Kylie Kelce is two days postpartum, recording a podcast while sitting on an ice pack, and—somehow—still making us laugh, cry, and feel more seen than any parenting manual ever could.
In her “Postpartum Special” episode of Not Gonna Lie, Kylie dives into the raw, unfiltered experience of welcoming baby number four (a girl named Finley—aka Finn), from the chaos of naming her in the hospital to the bagel sandwich she couldn’t stop thinking about. But in true Kylie fashion, she also takes a moment to lovingly (and hilariously) school folks on what not to say to a new mom—and what to do instead.
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Because if you’ve ever fumbled your words around a postpartum parent, or thought “wait, is that okay to ask?”, Kylie’s got you. Here are her golden rules:
Do say: “You’re doing great.”
Don’t say: “You look great.”
“Your input is f—ing irrelevant,” Kylie says, lovingly but firmly. Postpartum bodies are recovering from monumental work. Commenting on a mom’s looks—good or bad—misses the point. “Tell her she’s doing great,” Kylie urges. That’s the real compliment she needs to hear.
Do offer help.
Don’t just show up with treats and chaos.
Yes, help is wonderful. But helpful help? Even better. Kylie recommends bringing food, doing a load of laundry, or taking care of older siblings (without giving them sugar that’ll have them “jumping across the couch while mom is holding a newborn”). As she says: “Let’s work smarter, not harder here.”
Do ask to hold the baby so mom can shower.
Don’t ask when she’s having another.
This isn’t the time for baby #5 banter. If she’s still wearing a hospital-issued ice pad, she’s probably not in the mood to talk about her future fertility plans.
Never, ever say: “Sleep when the baby sleeps.”
“That is f—ing absurd,” Kylie says. New moms are doing everything while healing from birth—eating, laundry, managing other kids, trying to feel like a human. Sleep when the baby sleeps? Try surviving when the baby sleeps.
Do wash your hands.
Don’t kiss the baby.
We repeat: Don’t kiss the baby. Not on the hands, not on the face, not even on the head. Want to show love? “Touch their toes,” Kylie says. “That’s it. Y’all need to touch them on their toes.”
Do let her wear spit-up with pride.
Don’t point it out.
If you notice a stain on her shirt? No, you didn’t. The only time Kylie recommends speaking up is if there’s poop involved—“because that’s just unsanitary.”
Don’t make any comments about feeding.
Breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, combo-feeding—it’s all feeding. Kylie sums it up best: “Fed is best, motherf—ers.”
Kylie’s episode isn’t just about postpartum etiquette—it’s a love letter to exhausted moms everywhere. She reminds us that yes, the newborn phase can be blissful—but it’s also hard. Messy. Hormonal. Unpredictable.
And in those blurry, ice-pack-filled weeks, what a mom really needs is grace. Support. And maybe, just maybe, a bagel sandwich she doesn’t have to split.
Related: “It’s so scary”: Meghan Markle shares her postpartum preeclampsia story—and the pressure to show up anyway
Want to hear more?
Catch Kylie Kelce’s full “Postpartum Special” on Not Gonna Lie for her birth story, a reality check on newborn bliss, and a raw, powerful conversation about maternal mental health with therapist and author Rebecca Fox Starr.
📣 *PS: Kylie’s rule still stands—*don’t kiss the baby. Touch their piggies instead.