2023 SI Swim Rookie Nicole Williams English’s Top Postpartum Self-Care Tips

The model and entrepreneur talks skincare and supplements for new moms.

Nicole Williams English and India Moon English.John Parra/Getty Images

July is all about self-care for SI Swimsuit, and this month your favorite models will share their best self-care tips. We’ll delve deep into the specific self-care routines of various models and Swimsuit community members so you can learn about the products and techniques they use to take care of themselves both physically and mentally. Get inspired by these SI Swimsuit models and prioritize your self-care routine with tips from the pros.

When it comes to postpartum self-care tips, Nicole Williams English is our go-to source. The SI Swimsuit rookie and her husband, former pro football player Larry English, welcomed their daughter India Moon in January. 

The Toronto native has had an incredibly sweet journey to the pages of this year’s magazine: not only did she reveal her pregnancy on the Miami Swim Week runway last July, she also posed for the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue with Yu Tsai in Dominica while seven months pregnant and recently walked this year’s Miami Swim Week catwalk with her infant daughter in her arms. Talk about a full-circle moment! 

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Since it can sometimes be tough to prioritize self-care as a new mom, we chatted with Williams English about her postpartum wellness routine in the hopes of helping others.

Skincare

The Nia Lynn founder reveals that while she’s always prioritized the skin on her face, pregnancy has caused her to take better care of the skin on her entire body.

“When I got pregnant, I was told by a lot of moms, ‘Make sure you’re moisturizing your body, make sure you’re moisturizing your legs, your belly,’ because everything’s expanding,” she says.

Williams English swears by two particular products for full-body moisture, which she credits with keeping stretch marks at bay. Throughout her pregnancy, she mixed Hatch Belly Oil ($64) and Clarins Tonic Treatment Oil ($70) to lock in moisture.

“I didn’t get one stretch mark,” she shares. ”My skin was super smooth. That was a regimen that I used literally morning, noon and night.”

Belly Oil, $64 (hatchcollection.com)

hatchcollection.com

This plant-based product is packed with calendula, sweet almond oil and grapefruit oil. It’s incredibly hydrating and is great to use throughout pregnancy and beyond.

Tonic Treatment Oil, $70 (clarinsusa.com)

clarinsusa.com

Another plant-based oil, this product helps improve the skin’s elasticity and firmness while reducing the look of stretch marks.

Supplements

While skincare is an essential, Williams English’s postpartum self-care routine also works from the inside out. Today, she relies on lymphatic drainage to rid herself of excess fluids, a practice she also engaged in throughout her pregnancy.

“You want to make sure when you’re pregnant, you’re getting all the extra water weight to your belly where the baby is, and then when baby comes out, you’re trying to drain everything back out,” she explains.

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Williams English also wants expectant and new moms to understand the importance of supplementation. As a vegetarian, she found she was dropping weight rapidly while breastfeeding her daughter because she wasn’t getting enough protein in her diet.

“If there’s any moms out there who are vegetarians, make sure you’re taking your postnatal vitamins. Make sure you’re supplementing so you’re getting enough protein,” she suggests. “I’m now making sure that I’m having protein shakes. It’s a big part of my day. I wake up and have a protein shake in the morning, make sure I put my powder in and all my supplements, and then I have a protein shake at night as well, just to give myself that missing piece while I’m breastfeeding.”

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