The Sacred Necessity of Postpartum Care: Re-Membering Our Ancestral Wisdom

I gave birth to my first daughter in a foreign country with just my husband for support. He had 5 days off work, after which I was completely alone. Once in a while a friend would visit and someone would come and clean my house, yet those days were long and lonely. My physical recovery was straightforward and relatively easeful, breastfeeding was effortless, yet an ache lingered within me — to be seen, loved, held, and nourished. Looking back at my 30 year old self now, I feel sadness and tenderness for that woman…a desire for something different for my daughters, and womankind in general was ignited within me. Those tender moments revealed the profound necessity of postpartum care, a sacred practice that became the heart of my work with The Feminine Re.Membering. My journey deepened through the transformative INNATE Postpartum Care Certification Training with Rachelle Garcia Seliga at Innate Traditions, equipping me to guide mothers and families toward thriving.

The sacred 40-day postpartum period is not a modern invention—it’s a universal tradition revered across cultures until recent times. From China’s zurgen to India’s jaappa and Indonesia’s pantang, communities cradled mothers with rest, warm foods, and communal care, recognising this window as pivotal for physiologic and emotional renewal after the immensity of pregnancy and birth. In these cultures, the first 40 days remain respected today, with rituals like womb massage, herbal baths, and family support nurturing mothers’ vitality. Yet, in our modern world, this knowledge has faded, leaving mothers without the village to witness and exalt their transformation. Most of us lack the community to truly live this support, disconnected from practices that once sustained us. I do this work to re-member our past and our bodies’ innate design, restoring what has been lost through bespoke care.

Our culture today often pushes women to “bounce back” after birth—to shed the physical signs of pregnancy, resume work, and re-enter the world as if nothing has changed. This pressure, fuelled by societal expectations and media, is the antithesis of what mothers need. The postpartum period demands deep rest, not rushing; it calls for mothers to remain in bed or near it, free from household responsibilities, focusing solely on bonding with their little one and healing her tender body. Respecting the first 40 days is respecting life itself—acknowledging the profound physical, emotional, and spiritual shifts of birth. By honouring this sacred window, we nurture the very foundation of thriving human life.

At the heart of postpartum care lies the mother’s nervous system, exquisitely sensitive and central to her newborn’s development. Through loving touch, eye contact, and presence, a mother’s regulated nervous system co-regulates her baby’s, fostering secure attachment and lifelong resilience. As my wonderful teacher, Rachelle teaches, this sacred interplay is life’s foundation, but it requires a mother to feel held. Deep rest—free from chores or social pressures—allows her nervous system to settle, healing the intensity of birth while grounding the mother-baby dyad.

Nourishment is equally vital, as a new mother’s digestive system is delicate, not yet robust after pregnancy and birth. Appropriately cooked foods—warm, soft, and nutrient-dense, like bone broths, slow-cooked stews, and spiced porridges—gently rebuild her vitality. In traditions like India’s jaappa, foods are infused with warming spices (ginger, turmeric) to stoke digestion and circulation, ensuring energy restoration without strain. These meals, traditionally prepared by family or community, are acts of love, affirming the mother’s role as the heart of the family.

Bodywork and loving touch—through castor oil packs, yoni steaming, or gentle massage—support circulation, healing, and emotional integration. These rituals, rooted in Ayurveda and Indigenous wisdom, clear stagnation, promote uterine involution, and soothe postpartum discomfort. Loving touch, whether from a practitioner or loved one, regulates the mother’s nervous system, reinforcing safety and connection. Innate Traditions reminds us: “Women are the heart, the foundation of the people.” A mother’s health anchors her family’s vitality—when she is rested, nourished, and held, she radiates strength, nurturing her newborn, partner, and household, shaping generations.

Investing in postpartum care is an act of rebellion in a society that generally doesn’t support our thriving health. By choosing OURSELVES - through deep rest, nourishing foods, and loving touch, we nullify the “bounce back” myth, reclaiming a physiologic need encoded in our bodies. These sacred 40 days are a gift we’ll forever be grateful to receive, setting our children up to thrive through the secure attachment and resilience fostered in these early moments. A woman’s body, so generous in creating life, needs this rest to journey through future pregnancies, menopause, and beyond with ease and thriving health.

Through The Feminine Re.Membering, I offer bespoke postpartum care—40-Day Care, Somatic Sessions, and trauma-informed yoga—to re-member your body’s magic. Without the ancestral village, my work creates a sacred space for you to feel witnessed, nourished, and restored. Drawing on the wisdom of Innate Traditions, I guide you to rest deeply, savour nourishing foods, and embrace bodywork, rejecting the “bounce back” myth to honour life’s sacred beginnings. Ready to reclaim the 40 days? Book a session to weave postpartum care into your journey, nurturing your nervous system, your baby, and your family’s radiant health.