Nikki Reed just got honest about what happens when a post-baby glow turns into something else entirely. On The Art of Being Well with Dr. Will Cole, the actress‑turned‑entrepreneur gets candid about the moment everything shifted after becoming a mom—and how she clawed her way back to feeling like herself again. For fans who first heard Reed and her husband, retired actor Ian Somerhalder, on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast, this time Reed goes solo and goes deep.
The conversation isn’t about bouncing back. It’s about tuning in to symptoms, to labels that don’t fit, and to a supplement industry that doesn’t always do what it promises. Reed says the postpartum mystery she faced wouldn’t be neatly boxed up, so she decided to flip the script on how she fuels her body, her brain, and her day.
The story begins with how commonplace postpartum health struggles are for new moms—and how little support exists—then widens to what, exactly, is inside those wellness bottles on your counter.
When postpartum wellness turns into a mystery
Early on, Reed connects the dots. “Shortly after I had my first child, when she was about two and a half years old, I kind of entered into this bizarre mystery health crisis,” she says. Reed then echoes the frustration that countless mothers face: trying supplement after supplement, and hitting dead end after dead end when doctors either downplayed or dismissed her symptoms. “This is actually quite common, especially after the birth of a child,” she says.
Her north star became simple: ask better questions. She puts it plainly—”What’s in our supplements? Why aren’t they working? Am I supposed to feel the things that I’m taking?”—and refuses to accept “mystery” as a diagnosis.
Nikki Reed on ditching “expensive pee” and demanding results
Reed says the a-ha moment led her to reimagine how supplements are made and absorbed, landing on a mission of supplements with ingredients in their most bioavailable form, with what she claims is “technology that allows you to absorb that at a 500 percent increase.” If you’re not absorbing it, you’re not benefitting from it—and neither is your wallet.
“You can put anything you want in a supplement, and no one is gonna hold you accountable unless it’s third-party tested, but brands are not required to third-party test,” she points out.
Essentially, she said, the supplements she was taking to make her feel better weren’t working, so she created supplements that actually did what they were supposed to do.
@drwillcole She was taking all the right things… and still didn’t feel better. So she built something better. Nikki Reed shares why most wellness products fall short – and how her health journey led to real answers. 🎧 Full convo on The Art of Being Well
♬ original sound – Dr. Will Cole
The science she leans on now
With Somerhalder, Reed cofounded The Absorption Company. She explains the technology that won her over—”taking lipophilic material and turning it into a water-soluble powder”—so that nutrients are easily absorbed into the body and actually reaches where it counts. She adds that the technology has been clinically tested and proven to do what it claims to do.
When Cole asks for her favorite formula, Reed doesn’t hesitate: “Calm. Hands down.” She loves that it doesn’t sedate her and that it’s become a morning staple in her routine.
Reed’s larger point is about sustainable habits that you feel right away and for the long haul. She’s not chasing fads; she’s building a toolkit that helps her focus, show up for her family, and run two purpose-driven companies without burning out.
Why her story matters for new moms (and anyone feeling “off”)
Reed knows the difference between masking symptoms and finding root causes. She pushes for transparency—and advocates for oneself—because “my overall mission as a human being is to just always ask questions.” She also reframes the spiral as a signal. “The body knocks and then it starts to pound and then it kicks the door down,” she says. If that’s where you are, she wants you to stop and listen to your body before it leaves you with no other choice.
There’s nothing airy about the way Nikki Reed talks healing; it’s grounded in motherhood, in data, and in lived experience. And while Cole notes that he previously interviewed Somerhalder, this moment is all Reed—her questions, her boundaries, and her blueprint for improvement.
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