How Will You Honor Your Postpartum Window?
In my recent newsletter, "6 Things to Set Up for a Truly Supported Postpartum", the first thing I talked about was being incredibly intentional about how you spend your postpartum time.
Before you plan anything postpartum, spend some time really thinking about the approach you want to take.
Decide how you'll honor this window.
The 5-5-5 method resonated a lot with me, and I also loved the concept of "The First 40 Days." But parts of it felt a bit too extreme for me - not leaving the house or washing your hair for over a month - that didn't feel realistic.
So I created my own version, following the 5-5-5 method, plus the general philosophy of the first 40 days, where the mom is supported through the first ~6 weeks after birth.
And I made a commitment to follow my intuition. To give myself structure and support, and clear away as much as possible so I could tune into what would serve my body, mind, and baby in real time.
The 5-5-5 method is a simple guideline for the first 15 days postpartum, centered around rest and a gradual re-entry into normal activity.
Days 1–5: In the bed. This is deep recovery. You're in a cocoon with your baby. You're doing skin-to-skin. You stay horizontal as much as possible (outside of the bathroom), focusing on rest, recovery, bonding, and feeding. Meals and hydration are brought to you in bed.
Days 6–10: On the bed. You're still mostly in bed, but more upright. Sitting up, maybe a short walk around the room, light stretching in bed. Still very much prioritizing rest. Meals are still brought to you.
Days 11–15: Around the bed. This is a gentle re-entry. You're moving around your space more — maybe from your bedroom to the table — but not taking on tasks, not cooking, not getting back into life as usual. Still avoiding overexertion, long outings, or any kind of "back to normal" pace.
The "first 40 days" treats the first ~6 weeks postpartum as a protected recovery window. It comes from traditional practices across cultures — Latin America, Asia, the Middle East — where postpartum care is expected and built in, not something you're left to figure out on your own.
In practice, it often looks like being cared for by the women in your family or community. Rest is the priority. Meals are prepared for you. Household tasks are handled. Visitors are limited.
There's also an emphasis on warm, nourishing foods and creating a calm, low-stimulation environment.
Everything is in support of rebuilding - not just surviving.
And maybe the most important part is the emotional and nervous system support. Creating space for bonding, for your body to recalibrate, for your system to feel safe again. It shapes your connection with your baby, your milk supply, and your overall emotional stability in ways that aren't always obvious in the moment.
Personally, I found both of these concepts really helpful.
5-5-5 gave me the structure I needed. The first 40 days gave me a broader container and philosophy to build my support system around.
When I first heard about 5-5-5, I honestly thought there was no way I could spend two weeks mostly in bed.
So I communicated ahead of time with my husband and my mom. I told them this was something I really wanted to try, and that I'd probably feel the urge to get up and do things - but that it was important to me that they helped make it easy to stay in it.
That meant preparing and bringing me meals, keeping water nearby, and taking care of things around the house so I didn't have to think about them.
And honestly, the time flew by. It felt like this strange, time-warped bubble in the best way. The newborn phase is so incredibly sweet, and having the space to actually be in it made all the difference.
Postpartum is a short window with this baby, and it goes by so quickly.
There will be pressure to do more. To get out of the house. To feel like yourself again.
But you just grew a baby for 9 months and went through one of the most intense physical, emotional, and spiritual experiences a person can go through. You and your baby deserve this time.
So be thoughtful in your approach.
What do you want postpartum to feel like? And then structure things around that feeling.
Because it really does set the tone for everything else — how you feel, how you recover, your emotional headspace, how connected you feel to your baby, how overwhelmed (or not) things feel day to day.
Everyone's version will look different.
What matters is that you decide.
If you're pregnant, here are a few questions I'd start with:
What do I want this time to feel like?
What are 5 words I'd use to describe my ideal immediate postpartum window?
Is there a particular philosophy that resonates with me?
What would help me feel calm, supported, and not rushed?
What am I okay letting go of for a few weeks?
Answer those questions first - the what, before you start to tackle the how.
I'd love to hear what comes up for you.
If you're pregnant and trying to figure out what your postpartum window should actually look like — what to protect, who to lean on, what to let go of — that's exactly what we build together on a Planning Call.
30-Minute Postpartum Planning Call - $37 - 1:1 with Dr. Jen · via Zoom
We'll map out your specific situation and leave you with a clear picture of your postpartum approach — before the baby arrives, while you still have the space to plan.
Have a question before booking? Reply to this email — I'm here.
With you,
Jen
The "first 40 days" philosophy that I love so much is rooted in one thing: giving your body what it needs to truly rebuild — not just get by.
That philosophy extended to what I was putting in my body during that window. Postpartum is a time of real cellular repair, and phospholipids — the building blocks your cell membranes are made of — are something I kept coming back to. BodyBio's Balance Oil has been a consistent part of my postpartum nutrition.
If you're thinking ahead about how to support your recovery from the inside, it's worth looking into.
If this issue resonated with you, send it to a friend who is currently pregnant. The best way to support this newsletter is by sharing it with someone in this season — or heading into it. It might be exactly what they need to read today.
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