The journey doesn’t end at birth—it’s only the beginning.
Last night, I had dinner with a wonderful group of women, all nearing the end of their pregnancies and preparing to welcome their first baby. The evening, hosted by The Om Journey and called Let’s Be Honest, was exactly that—an open, honest conversation about the realities of motherhood.
One thing that stood out to me was just how much women go through before they even meet their baby. Pregnancy itself is a whirlwind of physical, emotional, and mental change. It’s no surprise that looking beyond the birth—to postpartum, to how they might feel, to what they might need—can feel almost impossible. After all, birth has a clear endpoint, a deadline to prepare for. But what comes after? That part is less tangible, harder to plan for, and often pushed aside.
It's no secret that humans are wired to prepare for imminent events. The birth of a child is a tangible milestone, a circled date on the calendar. We rally our resources, attend classes, and meticulously plan for the big day. But what of the days, weeks, and months that follow? The postpartum period, though equally significant, lacks the immediacy of a due date, making it feel like a distant shore rather than the next step in our voyage.
Studies have shown that up to 1 in 5 women experience mental health challenges, such as anxiety or depression, during pregnancy or after childbirth. source Yet, discussions about postpartum wellbeing often take a backseat, overshadowed by prenatal preparations and plans for breast feeding, swaddling and baby monitors – all of which are essential preparations but it’s clear, where is the mother in these preparations?
How, then, do we encourage women to think beyond the birth? To carve out even a small space for themselves in this journey?
At dinner last night, the conversation was filled with excitement, preparation, and discussions about the baby—where they might sleep, how to swaddle them, the best way to ensure they get the nutrients they need early on. There was talk of the best baby carriers and monitors and how to navigate those first few weeks. All completely valid, all undeniably important.
But what if we flipped the script in order to better prepare for life after birth?
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