Nurturing the Postnatal Season: Honouring the First Weeks After Birth
As an independent midwife in East Sussex, I’m privileged to walk beside families through pregnancy, birth and the tender early weeks of parenthood. Those first days after giving birth are a threshold unlike any other — yet in much of the UK, the way we treat postnatal care has drifted far from what truly supports mothers and babies.
In our hospitals and clinics, “normal” often means being discharged within hours, travelling back for checks while still bleeding and exhausted, or sitting in public waiting areas with a newborn. For someone who’s just given birth, these journeys can feel monumental. I regularly meet parents who are surprised by how challenging even the simplest outing can be after birth — especially after a long labour, a caesarean, or a big blood loss.
By contrast, most traditional cultures treat the postnatal period as a sacred, protected time. And there’s wisdom in that.
Postnatal Traditions Around the World
Across continents and centuries, communities have developed remarkably similar practices for the weeks after birth:
Rest and retreat. New mothers stay close to home, with meals and care brought to them.
Warmth. Herbal baths, heated stones, and warming foods protect the healing body.
Nourishment. Slow-cooked soups, broths, milk-rich foods and herbs support recovery and milk supply.
Ritual. From Malaysia’s pantang with its herbal wraps and massage, to the Korean seaweed soup, to Ayurvedic oils and massage, these customs mark a woman’s transition into motherhood.
In China the tradition literally translates as “sitting the month” — a 30–44 day period of warmth, nourishment and rest to safeguard the long-term health of both mother and baby.
Why It Matters Here
We don’t all have extended families or the ability to step away from the world for six weeks. Partners often return to work quickly, grandparents live far away, and the pressure to “bounce back” is everywhere — from social media to royal photo calls.
But simply knowing the benefits of rest can help you plan for it. Gentle postpartum care isn’t indulgent. It’s protective. Evidence shows that postpartum rest and support improve breastfeeding, mental health, and long-term recovery. Planning your postnatal time like you plan your birth can be transformative.
Creating Your Postnatal Nest
Even if you can’t “sit the month,” you can weave elements of these traditions into your own recovery. Here are some practical ideas my East Sussex clients have loved:
Prepare your “nest” before birth — snacks, hot drinks flask, water, nappies, wipes, muslins, books, and your phone charger all within arm’s reach.
Plan simple, warming meals ahead of time (soups, porridge, stews). Ask friends to drop off food instead of gifts.
Expect skin-to-skin and near-constant feeding in the early days. It’s normal and protective.
Share chores. Partners, family or friends can do the cooking, cleaning, and sibling care so you can rest with your baby.
Plan your sleep space. Inform yourself about co-sleeping and cot options (see Basis Online for evidence-based information).
Independent Midwifery & Postnatal Care
One of the reasons I chose independent midwifery is because it allows me to provide the kind of postnatal care I believe in: continuity, calm, and time.
With NHS services under strain, home visits are often brief and limited. My postnatal packages bring care to you, in your own bed, as often as needed in the early days. We can spend time on feeding, healing, emotional wellbeing, and planning your next steps — rather than rushing through a checklist.
For families planning a hospital birth but wanting more support afterwards, I offer antenatal & postnatal packages that bridge the gap and provide continuity of care back at home.
Discover postnatal support with Birth Song Midwifery.
Bringing Back the Wisdom
We don’t have to replicate another culture’s practices perfectly. But we can reclaim the principle behind them: that the new mother matters. Her body, mind and spirit need as much tending as her baby does.
Planning your postnatal weeks with intention — just as you plan your birth — can nurture your healing, your baby’s gentle transition, and your family’s wellbeing for years to come.
🌸 Further Reading & Resources for the Postnatal Period
The postnatal time — or fourth trimester — is a sacred window of healing, transformation and recalibration. These books, accounts and resources honour the depth of this season, offering insight into nourishment, rest, and connection for mothers and their families.
📚 Books
🕯 The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother
Heng Ou
A modern classic that reclaims ancient postnatal wisdom and offers simple, warming recipes and rituals for the first weeks after birth.
🌿 Why Postnatal Recovery Matters
Sophie Messager
A thoughtful exploration of the physical and emotional needs of the new mother, and how to weave practical and traditional care into our modern lives.
🔥 Birth as a Rite of Passage
Rachel Reed
An extraordinary book reminding us that birth — and the time after — are deep thresholds in a woman’s life, deserving reverence, protection, and integration.
🌾 Spiritual Midwifery
Ina May Gaskin
A classic text celebrating physiological birth, connection, and the intuitive wisdom that continues into early mothering.
🌺 The Golden Month: Caring for Yourself and Your Newborn After Childbirth
Jenny Allison
Grounded in both traditional Chinese medicine and Western understanding, this book offers gentle, holistic guidance for postnatal wellbeing.
🕊 The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
La Leche League International
Comprehensive, reassuring and deeply mother-centred — a beautiful companion for your breastfeeding journey.
💧 Tongue-Tie: Morphogenesis, Impact, Assessment, Treatment
Sarah Oakley
Essential reading for understanding feeding difficulties and holistic tongue-tie assessment from a midwife’s perspective.
🌙 Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering
Sarah Buckley
Explores the hormonal physiology of birth and breastfeeding, helping parents understand how to protect and nurture these primal processes.
🫶 Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers
Gabor Maté & Gordon Neufeld
For parents wishing to deepen attachment and emotional connection beyond the newborn phase.
💻 Websites & Online Resources
BASIS – Baby Sleep Information Source – evidence-based insight into normal infant sleep and co-sleeping.
Sophie Messager – postnatal educator and doula, blending science and tradition.
Sarah Wickham – independent midwife and researcher offering brilliant, evidence-based writing on physiology and birth.
Rachel Reed – Midwife Thinking – birth physiology, women’s wisdom and respectful maternity care.
La Leche League GB – breastfeeding support and community.
📱 Instagram Accounts to Follow
@cloveryogapostpartum — gentle yoga, embodiment and nourishment for mothers.
@rachel.reed.birth — physiology, wisdom, and women’s rites.
@sophie.messager — science and tradition woven together in postnatal care.
@sarawickhammidwife — evidence, insight and the beauty of waiting for physiology.
@lauramerlinibirthkeeper — birthkeeper reflections and intuitive care.
@the_wise_womban_way — sacred feminine, postpartum healing and ritual.
🌼 Practical Tips for a Nourished Postnatal Period
Plan your postnatal nest before birth — soft lighting, nourishing snacks, and things that bring you comfort.
Prepare or batch-cook warming meals — think soups, stews, porridge, herbal teas.
Welcome help. Let others cook, clean, and hold space for you while you rest and feed your baby.
Prioritise warmth: socks, blankets, gentle layers — protect your body’s energy.
Honour slowness: this is a season of recalibration, not productivity.
