why is rest so important postpartum?
An extended period of rest is one of the main universal postpartum needs.
The 5 universal postpartum needs come from examining the physiological healing process that happens after birth and understanding how to facilitate that natural healing trajectory. These universal needs have been well known in traditional cultures around the world since the beginning of time- and if you look at practices from very different geographical areas- the way they care for postpartum bodies is fundamentally the same.
From the Sacred Window in India to the “Zuo yue Zi” in China- the postpartum needs include
1) An Extended Period of rest, typically between 30-42 days
2) Nourishing, nutrient dense, warm and warming foods
3) Body work and physical touch
4) Connection to Nature
5) Wise Guidance, Community and Elder care
The extended period of rest is traditionally a strictly enforced bed rest for a minimum of 30 days.
In US culture that seems absolutely absurd, impossible and unrealistic.
I am here to tell you how absolutely essential it is to prioritize this extended period of true physical and mental rest and WHY.
1) Recovery after the energy demands of pregnancy and birth
Pregnancy and Birth is an exhausting endeavor. Birth is metabolically comparable to a marathon and often times far more energy intensive. A tremendous amount of nutrients, ATP and vital force energy is used up. An extended period of rest allows you to build back up your energy reserves and vital force energy without having to tap into your stress response system (adrenaline and cortisol) for energy to survive. We all know that early postpartum is lacking sustained sleep. An extended period of physical and mental rest allows you to rejuvenate even while you are not getting long stretches of sleep. The amount of energy it takes to adjust to the nervous system and hormone changes that come postpartum, heal wounds and produce breastmilk are additional HUGE demands placed on an already compromised body. Resting and eating a tremendous amount of nourishing foods will allow for true and sustained nutrient and energy repletion.
2) Allowing the physical body to heal
Pregnancy and birth is a time of massive expansion- spiritually, mentally and quite obviously- physically. The birthing process leaves a significant mark on the body- whether there was a vaginal birth or a cesarean birth- the core and the pelvic floor is often times left completely changed. After birth, there is a dinner plate sized wound left behind on the inside of the uterus where the placenta detached- yes- DINNER PLATE SIZE. That is why you continue to bleed for 3-6 weeks postpartum as that wound heals. The uterus also takes 6 weeks to fully involute, or shrink back down to normal size, so it continues to be large and heavy in your pelvis. All of this, not to mention the way the pelvis bones have moved, the spine has shifted, the abdominal muscles have separated, and so much more including the hormone Relaxin’s impact on your connective tissue. Can you begin to see how much different the physical body is postpartum?
All of this needs time to heal and to come back together before we start putting more pressure on the system. Especially when you start to feel well 1 week after birth, it becomes so easy to over-do it, because we can’t quite see how much our bodies have changed. It is like coming back to a sport too quickly after an injury. It feels okay at first, until it really doesn’t.
Returning to movement (even as basic as standing up too long or walking) too soon compromises the integrity of the pelvic floor and the entire physical structure and generally delays uterine healing. Not resting the physical body for an extended period of time is the #1 reason so many Women are experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction, low back pain, incontinence, pain with sex, prolapse and so many other common complaints.
If you fully rest and include guided, slow, gradual and gentle breathing and PT exercises – you allow your core and pelvic floor to come back online, your bones to knit back together and your uterus and other perineal wounds to heal. This is a tremendous gift to your body.
3) Allow mental rest for the nervous system and new brain structure
We’ve all heard about Mom brain- it get’s a bad rap, right?! I am here to tell you it is REAL and it is AWESOME if harnessed appropriately.
The nervous system changes during pregnancy and early postpartum so that the social-emotional centers of our brains grow and the planning-logistic centers shrink. This means we become super human at cueing into our babies need, social cues, sensory cues and safety. It also means we become terrible at planning and executive functioning.
When we go through postpartum NOT practicing mental rest, and return to work, or make tons of plans, or continue to manage our household, we actually go against our biology and set ourselves up for failure.
This is the reason so many new parents feel a HUGE sense of overwhelm, overstimulation and mental exhaustion. Protecting your mental energy in the first 6 weeks postpartum helps reduce the experience of anxiety, overstimulation and overwhelm. It also allows us to move deep into our new super powers of bonding, social connection and emotional intelligence. What a beautiful biological design!
4) Create time for bonding with your baby
The initial bond between parent and baby is so special. For the first 6 weeks of life- babies are primarily sleeping, eating and pooping. Postpartum parents should generally be doing the same. This allows for consistent skin to skin contact- which support both babies and Mothers nervous system and creates a deep sense of nurtured attachment. This rest period and connection time establishes a sustainable milk supply, helps with emotional regulation and generally produces a more calm Mama-Baby Dyad.
Postpartum is not a time of disease or weakness, but it is a time of rawness and vulnerability. This vulnerability makes the body easy to imprint on- meaning it is easy to influence the body towards disease and imbalance or towards health and vitality. This true rest and rejuvenation is intelligently supportive of the body moving towards long term health and vitality.
Participating in this extended period of rest is a powerful way to challenge the bounce back culture that prioritizes productivity and aesthetics over the actual health and wellness of a Women’s body. It is a revolutionary way to care for yourself, your family and all future generations.