collaborate with her to make a "sick" minivan. We'd definitely be interested to see that!
Getting Help From the Fam
It takes a village to raise a baby … and Nikki's definitely making use of hers. In an Instagram post — where she shared photos with her baby and fam — Nikki admitted that Brie's husband, Bryan, came to her rescue one night when Matteo just wouldn't sleep, and Artem was away working on Dancing With the Stars. Looks like Matteo and his uncle may end up having a pretty sweet relationship!
Pump Life
Not everybody's breastfeeding journey is glamorous, especially when it comes to pumping. But that's never made Nikki shy away from sharing what it's really like! Case in point: this pumping selfie from her Instagram Story. Here, she's all hooked up to the pump — bra and all — and she's not afraid who knows it! Matteo's gotta eat.
Date Night
Amid her battle with postpartum depression, it seems like Nikki is getting that loving feeling back from Artem. She's taking the time to share little moments with him when she can — like in this photo of the two of them drinking champagne together. "Mama & Dada's kind of happy hour," she wrote. Good for her for taking the time to connect with her fiancé!
Feeling Self-Conscious
On the Total Bellas podcast, Nikki confessed that now that Artem is back in the swing of things at DWTS, she's starting to feel a little insecure about his dance partner, Kaitlyn Bristowe, and what good shape she's in while Nikki herself is still living that postpartum life.
"It's like, gosh, her legs look great and she's beautiful and look at her eyes and her hair and wow, her body! And then you kind of glance in the mirror and you see the bags under your eyes and your hair’s like up in a bun everywhere," she said, reports Screenrant. "I had a big mumu on with a boob hanging out with, like, leaking milk from my nipple. And I was like wow, he's gonna come home. Do I need to do something to myself because he was just dancing with that and now he’s coming back to this?'"
Postpartum Workouts
Now that Nikki's back in workout mode, she's been sharing her postpartum workouts with her followers on Instagram and TikTok. It's definitely not easy getting back into the swing of regular life — let alone a gym routine — but it's awesome that Nikki is willing to share every step of her journey with us.
