Picture this: you’ve just given birth. Your body hurts in places you didn’t know could ache. You’re exhausted, running on fumes, and haven’t had a proper shower. You’re sweaty, leaking, emotional — and your newborn won’t stop crying.
Society tells you that you’re supposed to feel grateful. Fulfilled. Overjoyed.
But all you really want is five minutes of silence.
Then you open Instagram and see her: a glowing new mum, fresh-faced and manicured, cradling her perfectly swaddled baby against a backdrop of soft lighting and picture-perfect décor.
She makes it all look effortless.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. For award-winning Mediacorp actress Rebecca Lim, 38, that gap between expectation and reality was painfully real after she welcomed her first child in January 2024.
Lim with her husband, Matthew Webster, and their son.
Source: @limrebecca on Instagram
“This whole motherhood journey hasn’t been easy,” she admitted through tears at a media event last Friday (25 July), where she was announced as the brand ambassador for beauty and wellness centre BMF The Aesthetics People.
“Being in the public eye, there’s a lot of pressure to feel your best all the time. And honestly, after giving birth, I didn’t feel my best. I didn’t look my best.”
Lim, often admired for her poise and strength onscreen, wasn’t prepared for just how overwhelming postpartum life could be.
“I really had this false sense of how easy it was going to be, from all the pictures and videos that social media showed me,” she shared candidly in an interview with MS News. “Everything was about how wonderful motherhood is, how picture-perfect it looks.”
While there were plenty of beautiful moments, like seeing her son inherit his father’s love for music and her own gentle nature, the reality behind the scenes was far more complex.
“It was messy, unglamorous, sweaty,” she admitted. “Just so far from what I expected.”
Despite years of maintaining a health-conscious lifestyle, Lim found herself struggling with her self-image after pregnancy.
“I’ve always wanted to age gracefully, but even after a year, I still looked pregnant from some angles,” she shared during the press conference.
One moment, in particular, stayed with her.
Shortly after her confinement period, she attended the Taylor Swift concert in Singapore — only to have more than three people ask when her baby was due.
Source: @limrebecca on Instagram
“That kind of thing slowly builds up,” she said. “It eats you up inside.”
Her lowest point came during the 2024 Star Awards, just two months after giving birth.
“I thought it was the worst appearance I’ve ever done in my life,” she confessed. “I went to almost every shop and couldn’t find a single dress I could fit into. It was very demoralising. I even considered taking MC [to miss it]! And that’s just not who I am.”
Lim ultimately opted for a loose-fitting, neon green Gucci gown.
Source: @limrebecca on Instagram
But even in those difficult moments, she reminded herself that she wasn’t alone.
“Every single woman — or even men — go through insecurities,” she said. “They go through a stage where they’ve tried everything, but it’s still not enough.”
Lim grew emotional as she spoke about her struggles and insecurities after giving birth.
It was a close friend and fellow mum who first introduced Lim to BMF.
For her, it wasn’t about chasing vanity — it was about reconnecting with herself.
“I came one Thursday afternoon and immediately felt very comfortable,” she recalled. “They didn’t judge me. They didn’t say, ‘You have to look like this.'”
Instead, they simply asked her what mattered to her: the areas she felt most insecure about, and what she wanted for herself.
That gentle, affirming approach struck a chord. BMF’s philosophy focuses on enhancement, not transformation, and their care became a safe space for Lim to start healing.
“It was serendipity,” she said, her voice full of emotion. “The last time I used that word was when I met my husband.”
Over time, her journey came full circle.
Lim became the face of BMF’s ‘Still Me, With More’, a theme that celebrates growth and change while staying true to who you are.
Her personal experience also played a part in shaping The Postpartum Edit (PPE), a 12-week, science-backed wellness programme designed to help mothers regain confidence and rebuild from within.
“The PPE is really there to tell every single woman out there that they’re not alone,” Lim shared. “There’s so much noise, so much pressure in the world. And this gives you tested, proven support and love.”
For Lim, one of the hardest challenges she faced after giving birth wasn’t physical pain — it was mum guilt.
“Initially, I only came [to BMF] once a month, maybe once every three weeks,” she shared. “Because of the guilt of leaving my baby at home to look better, it felt very vain. It felt very un-motherly.”
But over time, I realised self-love isn’t indulgent. It’s necessary.
Source: @limrebecca on Instagram
Even as she began to see progress, the guilt lingered. That quiet, persistent voice would still creep in: “Am I being selfish for needing space? Shouldn’t I be with my child 24/7?”
Her perspective only shifted when she understood that caring for herself was part of caring for her family, too.
“You need the energy and the fuel to keep going so that you are 100% when you’re at home with your loved ones,” she said.
“Motherhood is a marathon, not a sprint,” she added. “And your role as a mother is going to be the toughest one you’ll ever play.”
Lim’s transformation was clear at this year’s Star Awards, where she stepped out in a figure-fitting Jean Paul Gaultier gown.
But it wasn’t just a physical change — it was in the way she carried herself and the way she posed for photos with confidence.
Source: @limrebecca on Instagram
Through it all, Lim says the biggest shift wasn’t just physical, but emotional as well.
“I truly know what my strong points are. I know what my weaknesses are. And I accept and love every single part of myself,” she reflected.
She hopes that by understanding herself better, she can show up as the best version of herself — not just for her son, but also for her husband, who has been a steady rock in her journey.
Source: @limrebecca on Instagram
“He knows when to keep quiet and when to make me laugh,” she gushed. “He never belittles my emotions. That, to me, is very important.”
These days, Lim is more present both at work and at home.
Returning to work in full swing gave her a fresh perspective: time with her family now feels even more precious, and so does the time she spends doing what she loves.
“Before, I thought the days were long when I was constantly at home,” she said. “Now, I treasure every moment.”
She still experiences the occasional mum guilt, but she’s learned not to let it consume her.
“Don’t beat yourself up,” she said. “As long as each day you’re putting in your 100%, it doesn’t matter if the outcome isn’t perfect. Just do your best.”
Image courtesy of BMF The Aesthetics People
From media darling to first-time mum, Lim reminds us that even the strongest, most picture-perfect women need support.
And for any mother feeling lost, exhausted, or “not enough”, her message is simple:
You are not alone.
Also read: Stay-At-Home Mum Delivers Food When Her Kids Are At School, Learns To Let Go Of ‘Mum Guilt’
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Featured image courtesy of BMF The Aesthetics People and adapted from @mjwguitar on Instagram. MS News photography by Matin Hakam.