Circadian-savvy postpartum planning tips

Designing care that respects and nurtures the phases of neonatal circadian development and the young family’s recovery from pregnancy and birth

How long does postpartum last? Many women I respect in the birth space suggest it lasts much longer than we are taught. I did my first doula training in 2011 (a CAPPA-based postpartum weekend crash course), and spent the next ten years offering pregnancy and postpartum consults based on that framework. In that training, I was taught most postpartum doulas wrap up care by around 6 months at the latest. After all, “care beyond that starts looking more like nannying!” Or at least, that was the truth inside that narrow paradigm. As I went on to have my own children and to continue offering this care in my local community, I came to my own definition of postpartum. To me, postpartum lasts until the baby is both weaned and potty-independent. Today, I’m going to share some circadian research that supports this concept—it takes 2-3 years for a baby’s circadian rhythm to fully develop, too!