Having a new baby can be an exhausting and difficult experience. In the West we expect new mothers to bounce back into their old lives soon after giving birth, but local pregnancy expert Jojo Hogan believes that women should instead be allowed to rest and be cared for by others. In this interview she explains how she was inspired by traditional cultures to start the Slow Postpartum Movement and why she offers new mums support, massage and nutritious home cooked meals.
What is Slow Postpartum?
Postpartum is the period after a woman gives birth when in traditional cultures she is expected to have a period of confinement, lasting 30 to 40 days. In China it’s known as ‘Sitting Moon’, in India they call it ‘the Sacred Window’ but the rules are the same in both cultures. The mother is completely rested, stays in bed, she is nurtured and nourished, all her responsibilities taken over by others. She is often massaged and an older woman looks after her, teaching her how to become a mother. Special foods are given to heal her body and rejuvenate her energy.
So many of us in the West don’t have any of that, we have a baby, then we’re out of hospital in a day and in the supermarket the next day. We’re told we’ve got to ‘bounce back’ into our old life, our old jeans and our Instagram beautiful house. It just shouldn’t be like that.
Now we are beginning to understand that a woman needs deep and sustained rest, proper nutrition and community support. There should be a period of slowing down, resting, healing and learning how to be a mother, from a place of being cared for, nurtured and supported.
That’s what slow postpartum is. I want to educate people about this. When a new mother is nurtured and cared for, she can offer that care to her baby, and that ripples into her whole family and community.
Why did you set up the Slow Postpartum movement?
After training as a yoga teacher and massage therapist in the UK, I returned to my native New Zealand where I set up and ran the Bella Mama Pregnancy Spa for 15 years. In that time I and my team cared for over 10,000 mothers and families, offering massage, yoga and other support for pregnant women. Although these women took great care of themselves during pregnancy, when I met them several months after giving birth, I noticed that many were struggling. They were often traumatised by the birth, exhausted and overwhelmed by caring for their baby.
I remember what it was like for me when my son was born, 22 years ago. Although I lived in a friendly village, I didn’t realise I could ask for help and often felt isolated and overwhelmed. Becoming a parent hits you like a tonne of bricks, you don’t realise how life changing it will be. There is a famous expression: ‘I knew I was pregnant, but I didn’t realise I was going to have a baby.’
I had been supporting women up to the birth, but I realised there was a real need to hold them on the other side. That’s when I decided to focus on supporting women in the ‘postpartum’ period after the birth. So I started the Slow Postpartum movement in New Zealand but, since returning to Devon in 2020, I have been offering personal and virtual support to women around the world.
What exactly do you offer to new mums and their families?
I start working with couples during pregnancy, planning the experience they want to have. I offer pregnancy massage and help them plan for a positive birth experience. I teach them yoga to help prepare their bodies for birth. Then we start thinking about what will happen after the baby comes. We talk about what support they have around them, what their philosophy and values are and what sort of experience they want to have. I also talk about how other cultures view the postpartum period.
After the birth I offer a series of home visits - once, twice or three times a week - when I care for the mother in the way she needs. Most women love to be massaged and fed. Cooking is a big part of what I do. I love cooking postpartum foods such as slow cooked stews, bone broth and dahl. The meals are always warm, no cold or raw food, easily digestible and very high in protein and good fats, with warming spices.
I particularly love cooking Indian food such as creamy coconut curries, beef stews, chicken soup, rice pudding with ginger, coconut porridge loaded with seeds and nuts. You find similarities in postpartum dishes around the world, the ingredients are different, but the principles the same.
My home visits usually continue for 3 months after the birth, a time when babies need so much one-on-one focus and the mother has a 24/7 job to do.
I’m also an infant sleep educator, helping families get as much rest as possible. It is usually about reassuring parents that it’s normal for babies to cry and it’s OK to pick them up when they cry and feed them through the night. It’s OK to sleep with your baby so long as you follow the guidelines. Babies really need someone to be close to them in the early months.
So many parents say ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with my baby, I can’t put him or her down’. The answer is: ‘There’s nothing wrong with your baby. You just need someone to look after you so you can look after your baby’.
You can find out more about the Slow Post Partum Movement here
Jojo Hogan is based in Sandford, near Crediton and, as well as her Slow Postpartum services, offers yoga classes and massage.
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