From tears to treadmill: Maja Salvador’s postpartum glow-up
Actress Maja Salvador, who gave birth to daughter Maria in May 2024, says she’s been intentional about sharing her postpartum journey to reassure new moms that feeling off is normal, and that they’re definitely not alone.
Salvador, who married businessman Rambo Nuñez in 2023, first noticed signs of the postpartum blues while she was still breastfeeding.
“I used to be a very patient person, but I’d catch myself snapping. I’d ask myself, ‘Who was that? That wasn’t me.’ It helped that my husband and family would remind me, ‘You just gave birth. It’s okay. Take your time to adjust. Take deep breaths if you start to feel irritated. There’s so much happening at once. Give yourself a break,’” she said.
Salvador breastfed Maria for eight months. “It really drained me,” she admitted. “She would latch, and two hours later, I’d have to pump to build up my milk storage. Then I had to produce more for the next feeding because she could latch again at any moment.
“Breastfeeding really requires dedication. I only did it for eight months, but that’s already an accomplishment to me. I salute the moms who manage to breastfeed for two years or more,” she added. “I started to feel sad when my milk supply dropped after I began dieting, working out, and dancing again. That realization stressed me out and made me feel kind of guilty.”
Thankfully, Nuñez was there to support her. “He told me, ‘Don’t feel that way. You did your best. You did everything—ate the right food, took your malunggay and supplements.’ I guess the more stressed you are, the harder it is to produce milk. And even if you can, you hesitate to give it because you don’t want your baby to pick up on what you’re feeling.”
Strong support group
While many moms hold back from talking about postpartum struggles for fear of seeming weak, Salvador took a different path. “I knew only my husband, family, and best friend could really understand what I was going through. I stayed in Canada throughout my pregnancy, and I was constantly on video calls with loved ones.”
She also recalled bursting into tears without warning—especially after leaving the hospital. “I was in pain from the stitches, and I had hemorrhoids. I even asked myself, ‘Should I have just gone with a C-section?’ The hospital beds in Canada are so high. I had to use a platform to climb up, and one time I couldn’t do it so Rambo had to lift me. I cried because I felt like an invalid. It helped that my sister and best friend told me, ‘It’s okay to feel that way. Just cry. Let it out.’”
To fellow moms, Salvador offers this message: “I’ve been through it, and I can honestly say: It’s okay not to be okay. Be honest with your partner and your family. If you need to rest or have some ‘me time,’ they’ll understand. You’ve given them a whole new kind of joy—a baby.”
So, has motherhood changed her outlook on mental health? “I’ve always been respectful of what other people are going through,” she said, “but going through it myself gave me a deeper appreciation for the people around me, for my support system. I now know how important it is to talk about what you’re really feeling. I know it’s not always easy, but sometimes, you just need to get out of the house and find happiness in the littlest things. Emotions can be hard to control, but you have to help yourself. Tell yourself, ‘I can do this.’”
Salvador recently launched her own beauty brand, Majeskin, which she co-founded with Nuñez, in collaboration with Rhea Anicoche-Tan, the powerhouse behind Beautéderm. The brand debuted with six products across two main collections: the Calming line, featuring chamomile-scented body wash, scrub, and lotion; and the Uplifting line, which offers a citrusy trio of the same essentials.
“My husband said, more than becoming rich, it’s really about having the opportunity to provide jobs for people. That’s our purpose. If people patronize our products, then that’s already a bonus. Although, I really hope they do—so we can help more people,” she said.
A video of Salvador’s publicity shoot shown at the launch got quite the reaction. Some even joked that it looked like an ad for an alcoholic drink because of how sexy it was. She just laughed and said: “Ours is a skincare line, so I wanted people to see that I’m confident in my skin, even just months after giving birth. I feel like Rambo agreed to the concept because it’s for my own brand.”
She added: “I actually thought of it myself. We’re all about body positivity. It felt like an internal battle—more than wanting to impress, I really wanted to feel fit and confident again.”
Small wins
Salvador began consciously dieting in January and has since lost 12 pounds. “I’m happy with that. I don’t want to lose weight too drastically—pangit ‘yon. I’m actually really proud of what I’ve achieved.”
Nuñez has been her biggest supporter. “He bought me gym equipment for the house—a treadmill and some weights. I use them when I don’t feel like going out to work out,” she said. “My goal is to reach 110 lbs, which was my weight on our wedding day. I’m currently at 124 lbs, which was also my pre-pregnancy weight. During pregnancy, I weighed 145 lbs. My tummy was really big—Maria weighed 9 lbs.”
According to the proud parents, Maria takes after both of them. “She’s so advanced,” said Nuñez. “She started walking on her own at nine months. She can already mimic animal sounds—like duck and dog—and even knows how to blow out birthday candles. We only taught her for half a day.”
Now, the couple is preparing for Maria’s first birthday, and yes, they’re thinking of baby number two “but not anytime soon,” Salvador added.
“I’m not rushing her,” Nuñez said. “I want her to finish her journey of getting back into shape. I know it’s not easy. At least when the time comes and I ask if she’s ready to try for another, she can say she went through the process, succeeded, and only needed a year to feel like herself again.”
