For any moms who have been scrolling TikTok lately, the phrase "get my pink back" has been everywhere. The idea was originally popularized by TikToker Lindsey Gurk a couple of years ago, but influencer Allison Kuch recently revitalized the idea with a TikTok video that she posted in March. In the clip she said, "Trying to get my 'pink' back," adding, "3 months postpartum & finally feeling more like myself." But what is the "pink" and what does it even mean to get it back?
The concept comes from flamingos. According to Distractify, mother flamingos lose their pink coloring when they're feeding their young chicks because it transfers through the "crop milk" that they give their babies. As the chicks get older and can forage for their own food, the moms slowly gain their color back.
Although human moms don't lose a physical pink, becoming a mother changes a lot about a person. It can feel like we're metaphorically losing that brightness. But like with the flamingos, it can return. And there are a ton of ways to get that pink back and start feeling like ourselves after giving birth.
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Get in Some Movement
New moms don't deserve to feel pressured to have their bodies "bounce back" after giving birth. If movement helps make a mom feel more herself, however, then she should feel empowered to take some time out of her day to take a walk or participate in some other activity that she enjoys. That's how Allison Kuch kicked off her journey back to pink.
Celebrate the Little Wins
Some commenters were frustrated by how quickly they thought Allison was starting her pink journey, but there's no one timeline for any mom. In fact, getting our pink back can be a multistep process. As @cassidyandkids said on TikTok, we should celebrate all the small milestones on the way to feeling more like ourselves. "There are many shades of pink," she said. We don't have to be bright pink instantly.
Embrace Old Hobbies
TikToker @destinyy_jewell posted that she found herself getting her pink back once she returned to hobbies she loved pre-motherhood. For her, it was her hobby of trying out new makeup looks. Whatever a new mom's hobbies used to be, it may be worth picking one or two back up to feel more like her old self.
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Get Out of the House
Even if we have to take our fussy babies with us, it's valuable to get beyond the four walls of our house from time to time. Emily Donohoe posted on TikTok that an act as simple as getting a cake pop and taking a Target trip helped her. It was something special just for her — and new moms need that me-time.
Just Dance
"I have gained so much from motherhood but there were so many parts of me that were lost," TikToker @littlemissnightcheese shared in a post. The way she found some of those lost parts was by doing things that felt authentic to herself — such as dancing and singing out loud to some of her favorite music. All parents need a break from "Baby Shark" every now and again.
Self Care
Even the smallest act of self care can be a huge help to a struggling mom. It's so easy to put our kids first and put our own needs on the back burner. But something as simple as prioritizing a skin care routine before bed or putting on a hydrating face mask can make us feel like us again.
Get Ready
TikToker @husermomma said she started getting dressed and ready just for herself, even if she wasn't planning on leaving the house that day. She said it took her until her child was 3 years old before she fully started feeling like her pink was back, adding, "Sometimes, it just takes a bit more time, and that is perfectly okay."
Date Nights
Romance can be super hard to prioritize in those early kid days, but for TikToker @sparkly.julie, date nights were key to helping her get her pink back. She said she used to go to the movies all the time with her husband, so when he took off work early to take her to the theater, it meant so much to her.
Time With Friends
Our friends knew us before we became moms, so reconnecting with them after adding a baby to the household can help us find those old parts of ourselves. For @amandatalijan, even though she had some guilt and anxiety around leaving her child, she said on TikTok that it was important for her to prioritize having lunch with her besties. She deserves that time!
Little Moments
"Just start small," TikToker Amber Neeley recommended. For her, small meant that she prioritized putting her hair back and applying tinted sunscreen. Eventually she worked her way up to fully curling her hair. "Miss Rachel is on in the living room. Everyone is doing fine," she reassured herself as she did her hair.
Wear the Motto
Allison Kuch's husband Isaac Rochell bought her one of the official Get Your Pink Back merch items made by Lindsey Gurk. The super cute (and obviously pink) sweatshirt will be a great reminder. Sometimes a visual representation of our hard work is all we need, especially on days when we may be struggling.
Permanent Reminder
For TikToker Ashton Perez, she wanted a more permanent example of getting her pink back — so she got a pink flamingo tattoo. She shared in her post that motherhood had been really hard on her, and she didn't know if she would make it at times. The tattoo is a beautiful reminder that she did.
Find a Community
It's really hard to do motherhood alone. Building a community of people who can understand and help share the burden is so helpful. For anyone looking to find a specific community devoted to getting their pink back, creator Lindsey Gurk is hosting a meetup to do just that. And for anyone who can't go, perhaps just connecting with Lindsey's social media community via the comments will help provide some support.
An Evolving Process
Getting one's pink back isn't a finish line, it's an ever-evolving journey. As Audrey Elizabeth said on TikTok, she had different phases of getting that pink back, losing it, and having to get it back again. As our kids grow up, new challenges will threaten that pink, but we'll find it again.
Don't Compare Journeys
The most important thing we can do is focus on our individual journeys and not compare ourselves to other moms. Some moms find their pink sooner than others. For some, it can take years. Some lose it more than once and have to find it again. As @mommyhasntshowered cautioned on TikTok, "Comparison is the thief of joy." She reminded her viewers that moms are crushing motherhood in their own ways. Getting our pink back is not a race, and it's not healthy to make it one.
