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The First 40 Days: A Sacred Window of Postpartum Healing

  • Writer: Nicole Valio
    Nicole Valio
  • Jun 13
  • 2 min read

At Couve Chiropractic, we believe that postpartum is more than just recovery—it’s a rite of passage.

These first 40 days after birth, often referred to as the fourth trimester, are a time of profound transformation. They are overwhelming. Messy. Magical. They stretch and soften you. They crack you wide open—and, if honored with care, they slowly rebuild you.


I recently moved through this sacred window again with the birth of my third child. And this time, I did it differently. I chose to honor the first 40 days as a time of deep healing, intentional slowing, and becoming—not just for my baby, but for myself.


A Tradition Older Than Modern Medicine

Across cultures, this postpartum period is treated as sacred. In China, it’s called Zuo Yuezi, “sitting the month.” In Latin America, it’s La Cuarentena, forty days for bonding and restoration. In Korea, Saam-chil-il emphasizes rest, warmth, and nourishing foods.


Though the languages differ, the wisdom is nearly identical: Rest. Warmth. Nourishment. Bodywork. Community.


These aren’t luxuries. They’re essential to long-term physical, emotional, and hormonal wellbeing.


What My First 40 Days Looked Like

This postpartum, I let myself slow down.


I surrendered my body, sleep, and schedule to learn my baby’s rhythms. I stayed close to the bed, letting breastfeeding, bonding, and rest guide our days. I surrounded myself with warmth—blankets, warm teas, sun on my skin, socks on my feet—because warmth invites healing. It helps blood and lymph flow, soothes sore tissues, and encourages oxytocin release.


I nourished myself intentionally: bone broth, liver, warm meals, nutrient-dense foods. The same body that grew my daughter is now feeding her—and rebuilding itself.


I received bodywork to help my nervous system reset—so hers could feel safe, too. Chiropractic care, abdominal massage, belly binding, low level laser therapy, crainosacral therapy, scar tissue work for C-section healing.


And most importantly, I called in my village. My people brought food, folded laundry, played with my older kids. Because healing has always been communal.


And mothers were never meant to do this alone.


You Deserve This Kind of Care

At Couve Chiropractic, we support women through this sacred transition. Our postpartum care is gentle, intentional, and tailored to your body’s unique healing process.


We help you with:

  • Pelvic realignment after birth

  • Nervous system regulation

  • Breastfeeding-related tension

  • C-section recovery and scar work

  • Core rebuilding and diastasis rectus abdominis reduction

  • Postural support for holding, feeding, and babywearing

  • Honoring your body as it shifts into motherhood


If you’re preparing for postpartum or in the thick of it now—let us be part of your village. You deserve care that’s soft, steady, and rooted in reverence and celebration for all that you’ve just done.


Your healing matters. Your story matters. You matter.


Crainosacral therapy for infants and postpartum women in Vancouver, WA

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Call or text: 360-450-1331

Fax: 866-337-0
219

12420 NW 36th Avenue,
Vancouver, WA 98685

info@couvechiropractic.com

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©2020-2024 Nicole Valio DC, LLC

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