In China, there is a custom of postpartum confinement, which typically means spending 30 days resting and recovering, both mentally and physically.Lisa5201/iStockPhoto / Getty Images
When our first daughter was born in 2021, the first month at home was an exhausting and exhilarating blur as I learned to care for our baby while healing from the delivery.
Like many other parents in Canada, that first month was mostly focused on the baby, not my own mental and physical health. But in other cultures, the rest and recovery of new mothers is a priority. In some Indigenous communities, for example, it’s common to recognize the “fourth trimester,” where women focus on recovery and are cared for by relatives or elders.
In China, there is a custom of postpartum confinement, which typically means spending 30 days resting and recovering, both mentally and physically.
This practice, known as “sitting the month,” has been adopted in other countries and while the traditional practice means staying at home for a month, you can also find postpartum retreat centres in many countries in Asia.
The TikTok videos profiling the experiences of new moms at these postpartum retreat centres, like The Joyful Nest in Vietnam, look like a dream: stay in hotel-like lodgings (sometimes as a family, though not always), eat healthy meals, and have health and wellness professionals including lactation consultants on hand to help with breastfeeding, night wakings, and other new baby needs.
Melissa Gallagher was inspired by a friend’s experience at a postpartum retreat centre in Singapore, and in 2024 she launched Alma Care, a postpartum retreat at the Kimpton Saint George hotel in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood.
“The need has never been greater to focus on women’s recovery,” she says, citing trends like couples having children later in life, the increase in women in the work force, and the rise in first-generation Canadians who don’t have family nearby to help, as some of the reasons.
Alma Care offers the traditional 30-day experience similar to the Chinese custom, at a cost of $39,000. They also offer shorter seven day packages at $10,500 and 14-day stays at $20,300.
In addition to the hotel accommodations, new moms get postpartum supplies, healthy meals, support from professionals such as lactation consultants, night nurses, and doulas, and access to a nursery, among other services.
The company also offers in-home care for parents who prefer to recover at home. Night nurses and daytime nanny support are not a new concept in Canada, and pricing varies depending on where you live, how many hours they are supporting, and whether the person is live-in or not.
At Alma Care, parents can choose from daytime or overnight support, paid on either an hourly basis ($45/hour for daytime care, $50/hour for overnight care), or a four-week postpartum package priced at $15,000. They can also arrange for in-home visits from lactation consultants and other professionals.
Alma Care is just one company offering postpartum retreats and in-home postpartum care. Mom Care Pro in Thornhill, Ont., offers similar services and companies like the GTA’s MotherlyCare offer in-home care including meals, doulas, and wellness treatments. These services, especially the retreats, are pricey, but Ms. Gallagher says new moms who have workplace benefits can often use that to offset the costs.
She’s seen a rise in the number of Canadian employers who are starting to provide postpartum benefits packages with coverage for things such as personal support workers, nurses, lactation consultants and doulas. “The majority of our care team are certified or registered as those professionals,” Alma Care’s Ms. Gallagher says.
Postpartum services may qualify for the child care expenses tax credit, just like daycare fees or summer camps, though you should consult a tax specialist to ensure you meet the criteria, she adds.
Some of Ms. Gallagher’s clients received their in-home services or retreats as a gift. Forget diapers and onesies: imagine registering for a postpartum retreat for your baby shower, or giving a new parent a few hours of overnight support so they can get a good night’s sleep.
Despite the costs, Ms. Gallagher says in-home care has taken off much more quickly than expected, and they have opened up waiting lists to bring their retreats to other cities across Canada.
Help for new mothers is not new: some get support from professionals such as lactation consultants and sleep doulas. Others have family or community members pitch in to help with the postpartum period, whether they live in a multigenerational home or have family stay with them during those first busy weeks.
But the concept of a much greater focus on the mother’s recovery, instead of just the baby thriving, is cultural shift.
Whether it’s the government, our work, our friends and family, or our own money that funds it, it’s time we made our own maternal health a priority. Aren’t we worth the investment?
Erin Bury is the co-founder and CEO of online estate planning platform Willful.co. She lives in rural Ontario with her husband and two young children.
