Finding peace and joy in postpartum

What brings you peace and joy? What gives you that freedom to deeply exhale and feel warm on the inside, even just for a few moments? Identifying small, manageable activities or moments that can bring you this sensation is a key part of postpartum planning. These moments boost your oxytocin - key not only in labour but in promoting your breastfeeding and bonding with your new baby, and ultimately making you feel good.

Have a think about what does it for you - it could be a warm bath, a coffee in the sunshine, lighting a scented candle and time alone on a bed with freshly made sheets, a walk around the block, a meditation.

Turning your mind to this - and making others in your support circle (partner, doula, family and friends) aware of what makes you tick - including by listing them in a note on your fridge, is something I encourage my clients to do in our postpartum planning sessions. In the busy and depleting newborn period it is easy to forget that there are some small things that can be done to make you feel good. Things that don’t cost anything, and don’t take much time.

By reminding those around you (and yourself) you can hopefully be supporter to make the space to incorporate these into your daily rhythms. To fill your cup again, if only for a moment.

Herbal + salt baths, with music, a book, or just their own space, is something I aim to incorporate into my visits. It’s the perfect prelude to a nap too. Sometimes you just need the water run and set up for you. Permission to take time for yourself. Time that ultimately gives back to not just you, but your family too.