Hello, dear community!

While I’ve been in the midst of pregnancy and preparing for birth, I’ve been OBSESSED with these 2 books focused on the postpartum period…

There’s so much focus on pregnancy and birth in our society, and what’s gotten lost is the immediate period after babe is born.

The stage of this transformational process when the mother is also birthed…

A crucial time that if prioritized has the capacity to help the mother rest, recover and replenish her reserves so that she can show up as fully and wholly for her child, family and community as possible in the months to come.

In many ancient and indigenous cultures, the period of 40-days of rest, retreat and deep nourishment for the mother was/is revered as sacred, and I believe that it’s HIGH TIME that we collectively reclaim this practice in our modern western society as well – for the health of our small family units, as well as the world at large.

Heng Ou shares this in her book, The First 40 Days:

“A mom to be is surrounded by countless resources and support for almost 10 months of pregnancy, but once the umbilical cord is cut, the attention shifts almost completely to baby, and she can easily feel dropped. Ironically, it is precisely this time that her wellbeing must come first. She is the source from which all life springs. But if her cup runs dry, then nobody drinks.”

And this has not only had me thinking about the imperativeness of prioritizing this period of restoration right after a babe is born, but also about carving out space for a similar rest period (perhaps not as lengthy…could be a long weekend, week, or even a few weeks) after birthing a new business venture or big passion project into the world.

So often, it’s the style of the heart-based entrepreneur, activist, space-holder, or compassionate leader, to not take breaks and surge onward and upward right after a big launch or project.

But just like after physical birth, if we don’t pause for a moment to rest, integrate and acknowledge the great accomplishment that’s been achieved, the potential for burnout is much greater.

That being said, I’d recommend these 2 books for any mama, mama-to-be, someone intending to bring a new life into the world, AND any heart-based leader who needs a simple and profound reminder to prioritize herself and her wellbeing after birth, in any sense of the word.

I hope you enjoy these sweet resources, and may we all remember to give back to ourselves as space-holders so that we can show up in the most sustainable way possible for our families and communities in the weeks, months and years to come.

With love and deep gratitude for the women who’ve written these books, and to all those in support of reclaiming a more mindful and balanced world for all,