I was referred to Caitlin from Hundred Leaf Healing through my doula, so if you are in Colorado, book her, and if not see if your doula has any recommendations in your area. Caitlin truly is a healer with almost too many credentials to list here. As a licensed professional counselor, intuitive body worker, herbalist, and womb healer she will help your body and mind feel cared for and supported after what has likely been the biggest, wildest, maybe even most traumatic, event of your life.

We met via phone in my third trimester and she explained what the process would look like, schedule a tentative date about 5 days after my due date, and told me to call her once I had the baby. She comes over and sets up her table in whatever room you want so you can really set the vibe.

Here is her process :

• Verbal processing – First you sit and chat. She asks you different questions and you are able to tell your birth story and really process it with her. It is SO important for you (and your partner) to share your birth story. The good, that bad – all of it. Write it, speak it, however you choose to do it- it is so healing and cathartic to share. I liked that she is also a trained counselor so it felt safe to express myself and my experience. 
• Ayurveda abhyanga oil treatment – An oil treatment that combines massage and energy work from the top of your head all the way to the soles of your feet. This is a massage that has been used for thousands of years. The benefits include reduced inflammation, reduced stiffness in the body, improved skin health, lymphatic drainage, and it balances the nervous system and also protects your energy. You are energetically so open following childbirth and want to bring that energy down around you to protect you and your new baby.
• Abdominal + breast massage – Your womb has just been through a lot and your organs were pushed aside to make room for your growing baby. The abdominal massage was something I didn’t even know I needed and wow it felt so good. Your womb is gently massaged to encourage all of your organs to move back into optimal place as you transition into your body post-baby. Caitlin also offers a breast massage (if you would like) which encourages milk production and helps with tenderness.
• Herbal sitz bath – After your massage, a bath is drawn with a special herbal blend that soothes your connective tissue and any stretching/tearing that may have happened during birth. I loved having my salt lamp, a candle, tea, and meditation music set up in my bathroom before she got there.
• Bengkung belly binding – The final step! You will be wrapped in a 17-yard fabric that gently lifts your womb and provides warmth and strength to your abdominals. The wrap feels like a warm hug and really helped me feel supported in those early days. I wore mine for 6-12 hours about 3 days a week. Belly binding is said to help your organs descend carefully and I believe it helped my waist remember where it used to be.

I loved how sacred this process felt and it was beautiful to receive this gentle care in those early, early days. Looking back, I would have put this on my registry, and I am glad that I built it into my postpartum self-care budget before the baby came. The luxury of having the treatment in my home with flexible time in the session in case I needed to breastfeed or care for my baby was an experience I will never forget. My nervous system felt so regulated after this treatment that I took it very slowly in the days following and I continued the sitz bath and a self-oil massage ritual up until my six-week appointment. Engaging in this sacred ritual was one of the most beautiful times during my postpartum experience and offered me an opportunity for reflection about what I was going through in those busy, early days.

Book with Caitlin, or do this at home.

xx

kaitlin