Our Co-Founder's Journey to Holistic Postpartum Care

This time last year (January 2023) I was doing “all the things” to support my body and mind during pregnancy.

Acupuncture, nutrition, prenatal supplements, massage, personal training, meditation, good sleep hygiene, time with family and friends - you name it - I had adjusted my schedule to ensure I did everything in my power to have a healthy and smooth pregnancy. 

We see it often in our culture that we are hyper-focused on the preparation for the newest human in our life to make their entrance but not enough focus on preparing for postpartum care. 

I realized firsthand, that even with all the resources and all of the helpful tips I have told my patients in the past, I was never truly prepared for postpartum life. 

Mari at 37 weeks

Of course, I had my birth plan and an amazing birth team, OBGYN (forever thankful for ARC OBGYN North), doula (Sarah Parente), my husband & my North Star during labor, and a hospital picked out, just minutes from my doorstep.

I was always flexible and said as long as we were both safe and healthy, I would go with the flow. But in the back of my head, I had hoped for the birth plan I had written out weeks before. 

Unfortunately, I did not have much prepared for any type of plan b, or plan c for that matter, with our baby’s arrival. The optimist in me had blinders on.  A week late, and after a long labor, signs of fetal distress forced us to go to Plan C - urgent C-section. We will be forever grateful our baby was healthy, and I was on my way to recovery with no serious complications. 

I had read the First 40 Days before and had semi-stocked my refrigerator, freezer, and pantry for postpartum life. But I hadn’t prepared for healing mentally or physically from labor and then a major surgery- having a C-section is a major surgery.  Not even a little bit.

This is when the incredible team of practitioners and kind souls I work with, stepped in to help me during the most vulnerable time of my postpartum life.  

First up, was my dear friend and co-founder of The Desert Canary, Brooke.  She planned a time to visit and showed up with congees, soups, nourishing snacks, bone broths, treats for my husband, and snuggles for baby Caroline.  This was the first time we had a visitor other than grandparents, and she was a breath of fresh air that my community was here -  help had arrived. 

A couple of weeks later I checked in with one of our acupuncturists and incredible herbalist, Raechel, who shared her birth story and tips/tricks that helped her. She also reminded me of herbal formulas to support me and supplements that would be ideal based on my symptoms (anemia, anxiety, fatigue, pain to name a few). She organized a bundle for me and sent them my way. 

Carrying a baby for 40 weeks, followed by delivering my baby, then holding her for hours and weeks on end will do a number on your back, shoulders, neck, and arms no matter how much you stretch.

I connected with Sophia, our skillful acupuncturist, herbalist, and trained physical therapist for acupuncture and cupping. 

Her gentle and effective treatment lowered my shoulders away from my ears and her kind words reminded me I was not supposed to be doing all the things that I had been trying to do during those early postpartum days.  

I hadn’t planned on having a C-section, and to be truly honest, it took weeks before I could see my C-section scar without having some negative emotional reaction to it.  I couldn’t understand why my abdomen, for all the planks I did during pregnancy, still looked not quite as I had expected it to look. 

That’s where Stacia came in. Our gifted massage therapist reminded me that my lymphatic system had been taxed and needed attention to flow freely.  After just one lymphatic massage and scar tissue work, my “c-section shelf” had smoothed out. I was astonished and relieved she had a plan and recommendation of frequency to continue the progress.  

Headaches, from sleep adjustment or anemia (both are common during postpartum), and feeling still not energetically aligned, I met with Justin for a craniosacral massage.

His intuitive approach to care as well as his extensive training in prenatal and postpartum massage were just what I needed. 

Without consciously realizing it at the beginning, I had my healing community right in front of me.  I hadn’t planned or prepared properly for my postpartum story. But luckily for me, that didn’t matter. 

Our team at The Desert Canary, all had their unique specialties to support me during my own time of need. Now six months postpartum and reflecting on the last year, I am humbled and grateful to be surrounded by practitioners who are experts in their field. They collaborated and became the village I needed to gain my strength back. 

I am now on a mission to ensure those who are pregnant and in their postpartum period, know that they need to put just as much focus on their postpartum care as they did on their pregnancy or planning their baby’s registry (you know you’ve spent hours on this!)  and nursery design. 

Having the energy to care for yourself and your newborn while maintaining the mental clarity to go about your day-to-day life is no small feat postpartum. We have developed a care plan with flexibility to adapt when appropriate, for every postpartum patient that comes through our doors.  I am excited to share with you, the team that was there for me. 

Learn more about our postpartum plan for you by emailing hello@thedesertcanary.com or book a Guidance Consultation before your little one arrives so you are further informed and ready to receive care in the weeks that follow. 

Thank you for letting me share my postpartum story, I hope we can be a small part of yours!

Warmly,

Mari