We take a look at some simple ways to support yourself with your newborn during these crazy self-isolating times

I’m quite sure that this isn’t quite how you imagined the first few weeks of life with your newborn baby to be. As I’ve said before, this pandemic has changed so much in all our lives.

But I’m here to tell you that there are many benefits to a period of retreat after birth.

Cultures around the world have been practising a period of about 40 days of rest for 1,000’s of years. In Germany it is called wochenbett, in China they call it the Golden Month, in Mexico it is called la cuarentena.

And science is now slowly catching up, and showing us how a supported period of recovery after birth boosts our ‘rest & digest’ hormones, which in turn helps us to heal faster, bond with our baby better and produce breastmilk easier.

I know you didn’t plan for this, and that makes everything that bit harder. But I wanted share with you a few simple ways that you can turn this enforced isolation into an enjoyable retreat.

1. Switch Your Mindset

Start thinking of this as a retreat not an isolation. Start looking at the positives.

• Your partner might be home more than would have been possible otherwise
• You don’t have to host any visitors and can rest that bit more – you can take a read of Lisa’s insights into visitors after birth in our Wish I Knew series
• A retreat is a beneficial, healing time. Start thinking of ways you can create this atmosphere in your home (ideas below)

2. Ask for help

People can’t come by, but they can still support you from afar. Could you ask some family and friends to drop off some meals to a freezer box outside your door ?

Any of these recipes would be wonderful gifts for family and friends to drop off:

Shiitake Immune Boosting Broth

Bone Broth

Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup

Lactation Cookies

Breastfeeding Tea & Mother’s Milk Tea

3. Make a Sitz Bath

A sitz bath is a wonderful way to help you heal after birth. It is also a great opportunity to take 15 minutes of ‘me’ time, time to remember you in the middle of all of the madness

4. Feeling stressed or anxious?

Lemon balm is a wonderful, gentle herb to help lower stress levels, support the nervous system and relieve anxiety and those baby and/or Covid 19 blues. If you are lucky enough to have it in your garden, pop a handful in to a teapot and add hot water and let steep for 10 minutes. You can also purchase it dried online and use like a loose-leaf tea. You could also mix equal parts of dried nettle, dried fennel and dried lemon balm to make a wonderfully supportive tea blend. Nettle is rich in iron, supports breastmilk production and is a lovely nutritional tonic. Fennel is great for digestion, both of baby and of you. All three are safe for breastfeeding. You can make a pot of tea by adding a tablespoon of the mix to boiling water and letting steep for 7-10 minutes. Always take care drinking hot drinks near to your baby.

If you are feeling overwhelmed or suffering a bit of brainfog, burning Rosemary oil in the home in an oil burner can help boost blood circulation to the brain and also has a lovely calming effect.

5. Divide the Day Up

Endless days on your own with a newborn can seem overwhelming. If this is the case for you, try dividing your day up in to smaller parts. 

Keep the parts loose – your baby won’t, indeed shouldn’t, have any set routine yet. But maybe say to yourself – when I wake up I’m going to ask my partner to mind the baby for 30 minutes and I’m going to take a bath. This afternoon I’m going to try to faceTime a friend.

Add a small treat or two in to every day. Take 5 minutes to give yourself a foot rub, or to walk around your garden alone. Or whatever it is that makes you feel good. Doing what feels good is good for baby and for you.

6. Remember that This Too Shall Pass

This applies to pandemics and to sleepless nights, lockdowns and troubles with latch. My wonderful German midwife reminded me of this a few weeks in to motherhood with my first (very tricky) baby and I have thought about it many times ever since. You can take a read of Genevieve’s insights into early motherhood to learn more about what she would recommend on the topic!

More from the blog