The 5 Universal Postpartum Needs

It is not a coincidence that new mothers all around the world are treated more or less the same in their immediate postpartum window. No matter where you live or what kind of birth experience you had, all women have the same postpartum needs. In Mexico it’s called Cuarentena (referring to 40 days), in Ayurveda it’s called  Kayakalpa or “body time” and in China it’s called Zuo Yuezi or “sitting out the month.”

The 6-week postpartum window is the transitional period of our rite of passage. The body, mind, and spirit have been left completely open from pregnancy and birth and are in a prime place to receive special care, which can accelerate the healing process. At this time, cellular regeneration is at its peak, and the decisions made during this period can significantly shape this process. When a woman is able to receive this deep care and rejuvenation, she can heal physically, emotionally, and spiritually, even from experiences she had prior to pregnancy. 

Adversely, when the sacredness of this window is not honored, and the specific needs of new mothers are overlooked, it can lead to profound discomfort and suffering.

Here, we'll explore every new mother's Five Universal Postpartum Needs, especially in the first 42 days, and discover how embracing these needs can lead to a rejuvenating start to motherhood. These needs are:

rest, warmth, select foods, healing body care, and community supports.

1.Rest

Rest is not a luxury; it's a necessity for new mothers. It’s not just that rest is nice to have because you are recovering from childbirth or that you need to rest because your baby is waking you up all night long; it’s that rest at this time is a safeguard for your long-term health and wellness. After childbirth, the organs in our body are coming back into place.  When we are upright, gravity pulls down on our uterine ligaments and can put unnecessary pressure on our pelvic floor, potentially leading to future pelvic floor issues, including prolapse. For this reason, other people should be doing the household tasks so that we are not working against gravity. 

 Furthermore, adequate rest supports hormone balance, milk production, and mastitis prevention. By prioritizing rest now, we can encourage our bodies to heal faster.  This means carving out these 6 or more weeks for restorative rest, including snuggling up with your baby in bed, taking naps throughout the day, or simply allowing yourself to do as little as possible. 

Remember the concept of "you, your baby, and your bed," and plan for the support you’ll need from loved ones so that you can have the time and space you need to heal.

2. Warmth

Warmth is a comforting and essential element of postpartum care. After childbirth, your system has just expelled so much warmth due to the loss of energy, blood, and fluids. There is also an excess of air and space now that the womb is left empty from where the baby used to be. 

In Ayurveda, the air and space elements, known as Vata dosha, must be balanced with its opposite qualities of warm, oily, soft, smooth, and slow. 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is thought of as a loss or deficit of Qi and blood after childbirth, resulting in a vulnerability of being open, and cold entering the body. So, new mothers must be warmed through foods, traditional warming practices on the body, and in proper warm clothing.

3. Select Foods

Labor and birth often cause new mothers to have weakened digestive “fire,” as well as hormonal changes. 

After childbirth, we need to focus on warm, nutrient-dense, fresh, and easy-to-digest foods. Some qualities that we are focusing on are moist, oily, mushy, properly spiced, unctuous, and delicious. 

We also want to include healing herbs and spices in meals for added warmth and digestive support. Some of our favorites include fennel, cinnamon, and ginger.

Depending on your digestive strength, choose protein-rich foods like meats and eggs raised on pasture, lentils, and nuts to support recovery and aid lactation. 

Eat healthy fats like ghee, sesame oil, coconut oil, and avocado to provide digestive lubrication, stabilize blood sugar, and provide long-lasting energy.

4. Healing Body Care

Caring for your body is an essential part of postpartum recovery, and there are many traditional practices that can help support healing and well-being. Consider incorporating warm oil abhyanga (self-massage) into your daily routine to nourish your skin and soothe tired muscles. Explore belly binding techniques to provide gentle support to your abdominal muscles as they regain strength and tone. Incorporate yoni steaming sessions, herbal baths, sitz baths, moxibustion treatments, and castor oil packs to promote healing, relaxation, and rejuvenation from the inside out.

5. Community Supports

It is crucial for a new mother to have community support to meet all of her needs. Whether there are two people on a support team who are fully committed and capable of meeting all these needs or a big group of people who all contribute a little bit, community support comes in many forms and encompasses all paid and unpaid help. 

Unpaid help can include friends and family who come over to cook or drop off meals, a classmate’s parent who can drive older kids to school, a partner who provides loving foot and shoulder rubs, or a friend who can provide emotional support, whether in person or miles away on the phone. Friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors can offer support in many ways, big and small. 

Professional support can be perinatal-specific and offer informational, emotional, practical, or physical support. You can also outsource anything that might make your life a little easier so you can focus on rest and bonding. 

Some examples of paid community support include postpartum practitioners and doulas, lactation consultants, perinatal mental and physical health professionals, housekeepers, and meal delivery services. 

Support from your community is the one piece of the puzzle that allows all the other pieces to fall into place. It is the essential element that allows you to rest, stay warm, eat well, and heal.

Utilizing rest, warmth, select foods, healing body care, and community supports in your early postpartum window will help you heal more effectively and quickly, and set you up for long-term well-being. Prioritizing and planning for the care and support you’ll receive during this time is an investment in your future that is well worth the effort.