Cardi B Explains Why She’s Working Out 1 Week After Giving Birth, Calls Out ‘Fake Concern’

On Monday, the rapper — who welcomed her third child, a baby girl, with her estranged husband Offset on September 7 — responded to a fan who questioned why Cardi was already in the gym after she shared a video of herself working out a little over a week after she gave birth.

In the clip, which she posted on Sunday, Cardi shared footage of herself on the Stair Master.

“Late night gym session,” she wrote on Instagram, per E! Online. “No heavy lifting, no weight just straight stair master until next week.”

“Remember ladies this is my third baby… with my other 2 babies I was still on bedrest on the first week postpartum,” she added.

A fan took to X, formerly Twitter, and reshared Cardi’s video, pointing out that the “Enough” rapper was at the gym even though it had “barely been a week” since she welcomed her baby girl.

“Yoh, the pressure women in the industry are under? Insane,” the user noted.

Cardi — who also shares daughter Kulture, 6, and son Wave, 3, with Offset — reshared the fan’s post, and detailed why she’s already back in the gym, with the Grammy winner noting that her postpartum journey is “a little different” compared to previous ones.

“This is my third baby and postpartum is a little different from my first two… I’m not doing heaving lifting, no muscle straining, squatting none of that… just cardio,” she wrote. “Sometimes to avoid postpartum depression you gotta keep your mind busy and for me that’s work and staying active…”

“But you know what’s funny?? Y’all dragged me down when I gained 15 pounds because I was 5 months pregnant but now yall fake concerned and wanna talk about pressure???” she continued. “Y’all said I was pregnant to avoid working now that you see I’m still at it it’s something else?? So yeah I’m taking this personal but its FOR ME because either way y’all are gonna have something to say.”

In a follow-up tweet, the fan stressed that she did not intend to criticize Cardi, but was trying to make a point about “society’s expectations of women and ‘snap back’ culture.”

The “Up” performer replied that she understood where the social media user was coming from, before adding more thoughts to the topic.

“Totally babe!!” Cardi said. “And I do agree about society and pressure…I just was never the type to care about snap back after birth. I don’t know what it is about this time around but I have this burst of energy where I want to do EVERYTHING… It’s like I want to complete all my goals in one day.”

The new bundle of joy marks Cardi and Offset’s third child together. (In addition to his three children with his ex, Offset is also the father to sons Jordan Cephus, 14, and Kody Cephus, 9, and daughter Kalea Marie Cephus, 9, from previous relationships.)

On Sunday, Cardi shared an inside look into the delivery of her third child, posting a sweet behind-the-scenes video on social media detailing the arrival of her daughter. Check out the video, below.

The adorable TikTok came after Cardi shared a carousel of photos announcing the arrival of her daughter.

“The prettiest lil thing 🌸🌸 9/7/24 💖💖💖,” her caption read as she flashed a smile while cradling her baby. She also included a snap of her breastfeeding, along with a photo of her appearing emotional while lying in the hospital bed.

Cardi’s pregnancy came as a surprise, with the 31-year-old rapper announcing in early August that she was expecting her third child amid her split from Offset.