Many cultures celebrate the first few weeks after a baby is born as a special, sacred time. Cultural postnatal care practices around the world have different names, but the focus is the same. The number one priority is making space for parents to rest, recover, and connect with their babies.
The traditional cultural practice of postnatal confinement is when parents and babies stay at home and are cared for by extended family. This is seen as an opportunity for parents to focus on:
- Healing after pregnancy and birth.
- Resting as much as possible.
- Eating well to support breastfeeding and physical recovery.
- Bonding with their little one.
“I did think that having the support with my parents, and my grandma, who did pretty much all the cooking helped a lot with my healing. Because I found it really tough.”
Melissa
1
Postnatal confinement practices around the world
2
Common beliefs and practices
3
Confinement then and now
4
Benefits of confinement
5
What the research tells us
6
Taking care of yourself when confinement ends
What can we learn from confinement cultures?
Listen now to PANDA's podcast - Survive and Thrive