The Well Rounded Belly

In the first 24 hours following birth, your body is working harder than most people realize.

Your uterus begins contracting back toward its pre-pregnancy size — afterpains that can be significant, especially if you've given birth before. Your hormones shift dramatically: estrogen and progesterone drop sharply, prolactin rises if you're nursing, and the hormonal landscape of pregnancy disappears almost overnight.

You may shake uncontrollably after birth — this is a normal neurological response, not a medical emergency. You will bleed. You may feel simultaneously exhausted and wired. You may feel emotionally overwhelmed, or strangely calm, or both within the same hour.

Your blood pressure and heart rate will be monitored. If you had a cesarean, you're recovering from major abdominal surgery while also beginning to care for a newborn.

None of this is talked about enough.

Knowing what to expect doesn't make it easy. But it does make it less frightening.

Preparation for postpartum starts before birth. Reach out to learn how we support the full journey.
www.thewellroundedbelly.com

Your milk does not come in the day your baby is born. In the first days, you produce colostrum — small in volume, concentrated in nutrients and immune protection. This is not a supply problem. This is how it works.

Your baby is born with reserve. The hunger cues that begin to intensify around day two or three are largely driven by instinct, not emergency. But they are also a feature of the process — frequent nursing in the first days signals your body to establish supply.

What is normal in the first week:
Cluster feeding for hours at a time. Sore ni***es as latch and positioning adjust. A baby who seems unsatisfied even after long feeds. Engorgement when milk comes in. Uncertainty about whether it's working.

What needs attention:
A baby who is not producing wet diapers by day three. Significant weight loss beyond 10%. Visible pain with nursing that doesn't improve. A parent who is struggling more than seems sustainable.

Feeding support is part of postpartum care — not a separate specialty you have to find on your own.

Our postpartum team offers feeding support alongside hands-on care. Link in bio.

Something I've been thinking about a lot lately — and wanted to share.

Before I became an L&D nurse, I was a doula. And honestly? I was a good doula. I knew how to support laboring people, how to hold space, how to keep a room steady.

But then nursing gave me a completely different perspective.

I started seeing how a client's pregnancy history showed up in her labor. How labor decisions rippled into postpartum. How the clinical and the human were always connected — even when it looked like they weren't.

And one thought kept coming back: doulas need to know this. Not to practice outside scope. But because understanding the world your client is navigating changes how you show up for them.

So on August 29th, I'm hosting a free live workshop for doulas and birth workers who want to think more deeply about birth.

We'll work through a real case study together — from pregnancy through labor — and take time with the questions we never get to ask in the birth room.

Saturday, August 29 | 2:00–3:30 PM ET | Free Zoom Workshop

Come learn with me. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/aXaPzlj8Re2q0owwIsSdvw

The Malaysian practice of bengkung belly binding has been used for generations to support postpartum recovery. It is a long cloth wrap — applied with intention and skill — that provides gentle, graduated compression to the abdomen following birth.

What it does:

It supports the abdominal muscles and uterus as they return toward their pre-pregnancy position. It provides proprioceptive feedback to the core — your body becomes more aware of its own structure and begins to recruit it again. It can reduce fluid retention and swelling in the abdominal region. Many clients describe a significant reduction in the sense of physical vulnerability and instability that often accompanies early postpartum recovery.

What it is not:

It is not a shortcut to a flat stomach. It is not appropriate immediately after a cesarean without professional guidance. It is not a one-size-fits-all application.

Applied correctly, by someone trained in the tradition, it is one of the most supportive postpartum interventions I offer.

We offer bengkung belly binding in Maryland, DC, and Virginia. Link in bio to book.

One client recently shared that having steady, calm support made her postpartum feel less overwhelming and more human. She said the small things, a listening ear, practical help, and traditional care, made a meaningful difference.

That is the heart of The Well Rounded Belly. If you are looking for thoughtful support in the DMV, we would love to connect.

There's a reason we all blend together.

It's not just about efficiency. It's about everyone understanding the craft. Every hand in this pot belongs to someone who could tell you exactly what's in it and why it matters for postpartum healing.

That's the bar we hold ourselves to — and it shows up in how we support families.

What you're looking at is the back end of client care.

Measured, labeled, packed with intention. Every client we support receives blends made by people who understand postpartum recovery deeply — not just how to follow a recipe.

This is what it looks like when a team is genuinely aligned. Every detail is thought through. Nothing is generic. Because the families we serve deserve better than generic.

Your baby navigates a specific path through your pelvis during labor. That path requires rotation. And rotation is influenced, in part, by how you move and position your body.

Lying flat on your back for hours reduces pelvic diameter and works against gravity. It's often the default in a hospital setting — but it doesn't have to be yours.

Walking, rocking, side-lying with a peanut ball, hands-and-knees positioning, supported squatting — each of these changes the shape and dynamics of your pelvis in ways that can directly influence how your baby descends and rotates.

This isn't about forcing anything. It's about creating conditions that support the process that's already trying to happen.

Spinning Babies-informed support takes this further — looking at the whole picture of muscle balance, pelvic alignment, and baby position before and during labor. It's one of the most practical, evidence-grounded tools I use in my work.

We offer prenatal bodywork and birth preparation that includes positioning guidance and Spinning Babies-informed support. Link in bio.

I felt truly supported, not just during birth.

That is what one client shared after working with The Well Rounded Belly, and it says so much. Support continued into the postpartum days, when rest, reassurance, and practical care mattered most. 💛

If you are looking for thoughtful perinatal support in the DMV, we would be honored to connect. Visit thewellroundedbelly.com to learn more.