Ex-Miss France Malika Ménard Details Difficult Postpartum Recovery

Former beauty queen shares candid account of birth and recovery challenges

Former Miss France Malika Ménard has opened up about the demanding physical and emotional journey following the birth of her first child, Sherazade. The former beauty queen, married to Belgian-Moroccan businessman Karim, revealed the complexities of her postpartum experience.

A Challenging Start

Ménard described a difficult end to her pregnancy, experiencing sickness during delivery, which ultimately led to a Cesarean section. This resulted in a “complicated return home” where she felt physically weakened and emotionally vulnerable.

“I felt physically diminished, in great vulnerability, with the mixture of emotions and hormones. I was crying quite easily … We are not talking much about postpartum, however very real. But my daughter has just celebrated her two months and I feel better,” says Malika Ménard in an interview with *Paris Match*.

The experience highlights a lesser-discussed aspect of childbirth. Studies indicate that up to 85% of new mothers experience some form of postpartum “baby blues,” with a smaller percentage facing more prolonged difficulties. Mayo Clinic

Reclaiming Her Body

Two months after Sherazade’s birth, Ménard is focused on her physical rehabilitation. The impact of the C-section required a significant recovery period.

“When you open your belly like that, you can’t walk as you want at first,” she explained. She underwent three weeks of convalescence before starting physiotherapy, including scar treatment and abdominal rehabilitation.

Ménard, who maintained a fitness routine pre-pregnancy with activities like Pilates, is now cautiously reintroducing exercise. “After two months of cut, my physiotherapy told me that I could slowly resume the pilate at a beginner level and see as I felt,” she shared.

Raising Sherazade with Confidence

Now 37 and a mother, Malika Ménard expressed her fulfillment. Her primary goal for her daughter, Sherazade, is to foster emotional security and self-confidence.

“I would especially like that she feels in emotional security, that she has confidence in her. I took a long time before having confidence in myself and I don’t want her to waste so much time,” Ménard stated. While she doesn’t regret her own life’s journey, she hopes her daughter can achieve that self-assurance more quickly.