Hi, I’m Francesca.
I’m a mother to my sweet girl Anaya and partner living with my family in London, UK. I teach yin yoga, sound healing, meditation and hold cacao ceremonies. The thread that connects them all together is that I appreciate ‘stillness’. I find my work has evolved and I have rebirthed in my work so many times as I feel it to be an extension of my growth, life experience and evolution. What I do and what I’ve always done has been a pure extension of my heart.
So, how did I get here?.
I myself had never heard of a postpartum doula until I was pregnant myself. I, as most women began to prepare myself for that huge moment that was nearing - labour. I learnt about physiological birth and what I should buy for the baby... But I found myself asking the same question over and over again “But, then what? What about me?”.
I found a lacking of information and knowledge around the time after birth. What I did find was limited and nothing was really telling me how I could support my own recovery during those first initial weeks.
So, taking matters into my own hands I studied while I was pregnant and qualified as a Postpartum Doula so I could provide the mother focused care that I was seeking.
I find it interesting how so aware we have all become into preparing for that day which is birth however, we will tend to walk into our fourth trimester blindly. That fourth trimester where your life will never be the same, your learning new skills, adjusting to new dynamics, your body is healing, organs moving back to where they were pre pregnancy, skin, ligaments, muscles and uterus shrinking. I mean I could go on. There’s a lot going on right?! I believe just as we prepare for birth we should be preparing for our early postpartum. I don’t believe that
early postpartum is by default hard as many think. That mother’s experience by default is that she will feel exhausted and isolated. Of course emotions may run high and sleep will be effected but my point is ensuring you have the right people around you will certainly help you to maximise this opportunity to rest. I believe its what every women deserves.
Early postpartum invites us as mothers to open our hearts. Not just for our babies but for ourselves so that we can learn to receive support and love in such a deep way. This care will touch you so deeply its effects will ripple out through your restored vitality in the years to come. Trust me when I say your future self and health will thank you for it.
Birth is the moment that blows you wide open and postpartum is the time when we try to put the pieces back together. You can think of pregnancy and birth as Yang energy and early postpartum is the Yin. It’s the deep winter that calls us to rest, replenish and to regain our strength. The journey of motherhood is long and early postpartum is the time for us to stock up so we can give ourselves the best start into the marathon that is motherhood.
All the mama love,