No One Talks About the Loss of Personal Space After Birth

How to navigate the closeness, the cling, and the craving to just be alone.

After birth, we expect sleepless nights. We brace for the nappies, the cluster feeds, the physical recovery.

But few people prepare you for this: the loss of personal space.

Touched Out, Needed Constantly, Nowhere to Hide

In the early days, your baby’s body is never far from yours. Skin to skin. Feeding, settling, soothing. Even when they’re asleep, they’re often on you—or within arm’s reach.

And while it’s beautiful—this closeness, this primal connection—it can also be relentless. You become the centre of someone’s world. And sometimes, in the swirl of it all, you forget where you end.

You’re Not Selfish for Wanting Space

Wanting space doesn’t make you a bad mother. It makes you human. A person who needs rest and boundaries and time to breathe. A body that has been stretched, touched, depended on, and may now long to feel its own edges again.

This feeling—of being “touched out”—is real. And it’s okay to say it aloud.

Reclaiming Small Moments of You At Nest, we often hear mums whisper, “I just needed this hour.” One quiet yoga class. One mindful breath. One tea shared with someone who understands.

Not because it fixes everything, but because it reminds you: You still exist. You’re not just a body for someone else’s needs. 

You are still whole. Still worthy of time, space, and care.

You might find those moments at: 

Mummas Space – a weekly pause for rest and regulation, held gently and free from judgment 

Baby Massage & Baby Yoga – slow-paced, baby-led classes that nourish both your body and your bond 

Play Café – a cosy space where your little one can play while you sip, chat, and feel less alone

Every session is held by teachers who understand. Mothers themselves, they are more than instructors—they’re spaceholders. They know what it’s like to crave just a moment to breathe.

You’re Allowed to Step Away 

Even for five minutes. Even just to stand alone in the shower, or walk slowly to the bin, or lie on the mat in silence.

You’re allowed to say, “I need a break.” And you’re allowed to ask for help so you can take it.

Motherhood is a dance of closeness and letting go— and that includes space for you, too.

At Nest, We Make Space for Mothers To move. To cry. To reconnect with themselves. Because when you’re held, you can keep holding others.

You are not alone in this.

Come rest with us