Flamingos, which can lose their bright color when tending to their young but get it back over time, have been a helpful metaphor for some women in their postpartum experiences.
With five young children, Linnea Chambery had found herself at one of her most challenging points as a mother.
Facing a host of family health issues, including a child with ongoing health complications, Ms. Chambery and her husband had started to feel as if there was no end in sight to their constant struggles in parenthood. But one day, Ms. Chambery came across a video on social media discussing — of all things — the color of flamingos.
In the video, a content creator named Lindsey Gurk said that flamingos can lose their pink color when caring for their young but get it back over time. Using the flamingos as a metaphor for her fellow parents who felt overwhelmed, Ms. Gurk reminded them that it was temporary and offered advice: “If you’re feeling not quite like yourself, maybe you’re feeling a little bit drained, just keep in mind you’re doing it all for your chicks.”
She soon added, “We are never given more than we can carry, and we will get our pink back.”
At such a dark time, Ms. Chambery had found a glimmer of hope.
“It hit me in this moment,” Ms. Chambery, now 38 and living in Rochester, N.Y., said in an interview. “It is going to get better. This is not going to be like this forever.”
What started as a short video years ago has since become a movement, as Ms. Gurk has encouraged fellow moms to “get your pink back.”