what we can learn

Hey momma,

Have you ever wondered what postpartum looks like in other cultures? Or what it may have looked like for your ancestors? Is there a better way to navigate this life change than what we are doing here in the West? Every culture varies a bit in the traditions they have for a new mother and baby during the 4th trimester. A common thread throughout non-westernized cultures is the presence of ritual and ceremony. Ceremony is used to set apart and celebrate a special occurrence. Rituals are the actions we take during a ceremony that make it sacred and memorable. What more special an event than a mother bringing life into the world?! The events we hold ceremonies for reveal what we value as a society. We celebrate what we believe to be sacred. A culture that gathers around a newborn mother and performs rituals- herbal baths, massage, and preparation of nourishing meals- is mother focused. A culture that creates ceremony around bringing gifts for the baby is baby focused.

I encourage you to research traditional postpartum practices from different cultures. There are many articles that have been written on the topic by popular publications like NY Times, Huffpost, Romper to name a few. There are also a handful of beautiful books written on the subject. I have some of my favorites linked at the end of this post. If you don’t have family rituals that you are aware of you can create your own for your fourth trimester. You can birth a new culture of postpartum for your family going forward.

recommended further reading:

The Mommy Plan by Valerie Lynn

the first forty days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother

xoxo,

Meghan