What is holistic postpartum care?

What is Postpartum care, why does everyone need it and what does it look like?

Oh Postpartum care. What a revolutionary concept that could quite literally change the world. And yet it was common sense, community practice, and completely normalized many moons ago, when some of our great great great grandmothers were having babies.

What is Postpartum care?

I first want to call out some experts in the field of postpartum care that I have had the privilege of gathering wisdom from, one way or another. Kimberly Ann Johnson, Rachelle Garcia Seliga, Dr. Aviva Romm, Dr. Lia Andrews, Tami Lynn Kent and many more. These women carry bright torches that lit my ever growing candle years ago.

What I call Holistic Postpartum Care is the practice and general philosophy of tending to the unique and important needs of the postpartum body in a way that supports the natural healing tendencies of our highly intelligent bodies.

As a Naturopathic Doctor, my core philosophy is that the body is always trying to move in the direction of healing and wholeness- the body is wise and any deviations from wellness are simply modes of communication expressing needs that are not getting met.

So long story short, recovering after pregnancy and birth is actually quite simple if we give the body exactly what it needs and nothing that it doesn’t need. The body will heal all on its own- how amazing is that? You can trust your body’s wisdom.

The thing is, that we lost the wisdom of what our bodies need, in general, but especially postpartum. We lost traditional knowledge passed down orally and now we flounder in uncertainty and straight up ignorance about the female body.

How is the postpartum body different than a non-postpartum body?

Great question. Pregnancy is a massive endeavor. Creating life from scratch is no joke. It takes a profound amount of resources- energy, nutrients, life force and more. Pregnancy is a naturally expanding time. The belly, pelvis, soft tissue, joint spaces, aura, consciousness- all literally expanding. Birth is metabolically comparable to running a marathon. Breastfeeding requires yet again- more nutrients and more energy. The biochemistry, physiology and biomechanics of a postpartum woman are completely different than something pre-pregnancy or even during pregnancy.

Postpartum is a time of profound and rapid change- mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Because of this, the postpartum body has 5 core essential needs. Essential meaning that these things should really not be up for debate. A lack of one of these core needs could lead to some imbalance, dis-ease or un-wellness. Yet very few of these core needs are actually met for 90% of new mothers. THIS is why we are seeing an epidemic of unhealthy, unhappy Mothers.

These needs are…

REST

NOURISHING FOODS

LOVING TOUCH/BODYWORK

WISE GUIDANCE

CONNECTION TO NATURE / SPIRIT

Holistic Postpartum Care, is at it’s foundation, a profound understanding of these needs and a desire/plan to best get these needs met.

If the body, mind and soul- have access to all of these foundational things- the new Mother will heal physically and feel well emotionally and mentally.

The goal of Postpartum care is NOT to TREAT illness, but prevent it from ever taking root in the body.

Postpartum care is guided by the physiologic wisdom of the body and simply supports the body’s natural tendency to heal and be well.

Holistic Postpartum Care is for every single person who gives birth. You do not need to have an issue, or have had a traumatic birth, or have pelvic pain, or have a history of depression to need postpartum care. Because you are human, birthing a new human, you inherently need, and deserve, postpartum care. Capeche?

Okay, so what does Holistic Postpartum Care look like?

This is going to look a little bit different for every person based on each unique situation.

In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of postpartum care is the time spent during pregnancy (or before) preparing for postpartum. Being straight up, if you are not well educated, informed, prepared and supported leading up to postpartum, you are likely not going to have these essential needs met to support optimal healing and recovery.

So a big part of Holistic Postpartum Care is spending time with your postpartum care team, walking through information, resources and recommendations to prepare appropriately. I typically like to spend at LEAST 2 hours (often times more) with my patients during pregnancy talking solely about postpartum preparation.

This time is spent getting aligned on expectations, having big important conversations with partners, creating a support team, leaning into how to receive nourishing meals and doing deep internal work to prepare to be able to rest and receive – something many of us are not so good at.

Preparing for postpartum is SO much more than just having a supportive partner and a meal train. In my opinion, it also looks like informing your friends, family and partner the ins and outs of what your unique postpartum needs will be and how they can help meet these needs. In the end, my goal is to bring this wisdom back into the hands of the community so that we all remember how to care for Mothers.

I do this work one on one with patients and their families in great detail, AND I offer a Holistic Postpartum Healing 4 week class series that discusses a lot of these things and can be so helpful in preparation- for family members and mothers to be alike. (Sign up for the next offering of this class here.)

Once you have given birth and are officially in your sacred fourth trimester, Holistic Postpartum Care involves weekly, if not more often, home visits to fill in the gaps where your family members and community can’t provide.

My weekly home visits for postpartum care are flexible based on your unique needs, but usually involve

Warming oil massage: helps to move excess fluid, supports lymph drainage, reduces rates of mastitis, promotes warming and healing blood flow, calms the nervous system, releases oxytocin.

Craniosacral therapy: Restores balance to a changing nervous system, supports oxytocin production therefore improving milk supply and bonding, promotes gentle physical realignment.

Pelvic steams or sitz baths: I help Woman get settled on a pelvic steam stool or in a bathtub, usually while they get a warming shoulder/neck massage.

Birth story work: Whether you had a traumatic birth that needs remediation or a lovely birth, I support your birth story integration and understanding.

Nutrition guidance: One of my visits typically includes cooking a very nourishing meal in home, but I can also offer tons of guidance especially if getting nutritional needs met is proving difficult.

Other supportive measures: Whether a perineum isn’t healing as hoped, or there is a struggle with mastitis or big emotions or insomnia or pain- I can help restore and maintain healing and balance for ALL of the crazy things postpartum throws at new Mothers.

Wise Guidance: While I am not a Mother (yet) and have no way to offer wise guidance from my lived postpartum experience- I have witnessed and supported hundreds of Women on their Mothering journeys and I carry their wisdom within me. My goal is to always reflect things back to you and help you foster a deeper knowing and trust in your innate maternal instincts. Mothers know best.

Connection to Nature/ Spirit and Ceremony: Holistic Postpartum Care always includes a ceremonial honoring of the Rite of Passage that is Birth and Motherhood-something our culture is profoundly deficient in. Closing of the Bones Ceremony is a way to honor this passage and support the body and spirit in integrating back into wholeness after these life changing experiences.

Return to mobility: I walk my patients through core and pelvic floor rehabilitation and how to return to movement wisely for the longevity of the body. This is an essential part of Holistic Postpartum Care and should not be skipped.

I typically spend between 1 and 2 hours for all home visits during the first 6-8 weeks postpartum. After the first 6 weeks, people often choose to space out their visits with me. Generally around 3 months postpartum, if any imbalance still exists, more supportive treatment options open up- like internal pelvic floor therapy, visceral manipulation and other hands on practices.

Postpartum is forever. Postpartum is not just 6 weeks and it’s not even just 2 years. The body after a pregnancy and birth is forever changed. Moving towards living in a world that understands, honors and supports that change…is my mission.

Feeling cared for and receiving Holistic Postpartum Care is one of the most potent things you can do for yourself, but ultimately for your baby, your entire family and your whole lineage.

This work is healing on all levels.

If you are interested in working together and receiving my loving Postpartum care, my Peony Care package includes a 4 month container of care, 12 home visits including a Closing of the Bones Ceremony and many other opportunities and resources. This care is an investment of $2,333.

My work is never over after 12 sessions. Postpartum is forever and while most people who receive this intimate wholesome postpartum care move through early Motherhood feeling strong and vital, I will be a support person to help maintain wellness for the rest of the Motherhood journey as well.

If your early postpartum window is passed, and you are in your Mothering years and still feel like you are not fully recovered, experiencing symptoms, or simply have a deep knowing that something is “off”-my Mother Bundle Care option would be perfect for you. It is a profound 3 month container of care including 8 in person sessions and many other opportunities and resources. The Mother Bundle care is an investment of $1,799.

No matter who you choose to support you postpartum, I hope you find the care you need and deserve and that your postpartum needs are fully met, leaving you feeling fundamentally renewed, reborn and restored.