Why Postnatal Recovery Matters by Sophie Messager
Published by Pinter & Martin 30th July 2020, £8.99
“I love this book. Packed with common sense and wisdom, with enjoyable personal stories and references and resources second to none, this book has something for everyone who is pregnant or has just had a baby… essential reading.” Becky Reed, Midwife and Postnatal Group Facilitator.
In the modern world new mothers often feel judged by their ability to bounce back to ‘normal’ after birth. With very little focus, during pregnancy, on the postnatal period, many women are overwhelmed by the mental, physical and emotional demands in the early weeks of new motherhood. Often this can have detrimental consequences for the long-term health and wellbeing of both mother and baby.
Yet postnatal rest and recuperation is not a new concept. In fact, nurturing new mothers for a month postpartum was the norm just one or two generations ago, and is still practiced widely in many cultures around the world.
In Why Postnatal Recovery Matters perinatal educator Sophie Messager draws on her unique experience as a scientist and doula to share knowledge and advice about this crucial period. Introducing the four pillars of postnatal recovery: rest, food, bodywork and social support, she offers simple steps to plan for postnatal recovery and tips on how to support new families at this time. From advice on hiring help to coping with unforeseen circumstances, such as a long hospital stay and baby loss, this book is a compelling call to embrace and reclaim traditional postpartum wisdom, all but lost in the busy modern world.
About the Author
Sophie Messager has a PhD in the physiology of reproduction and is a doula, perinatal educator and healer. Sophie left her native France in 1997 to pursue postdoctoral studies as a biology research scientist, in Aberdeen, Scotland, where she met her Hong Kong-born husband, Chi. They moved to Cambridge in 2001, had two children and Sophie retrained to be a doula, antenatal teacher and babywearing instructor. Sophie is a birth geek and knowledge junkie but has a more spiritual side too, so she also trained as a Reiki and Reiki Drum practitioner and teacher. Training and personal practice have led her to master a wide range of labour and postnatal comfort measures and skills, such as massage, rebozo, birth and postnatal healing rituals. Sophie teaches these skills to parents and birthworkers, individually, in workshops and online. Her work is a blend of traditional and scientific knowledge www.sophiemessager.com.