The days, weeks and even months after a woman gives birth can be incredibly challenging. Interrupted sleep, internal and external injuries and the stress and strains of taking care of a new baby can make daily life exhausting, especially if there are already other children in the home or the new mum doesn’t have the support they need.
In many cultures, there is a traditional post-birth ‘confinement’ period, ranging anywhere from two weeks to a couple of months. During confinement, the new mother does not leave the home at all, but simply rests. Normally, another woman who specialises in providing one-on-one care visits the home daily, and cooks nourishing meals designed to help the mother’s body heal faster, cleans the home, and helps the new mum to shower, wash her hair and care for her new baby. The goal is to ensure that the new mum does not have to exert herself in any way – the focus is purely on recovering and bonding with her new baby.
But in modern times, there is an alternative to staying at home: the post-pregnancy care centre. Common in countries such as South Korea, these centres provide hotel-style accommodation, round the clock care and one-to-one parenting classes for up to two weeks after birth, giving new mothers everything they need to make a great start to parenthood.
So, could these post-pregnancy centres come to the UK? And what would they look like if they did begin to pop up across the country?
Why Are Post-Pregnancy Centres Necessary?
Recovering from a birth, both physically and mentally, takes time. It’s common for women to feel isolated, overwhelmed and incredibly tired following the birth of a new baby. This can make it hard to cope with everyday life and the many challenges it brings.
Post-pregnancy centres offer women the chance to relax and recuperate in a calm and luxurious setting. With regular visits by doctors, and staff on hand to offer advice and respite, they give new mothers the support they really need and help ease the transition into parenthood.
An Alternative To Home Visits
In the UK, new mums receive regular home visits from health visitors and midwives in the weeks after giving birth. These visits help to ensure that mum is healing well and baby is developing as they should.
Women who stay in a post-pregnancy centre have all this medical support at their fingertips. This can be especially beneficial for first time mums who can feel a little nervous looking after a newborn.
What Would UK Post-Pregnancy Centres Look Like?
In most countries that offer this type of post-pregnancy care, centres resemble a cross between a hotel, spa and high end hospital. Often, mothers and babies are looked after separately (apart from when the mother is breastfeeding) to ensure everyone gets plenty of time to rest and recuperate.
In the UK, these centres could offer similar services. Help with breastfeeding, healing and baby care would be welcomed by most new parents, and many new mums would enjoy spending a week or two being looked after, with no need to worry about caring for other children, cooking, cleaning or doing the food shop.
Offering a choice of on-site treatments and therapies could also help women recover from childbirth. Specialist massages can encourage mums to relax and could help their bodies to heal more quickly.
With the traditional confinement period now being offered in a more spa-like setting in many places across the world, it may not be too long before we see these post-pregnancy centres popping up across the country. A great alternative to home visits, and a fantastic chance for mums to relax and recover, they could be the future of post-pregnancy care. Get in touch today!
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