Feeling exhausted with a newborn? These 6 simple, supportive shifts can help you feel more nourished, resourced and supported in postpartum.

I often hear women say that having a postpartum doula would be lovely, but that it feels like too much of a luxury. I’ve been thinking a lot about how we as women find it so difficult to ask for and accept help. As though we don’t deserve slowness, rest or ease. As though we need to keep going and going, being productive in order to deserve a place in this world…

I feel incredibly grateful to have had Harriet (Hats) as my postpartum doula. As a first-time mother, I honestly didn’t think I would need postpartum support. I assumed I would just figure it out. But living abroad without family nearby, having Hats in those early months became truly invaluable.

Apart from being a rather fabulous, vibrant and elegant bird, there’s another reason I chose the flamingo as a symbol for this work. I wanted a name that reflected the reality of early motherhood: beautiful, demanding, and deeply transformative. As it turns out, flamingos offer a surprisingly perfect metaphor for the postpartum period.