My postpartum body map

Postpartum is shaped by profound neurobiological changes that alter how new mothers process reality, memory, and emotion. Alongside these changes, the personal and cultural narratives around postpartum make it one of the most complex human experiences. Our postpartums often have a lasting impact on our journey through motherhood and our evolving sense of self, hence the need to revisit this experience to document its complexity and derive new meanings from it.

This body map is the result of a long and complex introspective process of drifting through objects, pictures, stories, and memories from the first two months after giving birth. Mapping allowed us to see the interconnections and missing links between people and situations, hence helping in making sense of lingering sensations and unanswered questions. The map was instrumental in constructing a new narrative. It revealed that, consciously and unconsciously, mothers develop strategies to navigate the immense complexity of new motherhood.

This body map, and the insights about healing and resistance, were the seed of an ongoing project of participatory body mapping with communities of Latina mothers in the United States. It was also exhibited at the “m(other) Exhibition”, Perspective Gallery, Virginia Tech in 2025.