11/11/2025
The “40 days in bed” idea comes from beautiful cultural traditions around the world — zuò yuè zi in China, la cuarentena in Latin America, and similar rest periods across India and the Middle East.
They all honour the same truth: a mother deserves deep rest, nourishment, and care after birth.
But here’s the part that often gets lost… those mothers weren’t alone.
They were cared for, fed, and held by their village.
In today’s world, that looks very different.
And for some of us (me included), staying in bed wasn’t healing — it was suffocating.
My body needed rest, but my mind needed sunlight, movement, and connection.
You’re not doing it wrong if your version of recovery doesn’t look like the “40-day rule.”
The real gold standard is support — whatever that looks like for you.
Rest when you can. Move when it feels good.
That’s postpartum healing, too.
