The Sacred Window
Gentle Postpartum & Recovery Support

A nurturing guide to the first forty days after birth—offering body-based wisdom, rest practices, and gentle rituals to support healing and integration.

Postpartum is not a finish line—it’s a sacred threshold. The weeks after birth are a time of recalibration, where hormones shift, tissues repair, and a new rhythm begins. This guide is here to support that soft unfolding with intention and care. Inside, you’ll find physical recovery tools, nourishment ideas, and small rituals that honor your body, your bond with baby, and the transformation you’ve just walked through.

Your Body After Birth: What to Expect

Uterine Involution

Your uterus begins to shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size. Cramping is common—especially during nursing. Rest, hydration, and warmth help ease this transition.

Lochia & Bleeding

You’ll experience vaginal discharge for several weeks. It changes in color and flow over time. Use pads, not tampons, and let your provider know if bleeding becomes heavy or bright red again after tapering.

Hormonal Shifts

Mood changes, sweating, or heightened emotions are common. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone drop rapidly after birth, then gradually stabilize. Nutrient-dense meals, rest, and support help regulate the nervous system.

Vaginal or Perineal Healing

If you had a vaginal birth, you may experience tenderness, swelling, or stitches. Use peri spray, padsicles, herbal sitz baths, and breathable cotton underwear to support healing.

Foundational Care for a Supported Postpartum

These small rituals support deep healing—physically, emotionally, and energetically.

Warmth

Apply heat to your belly, back, and feet daily. Warm meals, teas, and baths help restore circulation and reduce inflammation.

Rest & Rhythms

Try to rest 5 days in bed, 5 days near bed, and 5 days around bed. Accept help and avoid rushing back into activity too soon.

Postnatal Meals

Soft, warm, easy-to-digest foods like stews, congee, and broths support hormone balance, gut healing, and milk supply.

Herbal Support

Infusions like nettle, raspberry leaf, and oat straw can replenish minerals and aid recovery. Sitz baths can soothe the perineum.

When to Reach Out for Extra Support

If bleeding becomes heavy, mood swings feel unmanageable, or something doesn’t feel quite right—trust your instincts and seek care. You deserve support that meets your needs fully, not just medically but emotionally and spiritually too.

There is no “bounce back.” There is only becoming. Let these first weeks after birth be a time of deep pause, reverence, and reconnection. Your healing matters—just as much as your baby’s arrival.

Warmly,

Your doula, Jacqueline