Postpartum Recovery, Self-Care & Early Postpartum Healing
In so many traditional cultures, the first 40 days after birth are seen as a sacred window of rest, bonding, and deep healing. A time when the mother is cared for, fed, massaged, and surrounded by softness — so she can focus entirely on the sacred unfolding of early motherhood.
But in modern Western culture, this rite of passage is often overlooked. Mothers are expected to “bounce back,” show up, and do it all — while their bodies are still bleeding, their hearts wide open, and their entire being in the midst of the most profound transformation.
This blog is an invitation to reclaim this time. To remember that postpartum recovery is not something to rush through, but something to honor. Because the way you are held in those first 40 days — emotionally, physically, spiritually — echoes through the rest of your mothering journey.
Why the First 40 Days After Birth Matter
The first 40 days after birth are a bridge — between the woman you were and the mother you are becoming.
Your body is healing from pregnancy and birth. Your hormones are recalibrating. Your nervous system is integrating one of the most powerful experiences of your life. Your baby is adjusting to life outside the womb — and you are learning one another.
This period isn’t just about recovery. It’s about rebirth.
The uterus contracts and shrinks back to size
Organs shift back into place
Bleeding (lochia) slowly comes to an end
Milk comes in
Sleep is fractured
Emotions run high
Identity is shifting
You deserve to be nourished, witnessed, and supported during all of this.
Postpartum Recovery Is Deep, Sacred Work
Postpartum self-care isn’t a checklist — it’s a way of being. It’s about creating space for slowness, softness, and support. It’s about allowing others to care for you, so you can pour your love into your baby without draining your own well.
Here are a few gentle ways to honor your postpartum recovery:
Warmth
In many traditions, warmth is considered vital to healing. Think warm meals, warm socks, warm drinks, warm baths. Let your body be wrapped in heat and comfort.
Rest
Your only job is to rest, feed your baby, and receive. Let everything else fall away. This is not the time to clean the kitchen or catch up on emails.
Nourishing food
Soups, stews, root vegetables, bone broths, teas. Cooked, soft, and easy-to-digest meals help rebuild strength and vitality.
Boundaries
Say no to visits that don’t feel supportive. Say yes to people who bring food, fold laundry, and love you well.
Emotional support
Share how you feel — the highs, the tears, the tenderness, the moments of awe and the moments of struggle. You’re allowed to have all of it.
Ritual and slowness
Light a candle. Wear something soft. Lay in bed longer. Listen to your body’s rhythms.
You Deserve to Be Mothered, Too
The early postpartum period can feel raw, intense, and beautiful all at once. You are learning so much. Loving so deeply. Giving endlessly. Which is why you also need to be held.
Whether you create a postpartum plan, ask for help, or gather your village ahead of time — know that you don’t have to do it alone.
I always remind the women I work with: Your well-being is just as important as your baby’s. You are both newborns in your own way. And you both deserve deep care.
If You’re Preparing for This Sacred Window…
It’s never too early to begin creating a postpartum nest. Whether you're working with a doula, receiving help from family or friends, arranging a mealtrain or creating rituals just for yourself, your experience in the first 40 days after birth can be one of deep nourishment and grounding.
In my 1:1 doula work here in Berlin — and in my online group program "I AM MOTHER NATURE" — I support women not just through pregnancy and birth, but into postpartum. Because how you’re held in these early days matters deeply.
If you're craving guidance, a space to feel, or support in mapping out your postpartum time, I’d be honored to walk with you.
Keywords: postpartum self-care, postpartum doula berlin
DO YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW ME?