Paola Carrillo-Bustamante, Ph.D
Questions about postpartum preparation
What is postpartum preparation?
During pregnancy you follow your body week by week, and birth preparation gets you ready for one day. Most couples then prepare for postpartum by buying a stroller and freezing meals. Postpartum preparation is about what comes after: what happens to the mother’s body, how long each part of recovery takes, what that recovery really needs, and how to be on the same page as a couple before the baby arrives.
Why should couples prepare for postpartum together?
For most of history, a whole village cared for a new mother. Today we raise our children mostly on our own, and partners are expected to be that village. You will go through postpartum differently. But when you share the same knowledge, you can understand what the other is going through and become each other's anchor in one of the most challenging and exciting phases of your life.
What happens to a woman's body in the first months after birth?
Three things I wish everyone knew. First, recovery needs the right food at the right time: soft, easy-to-digest meals that still bring enough protein, fibre, and healthy fats such as omega-3. Second, the brain changes too, and the identity shift that comes with it has a name: matrescence. Third, muscles and connective tissue recover on different timelines. Even when you feel the push to get back to normal, your body needs time and energy to rebuild.
What is normal after birth, and when should you get help?
After birth, hormone levels drop sharply, and that affects mood. Feeling on high alert, anxious, or emotional in the first weeks is common, and lack of sleep makes it stronger. Ask for help when these feelings last beyond the first two weeks, or when they appear suddenly, even three or six months after birth. The same goes for exhaustion that rest doesn't touch: ask for blood tests that check your iron, other key nutrients, and your thyroid. And if you feel heaviness in your pelvis, see a pelvic floor physiotherapist.
What happens in the Postpartum Prep Course in Berlin?
The Postpartum Prep Course is a 6-hour course in Berlin for couples expecting a baby, built on the Postpartum Decoded Method. For each pillar, we look at where the two of you are right now. I explain the science of the body, the brain, and the relationship after birth. Then you write your personal action plan together in a printed workbook. It costs €200 per couple.
Who is Paola Carrillo-Bustamante?
I am a computational biologist with a PhD, and I spent more than 15 years in science studying complex biological systems, including at the Max Planck Institute. Then I had a baby. It took a second baby and a deliberate amount of research to understand the system behind postpartum, and what couples need for better care. That is why I built the Postpartum Decoded Method.
This information doesn't replace advice from your doctor, midwife, or physiotherapist.