By Dr. Michelle Young, ND @dr.michelle_young

The Postpartum Season Deserves More Then "Bounce Back Culture" 

As a naturopathic doctor and a first-time mom, I know the postpartum period is one of the most profound physiological and emotional transitions a woman will ever experience. Culturally, we rush it. We minimize it. We turn it into a race to “bounce back.”

But here’s the truth:

You can’t biohack postpartum.
You can’t skip the rest, the nourishment, or the support your body was designed to receive.

What you can do is prepare with respect, flexibility, and community—so your fourth trimester becomes a season of restoration rather than depletion.

Here’s how I’ve been preparing for my own postpartum journey.

Grounding in the 5 Pillars of Postpartum

Earlier this year, I took Rachelle Seliga’s Innate Traditions Fourth Trimester Planning Course, which I highly recommend to all expectant parents. She teaches the five pillars of postpartum: community, extended rest, warmth, nourishment, and bodywork.

My husband and I used this as a framework to create a clear roadmap for how we want to approach this season, from who’s supporting us to what’s in our freezer.

1. Community and Support 

Community is the foundation of postpartum care and one of the hardest parts for many modern families. Knowing that, we made a big life decision and moved to Michigan to be closer to family. Having my mom nearby gives me peace of mind, knowing she’ll be part of our support system when the baby arrives.

One of the most impactful takeaways from Rachelle Seliga’s course was her teaching that both mom and dad need two layers of support at all times.

For moms, this means having your partner plus at least one additional person offering both physical and emotional support. For dads or partners, this support system should include two people who are not the mother. This ensures that everyone has the help they need and that no one person is expected to carry the full weight of the postpartum period.

Support can come from anyone the mother feels safe, heard, and held by—family, friends, or paid help. It creates a web of care that allows both parents to rest, adjust, and bond with their baby without burnout.

One of my biggest takeaways is that a dad or partner is not a postpartum plan. They cannot be everything for the mother, and expecting that is a recipe for overwhelm and disconnection. We need to support both parents so that the whole family thrives.

We also saved intentionally over the last two years to invest in professional postpartum support, which includes:

• A postpartum doula to help with meals, housework, and emotional support

• An IBCLC (lactation consultant) who will come to our home for breastfeeding support

As a first-time mom, I wanted to surround myself with people who can offer both expertise and compassion. I also reached out to moms in my community, both locally and online, to ask what really helped them postpartum and what they would do differently. Their wisdom shaped so much of our plan.

2. Extended Rest

I’m honoring the traditional concept of a “sit-in” period, giving my body and nervous system the chance to fully recalibrate. My goal is 40 days of rest:

• 7 days in bed

• 7 days around the bed

• Then slowly reintegrating into the rest of the house

My husband and I created a written plan so we’re both clear on how to make it happen. Of course, we’ll stay flexible. If I’m craving fresh air or sunshine, we’ll make space for short outdoor moments to support my mental health and let the baby get some sunlight.

3. Nourishment and Warmth

Starting around 28 weeks, I began meal prepping warm, easy-to-digest, nutrient-dense foods. In the early weeks, everything I eat and drink will be warm and cooked to support digestion and healing.

Meals I prepped include bone broths, soups and stews, congee, kitchari, stewed fruits, and one-handed snacks like muffins, meatballs, and lactation cookies.

I’ve also stocked up on healing herbs and postpartum tonics, so my husband can make me nourishing teas daily. Some of my favorite supports include:

• Prenatal vitamins (continuing postpartum)

• Cod liver oil

• Probiotics

• Phosphatidylcholine

• Wishgarden Herbs Afterease tincture for postpartum contractions

• Milk Moon’s Postpartum Tonic

Warmth will be woven into everything, from sitz baths and yoni steams to cozy blankets, socks, and red light therapy for evening feeds.

4. Bodywork

Gentle, intentional bodywork supports physical healing, circulation, lymphatic flow, and musculoskeletal alignment after birth.

For my postpartum plan, we’ve prioritized: 

• Light whole-body massage
• At-home chiropractic care
• Craniosacral therapy
• Abdominal therapy
• Pelvic floor therapy

These sessions will help my body recover, release tension, and restore alignment while I focus on rest and bonding with my baby.

In addition to professional supports, bodywork also includes practices like sitz baths, yoni steaming, gentle stretching, and bowspring to promote circulation, pelvic floor recovery, and overall vitality. Combining professional care with home rituals ensures a balanced approach to postpartum healing.

5. Creating a Healing Environment

I’ve always believed our environment shapes our healing. We prepared our home to be as calm and supportive as possible:

• Clutter-free bedroom for rest and bonding
• Bedside cart stocked with essentials like diapers, wipes, blanket, milk collector, homeopathic remedies, journal, and book
• Bedside bassinet for ease with nighttime feeds and a safe co-sleeping setup
• Red light nightlight, which supports melatonin and minimizes blue light exposure

6. Communication and Partnership (bonus)

Before birth, my husband and I had many conversations about my desires for postpartum, including who to tell when the baby arrives and what my emotional needs might look like on hard days.

We made a Postpartum Plan List, includesing:

Snack list:

Quick options I prepped in advance, including Mamala Support Snacks™ (a lifesaver for one-handed nourishment).

Love language reminders:

Sitting outside together, warm showers, hand or foot massages, and words of affirmation

Mantras

•  “I’m doing a good job”
• “Nothing lasts forever” 
• "He doesn’t need to fix every emotion that comes up"

This list helps him know exactly how to support me without having to guess. I recommend every couple do this before baby arrives.

7. Preparing for Breastfeeding (and also) 

Even though I’ve studied maternal health extensively, I revisited breastfeeding education with fresh eyes because every journey is unique.

I’ve learned about: latch, milk supply, and the emotional realities of feeding. I have professional and peer support lined up in advance if needed. This is something I spent more hours researching and discussing with my husband than preparing the nursery or baby registry.

8. The Bigger Picture (in conclusion) 

I know this season will stretch me in ways I can’t yet imagine. But I also believe that by following our natural physiology and truly honoring this time, postpartum can be deeply restorative and transformative for both myself and my husband.

Postpartum sets the foundation for our family and shapes our journeys as parents.

By prioritizing rest, warmth, nourishment, bodywork, and community, I’m trusting that my body knows how to heal and thrive. Women were literally made for this.

Postpartum isn’t something to rush through. When supported well, it can be one of the most powerful seasons of renewal and vitality a woman ever experiences.