Postpartum Bodywork for Recovery: Natural Care for Healing, Rebalancing, and Reconnecting
Reclaiming Your Body After Birth
Childbirth is one of the most profound experiences in life, and yet, what follows too often goes unsupported. No matter if you gave birth vaginally or via C-section, your mind and body have experienced a remarkable transformation.
Transculturally, postpartum has been a time of respect for rest, healing, and nourishment. But in America, new families are too often challenged to "bounce back" quickly, without the help they need.
At Open Care Community in Brooklyn, we know recovery is not a race—it’s a time of profound evolution. Postpartum bodywork can gently support healing through customized, hands-on treatments like acupuncture, herbs, gua sha, tui na, and cupping. These therapies are not only designed to dissolve tension, but also to restore your vitality and support your nervous system.
👉You've cared for your baby—now let us care for you
What Happens to the Body Postpartum?
Immediately following delivery, the body starts a gradual and intricate healing process. You might feel:
Fluctuations in hormones
Physical fatigue
Regulated muscle aches or pelvic misalignment\
Breast and shoulder tension due to breastfeeding
Abdominal separation (diastasis recti)
Emotional vulnerability or postpartum blues
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), childbirth is regarded to be a large loss of qi (energy) and blood, and therefore requires careful attention in order to restore and rebuild.
☯️In Chinese medicine, giving birth is a strong loss of qi and blood—recovery is focused on nourishment and rebalancing
This is also the reason that bodywork can be so powerful following childbirth. With tui na, herbs, (Chinese massage), acupuncture, and soft cupping, we help to stimulate circulation, ease the balance of hormones, reduce swelling, and calm the nervous system.
👉 Curious how Chinese medicine supports postpartum recovery?
What Is Postpartum Bodywork?
Postpartum bodywork includes a series of hands-on therapies that aid physical, energetic, and emotional rehabilitation following birth. At Open Care, this encompasses:
Herbal medicine
Acupuncture
Gua sha (gentle scraping technique)
Cupping therapy
Tui na (Chinese body massage)
At home, it’s important to rehydrate your body with liquids, and rest (as much as possible) to repair tissues and trigger the body's own healing processes.
In Western terminology, massage promotes more circulation and less cortisol. In Chinese medicine, massage promotes the movement of stagnation, restores energy channels (meridians), and revives organ systems damaged by childbirth.
Every session is customized to what you need—whether that is centering your nervous system, easing shoulder tension from nursing, or letting the uterus heal.
👉 Book your customized postpartum session in Brooklyn
Main Advantages of Postpartum Bodywork
Postpartum bodywork provides body-wide benefits, combining age-old knowledge with contemporary insight.
💪Physical Healing
Promotes circulation and tissue repair
Ease pelvic, neck, and back pain.
Supports cesarean scar healing
Helps reduce swelling and inflammation
Rebalances core and abdominal tension
🧠Mental & Emotional Reset
Releases tension stored in the body
Promotes nervous system regulation
Helps with anxiety, mood swings, and sleep support
Encourages deep rest and emotional release
🔋Energetic Nourishment
Rebuilds qi and blood, the vital substances depleted during labor
Opens blocked meridians to restore energy flow
Gua sha and tui na can release blocked qi, causing pain or fatigue.
Herbal Medicine
Regulates hormonal swings postpartum
Safe for breastfeeding
Can be taken immediately postpartum
Patients can come and get herbs before giving birth, so they don't have to worry about making it to another appointment immediately postpartum.
The TCM View: Why Postpartum Care Is Sacred
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this postpartum time is referred to as "zuo yue zi," or the golden month—a 30- to 40-day sacred time of rest, nourishment, and protection. Short of being a luxury, postpartum healing is deemed necessary to restore the mother's energy, immune system, and overall health.
In TCM, childbirth drains both qi (your energy) and blood, and this makes your body vulnerable to what in the past has been referred to as "wind invasion" or susceptibility to energies. If not treated, partial depletion will result in long-term problems in the form of chronic fatigue, mood disorder, or arthritis. That is why deep relaxation, warming foods, and bodywork modalities are recommended—not as luxury, but as preventative and restorative medicine
We acknowledge this tradition at Open Care Community by bringing these various modalities to life in personalized bodywork sessions, acupuncture, and herbal consultations. Our sessions can include "mother warming" strategies such as the use of moxa to replenish yang energy and therapeutic massage to move stasis fluids and promote tissue healing. We are also available to support lactation, digestion, and hormonal changes.
✨ Consider postpartum recovery as caring for sacred earth—you're cultivating ground for your future well-being.
What You'll Find in a Postpartum Bodywork Session at Open Care Community
We understand how precious the postpartum time can be—emotionally, physically, and practically. At Open Care Community, we've crafted our postpartum bodywork sessions to be safe, caring, and empowering, so you can concentrate on mending. One thing we recommend to postpartum patients is to do an herbal consult before you give birth. Chinese herbs can help ease the hormone fluctuations that occur postpartum and they are safe for breastfeeding.
When you come after giving birth, your practitioner will start with a short check-in to get a sense of your current symptoms, feelings, birth history, and any current concerns. If you're having shoulder pain with nursing, pelvic tension, tummy ache, or just utter exhaustion, we'll tailor our treatment accordingly.
Sessions can involve:
Side-lying or semi-reclined positioning with support by full pillows for comfort
Gua sha to release neck and upper back tension.
Tui na massage over the abdomen for energetic and organ system support.
Acupuncture to quiet the mind and assist with lactation.
Cupping to mobilize stagnant fluids and enhance circulation
Optional facial acupuncture to address hormone-related skin changes
💬 "We meet you where you are—there's no pressure to be 'healed,' only to be held.
👉 Book your bodywork appointment
Sliding Scale, Caring Access
We believe healing is a right, not a privilege.
💲Our postpartum care is available on a sliding scale:
Community acupuncture: $45–$90
Herbal consults: customized and affordable
Bodywork sessions: tailored to fit your budget
We don't need to see proof of income. You decide what you can afford. We trust our patients and aim to make a judgment-free space for healing in all its forms.
👉Find out more about our pricing and values.
When to Start (Even If It's Been Months)
Perhaps the most frequent question we receive is: "When do I start postpartum bodywork?" It varies with your body and your birth experience, but it's never too soon or too late.
Generally:
With vaginal births, bodywork can be safely begun as early as 2 weeks postpartum, after any initial tearing or tenderness has started to heal.
For cesarean sections, we would typically advise waiting 4–6 weeks after the incision has healed well.
It's always best to see your OB-GYN or midwife, but once you've received the go-ahead, even gentle touch therapies such as lymphatic massage or acupuncture can be a lifesaver for your energy, your sleep, and your overall sense of well-being.
That said, postpartum doesn’t come with an expiration date. Whether you’re two weeks or two years out, your body may still be processing the physical and emotional demands of birth and caregiving.
Chronic back pain, breastfeeding shoulder, pelvic floor tension, sleep issues—these can linger if unaddressed. Our work at Open Care is about honoring your timeline, wherever you’re starting from.
💬 "Postpartum isn't a moment—it's a season. And you deserve care at every stage."
👉Start your healing journey today.
FAQs
🤱 Is bodywork safe while breastfeeding?
Yes—most therapies aid in milk flow and tension release.
👶 Can I bring my baby?
Not without checking in with us and receiving prior approval. In general, it will be a more relaxing treatment for mom if baby stays home, as our practitioners are not authorized to care for children during treatment in the clinic.
📝 Do I need a doctor's note?
Not usually—but check with your OB/midwife if unsure.
👚 What should I wear?
Loose, relaxed clothing. We will instruct you depending on the session type.
💳 May I pay with HSA/FSA funds?
Usually, yes, particularly for acupuncture. If your provider requests an itemized receipt, please let us know.
Ready to Be Yourself Again?
Your postpartum experience is yours but we are here to support you.
At Open Care Community, we provide accessible, empathetic care to assist you in reconnecting with your body, your breath, and your strength. Whether you are weeks or years postpartum, you should feel whole again.
💬This isn't self-indulgent—it's necessary.
👉 Schedule your postpartum healing session in Brooklyn today
