In those tender early days after birth, when a mother is still physically and emotionally raw, the kind of support she receives can shape not just her own recovery, but the future she is building — for herself and for her child.
Early postpartum support isn’t a luxury; it’s a lifeline. Research1 shows that when mothers are met with emotional, practical, and affirming care soon after birth, their confidence begins to bloom. The fog of overwhelm starts to lift. What emerges is more than temporary relief — it’s a growing trust in herself that becomes the foundation of lifelong emotional resilience.
This isn’t just about comfort. It’s about prevention — easing the risks of postpartum anxiety and depression, creating the conditions for secure attachment, and laying the groundwork for healthier outcomes for both mother and child.
When a mother feels supported, safe and seen, strong roots of the foundational relationship between mum and bub can form. This creates the opportunity to repair fractured generational connections and will assist bub to grow up creating and seeking out other healthy adult relationships of their own.
"This isn’t just about comfort. It’s about prevention..."
But support isn’t only emotional — and recovery isn’t only physical. Nourishing the body with nutrient-dense, balanced meals supports the mind as well. It boosts mood, sharpens thinking, and steadies a mother amid the unpredictable waves of postpartum stress.
This is where we can also look to traditional wisdom for guidance.
In Chinese culture, the practice of “sitting the month” reflects a deep cultural recognition of how crucial this window of recovery is. Traditional Chinese confinement practices are rooted in the belief that how a woman cares for herself in the first 40 days after childbirth can shape her health for the next 40 years.
During this time, mothers are encouraged to stay indoors, avoid cold exposure, eat warming, nutrient-rich foods, and receive continuous support with infant care — all in service of rest, nourishment, and warmth. These traditions are not rigid prescriptions, but a holistic embrace of the mother's needs — physical, emotional, and spiritual.
"...caregiving must centre the caregiver too..."
While modern life may not always allow for full adherence to traditional confinement, its essence offers timeless insight: that postpartum healing is sacred, and that caregiving must centre the caregiver, too. The core values — restorative rest, intentional nourishment, and compassionate support — are as relevant today as ever, and can beautifully inform modern postpartum care.
Emotional support, too, isn’t a nicety — it’s a shield. Being listened to. Being validated. Being encouraged.
These simple, powerful acts help mothers build trust in themselves after the often-disorienting experience of childbirth. It’s not about making her feel “good” — it’s about helping her find her way back to herself. Anchored. Whole. Ready for the new life she’s guiding.
One mother described her experience before finding support:
"Before we arrived at Homb, I felt like I couldn't trust myself. I had gone into birth believing, 'My body knows how to do this.' I hadn’t done it before, but my body knows how to birth a child. I've got a plan, everything will be fine.
But when things didn’t go as I’d hoped, by the end of that first week in hospital, I felt broken. I just didn't trust myself and I felt like I needed people to tell me what to do."
But at Homb, something shifted:
"One thing that really impacted me was that no one told me what to do. Instead, everyone asked, 'What do you need?'"
And in that simple act — in being asked instead of instructed — she began to come home to herself.
"It flipped my mindset. I realised I know what’s best for me. I just needed permission to say it out loud — and that was the best thing I could do for both myself and my daughter, Charlotte. By the end of our stay, I trusted myself again."
This is the quiet revolution of postpartum care: Not fixing. Not dictating. Not stepping in with heavy hands. But standing beside a mother as she learns to hear herself again.
Early support goes far beyond easing exhaustion or soothing stress. It builds confidence. It safeguards against the shadows of depression and anxiety. It reminds a mother that she is capable — that she is, already, enough.
And the impact? It doesn’t end with her.
A supported mother raises a child who benefits from:
- Healthier cognitive, emotional, and social development
- Stronger emotional regulation through secure attachment
- Lower risks associated with untreated maternal depression
"Early support goes far beyond easing exhaustion or soothing stress. It builds confidence."
By mothering the mother, we don’t just help her survive early motherhood — we help her thrive in it. And in doing so, we offer the next generation a steadier, brighter start.
*Gidget Foundation Australia does not endorse third party products and services.
1 https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-017-
.png)
