Why is it that our busy modern world expects the new mother to be good to go soon after giving birth? After a few weeks, we're supposed to carry on with business as usual. We feel compelled to 'do it all' and be the supermum who exclusively breastfeeds, returns to work quickly, and bounces back to her pre-pregnancy body in no time. 

I know too many women who pushed too hard, too soon, to get back to everything they were doing before pregnancy, only to end up exhausted, depressed and physically suffering.

Early postpartum is a crucial period of rest and recovery.

It's a time for the new mum to recover, rest, eat warming foods, bond with and feed her baby. That's how traditional cultures have long been taking care of new mothers, and slowly we're waking up to the importance of cocooning mum and her new baby here in the West.

For the first forty days — or sometimes the first thirty or twenty-one depending on the culture — a new mother stays secluded from the busyness of life, tucked indoors with her infant at her side. She receives special meals to rebuild energy, replenish lost nutrients, heal from pregnancy and birth, and help her body produce breast milk. She follows traditional practices of keeping rested and warm to prevent exhaustion and depletion. 

The understanding is that the new mother is as vulnerable as her newborn, requiring her own steady stream of attention and care. A dedicated time of postpartum recovery helps her to keep illness and postnatal depression at bay.

The fewer demands you can place on yourself during the first 40 days or 6 weeks after giving birth, the better. Your body and your baby need you to rest and recover.

How will you rest, recover and receive support?

Envision how you'll be supported after the birth of your baby. If this is your first child, you may find it challenging to imagine how much of your time and energy your baby will demand. You may be blindsided by how uncomfortable it is to walk the 10 steps to the bathroom during the first days after birth, how much time it takes to feed a baby, and how frustrating it is to never have two hands to eat a meal (babies always seem to get hungry when your meal is ready). 

So, ask yourself these questions and, during these final weeks of your pregnancy, dedicate some time to planning for your 4th trimester.

• Who can I rely on to help me during these intense few weeks/months?

• Should I consider hiring a postpartum doula or housekeeper (or both)?

• Can someone arrange a meal train for me, in which friends or family sign up to deliver a meal to my house each day for several weeks?

• Or can I pack my freezer with meals so I'm prepared with easy and nutritious meals? (Click here for a bundle of freezer friendly recipes)

• Should I organise the delivery of an organic fruit and veg box for several weeks?

• Should I subscribe to the NURTURE program by 40 Weeks and receive postpartum support from a community I know and trust?

• Should I organise additional childcare for my other child(ren)?

We know how hard it is to ask for and accept help. 

Reaching out or pre-arranging help does not make you any less strong or competent. It makes you smart. It means your recovery from birth and transition to new motherhood will be much smoother. 

We strongly encourage you to welcome support, so you can rest, recover and adjust to new motherhood, and bond with your precious baby. You won’t regret taking time out from the world to nurture yourself and your newborn.

More Guidance For Nourishing The New Mother

We love and highly recommend this book. The First Forty Days is a book that revives the lost art of caring for a mother after birth. It includes 60 simple and delicious recipes for healing soups; replenishing meals and snacks; and calming and lactation-boosting teas, all formulated to support the unique needs of the new mother (and to feed hungry partners, too). In addition to the recipes, this warm and encouraging guide offers advice on securing help during the postpartum period, navigating inevitable relationship challenges, and honouring the rite of passage that is pregnancy and birth.

Grab a copy from Booktopia or Amazon today to support your preparation for the 4th Trimester.