Creating Your Postpartum Sanctuary
Things for *you* to cultivate a peaceful and useful postpartum sanctuary.
Bottles of water and/or electrolyte filled drinks in every room. Coconut water and LMNT are both highly recommended. Try to keep your drinks room temperature to warm temperature to avoid bringing any coldness into your body, especially your womb space.
Essential oils! These can be used in many different ways. You can use oils in a diffuser for aromatherapy in your whole home, or with drops placed on your skin, or a quick inhale from the bottle for a brief moment of peace. Oils can promote relaxation, protect your immune system, encourage physical and mental healing, help with sleeping, and ease sore muscles. Small drops of diluted lavender can even be used on the soles of your baby’s feet for calmness and sweet dreams. I personally always love to have lavender on hand for postpartum visits, and give out eucalyptus to put on clients shower walls and floor for a steamy, cleansing shower.
Affirmation cards & love notes. Decorate your space with meaningful words that make you smile and give you motivation. Even a note from a family member or friend is a wonderful thing to have easy access to for re-reading.
Comfy pajamas that you love and feel good in. Ideally you'll be as cozy and warm as possible in the 4th trimester!
Blankets, warm socks, and an extra layer of clothes. Warmth will encourage your body to recover and heal your womb space. Cold feet specifically correlate to a cold uterus, so it’s important to not walk on cold floors or allow your toes and feet to get chilly.
A pen and a journal to document sweet moments of motherhood, and to process any emotions, struggles, and feelings you're going through. This could be a prayer journal, or somewhere you write affirmations for yourself too.
A himalayan salt lamp is a great addition to your postpartum nest for ambiance, but also its mood lifting and cleansing properties. Salt lamps purify the air, increase energy levels, encourage better sleep, and improves mood and concentration. Salt lamps have also been known to ease seasonal affective disorder, allergies and colds, and neutralize electromagnetic radiation. So not only will a salt lamp bring calm and coziness to your sanctuary, but it will provide so many health benefits! This is also a gentle light that will be soft enough for you and baby to feed during the night without too much disruption.
Extra pillows on your couch and bed to get yourself into a good position and support comfortable breastfeeding.
Flowers or plants to bring beauty into your space, brighten your area and your mood, and detoxify the air.
A relaxing audio, meditation, prayer, or hypnosis track to listen to while resting.
A candle to light when you need to take a moment to meditate over your new role, honor your work as a Mother, or reflect on your birth. Light this candle when you need a moment to ground yourself, think inwards, and blow it out with a big cleansing breath when you’re ready to move on.
A tray so you can eat in bed or on the couch easily.
Books, magazines, etc. to keep you occupied while the baby sleeps, or read to baby while they’re awake.
An belly wrap (ideally an Ayurvedic or Bangkok wrap) to give closure emotionally and physically, and help your belly feel supported.
