“Postpartum is a quest back to yourself. Alone in your body again. You will never be the same. You are stronger than you were.”
Amethyst Joy
What does Holistic Postpartum Recovery look like?
Your postpartum is a sacred time for you & the family you are creating.
Throughout our Herstory, we have found that many cultures and traditions have created rituals & practices to support a new parent’s postpartum recovery.
In many of these cultures we see very low rates of PPMDs and other common postpartum ailments that we see in the West.
We see mothers growing strong and vital and passing along that vitality and resilience to the next generation.
In Ayurvedic tradition, it is said that the road to lifelong health for a woman is rooted in her postpartum recovery.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine and other Asian cultures, it is the norm for the postpartum person to spend 40 days being tended to, nurtured and cared for, while she learns to tend, nurture and care for her new baby.
In Malaysia & other Asian countries where traditional postpartum care is accessible & common, we see much lower rates of postpartum depression than what we see here in the United States.
This reality effects not only new parents, but it effects the infants and the children as well.
In the book The Fourth Trimester, by Kimberly Ann Johnson, she states that a postpartum person has 5 Universal Needs.
They are…
An extended rest period
Nourishing food
Loving touch
The presence of wise women and spiritual companionship
Contact with nature
Our Holistic Postpartum Recovery Sessions are designed to support you through the Fourth Trimester with traditional postpartum care that we find throughout the world and to meet those Universal needs that Birth-Givers need.
Postpartum Doula Support & Newborn Care Support
Jen has been a postpartum doula since 2018 and will begin our session by opening up the space to connect and offer emotional support on your journey beyond birth.
We can discuss any challenges you may be experiencing and I will hold the space with you to release anything that is coming up for you.
I am available to provide any newborn care support, newborn gear demo & support, sleep/rest support, postpartum recovery support or lactation support you may need and offer up knowledge, experience and education.
This can include establishing routines and a daily rhythm, and supporting your newborn with developmentally appropriate activities.
This can include meal prep and cooking, along with tidying up and helping with laundry.
This can include holistic postpartum recovery support like what we share below.
Postpartum Specific Meals
After we take some time to connect we will begin preparing a warming meal specific to your needs postpartum and in alignment with any specific diet you may follow.
We will provide ingredients sourced locally from farmer’s markets that are organic and highly nutritious.
Prior to our session we will provide you with a few options to choose from for your postpartum healing meal.
Yoni Care – Steaming & Bath Soaks
We will take some time to set some intentions for what you would like to receive from your session, and where you may need the most support and we will help to guide you through a self-care practice, while we prepare you an herbal recovery tea.
Based on your intentions, how your postpartum recovery is going, along with your preferences we will prepare either a healing herbal yoni steam, sitz bath or a ritual bath.
If you choose a yoni steam, we will prepare the healing herbs and will then place them in the bowl of your toilet, and we will use either a robe I provide or your own and towels to wrap you up while you sit on the toilet and enjoy your yoni steam.
If we choose a sitz bath, we will prepare the herbs and sitz salts, place them in a shallow bathing container in the toilet for you to sit in, or we can prepare a shallow bath in your bathtub.
We will also prepare a ginger, epsom salt foot bath to assist the lymphatic system and help with any postpartum swelling you may have.
If a a ritual bath is in order, we will prepare the healing herbs to be strained and used in the bath, along with bath salts.
After your steam or bath is a great time to bathe/shower if desired, and we will provide you with either a Malaysian body scrub or body soap to use in your practice.
Meditation & Mindfulness
During your cleansing ritual, we will provide you with a guided meditation or body practice to support your wellness and to help you with any intentions you are setting for yourself during our session.
We will provide you with some journal prompts to reflect upon and to help you in manifesting whatever you would like to create for yourself, within your life and/or with your new family.
This is a great mindfulness practice to notice where you may need to set boundaries, ask for more support or help, or allow space for more pleasure, joy & gratitude in your journey.
It may also help to kickstart some ideas on your journey ahead and begin to take the steps necessary to prepare.
Lymphatic Support & Body Care
After your cleansing ritual, we will apply a Malaysian healing oil all over your body & specific to where you are in your postpartum recovery.
This oil will support your blood circulation & metabolism, help to remove toxins from the body, support your skin tone, release water retention and flatulence and support the lymphatic system.
Lactation Support – Body Care, Teas & Tonics
After your cleansing ritual, you will have an opportunity to eat your postpartum meal.
Following your meal we will provide you with a lymphatic breast massage practice that you can use to help prevent engorgement, clogged ducts and mastitis.
We will also tend to any nipple care and we will be available for any lactation specific questions, support or guidance.
We may also create some tea infusions or tonics that will support lactation and postpartum recovery.
Bellywrapping & Abdominal Care
Following your meal & lactation support, we will begin the abdominal care & belly-binding ritual.
We will begin with applying the warm herbal compress on your abdomen, which will stimulate your digestion and aid in your recovery.
We will continue with the herbal massage oil & firming paste to your abdomen, and talk about pelvic care & core recovery.
This is a great time to also begin to process through your birth story and receive support and healing.
After the abdominal care ritual, we will begin the process of belly-binding.
After the ritual, we will show you how you can belly-bind yourself, or demonstrate the practice for your partner or other support person.
Following the session, you will receive a lactation treat and a postpartum rejuvenation tonic.
Let’s see if we are a good fit to work together!
Schedule your Free Discovery Call today!
We offer birth & postpartum education, preparation, planning & in-person support.
This includes classes, coaching & mentoring, placenta services, doula support, belly-binding, holistic postpartum recovery, sleep consulting, birth story healing.
Our service area is Orange County, CA and nationwide depending on the services provided.
For Live-In Holistic Postpartum Services we provide support nationwide.
Including Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Santa Ana, Dana Point, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano.
I am available remotely for those outside of this area.