When you give birth to a new baby, you also become a new mother. You need a whole village to support and care for you, so you can care for your baby and rest and recover from the birth. Your village may include family, friends, neighbours, other mums, and others who care about you and want to help at this special time,
but don’t know what to do.
While you’re still pregnant, think about who can do what and what you may need help with the most. Make a list and put it somewhere you can add to it as ideas come to you.
So, here are some ideas to start with:
*Ask friends to cook you and your family a meal when baby arrives.
*Ask your girlfriend to run a bath for you to relax in for some me time.
*Ask your mum to hold the baby between feeds, so you can have a nap or shower.
*Ask your partner to massage your shoulders for you.
*Ask a neighbour to pick up essentials from the supermarket.
Ask for whatever allows you to spend time with your baby and feel rested and nurtured.
If you feel relaxed, loved and supported, then oxytocin, the ‘love and connection hormone’ will help you during your postpartum. This is a sacred window to have your village supporting you.
I believe it takes a village to raise a child AND a new mother.
In traditional cultures, her village did and still does support and care for new mothers. Someone cooks, someone does any housework, someone cares for any older siblings or whatever she needs so she can rest and bond with her new baby in this sacred time of transformation to motherhood. Every new mother needs and deserves support from her village.
I’m Libby and I support and care for new mothers after birth in Central Victoria, so they feel nurtured, rested and confident to mother their unique way. I want every new mother to enjoy the transformative time after birth. I talk about this and more in my regular postnatal planning workshops for expectant parents and help new mothers find their village as a postnatal doula.
My postnatal planning workshops are in Castlemaine Victoria. To find out more, or to get a spot or two in my workshop, please leave your details on my website. I would love to hear from you.