Postpartum Care

High fat, nutrient dense diets help optimise breast milk production and nutritional composition, assisting babies growth and development.

• Postpartum appropriate foods increase a mother’s ability to heal after birth, replenishing vital nutrients and essential fatty acids, revitalising her blood and assist healing after c-sections.
  
  

• The first 2000 days (0-5yrs) of a baby’s life are integral to building a foundation of lifetime health and wellbeing. Studies show that optimal nutrition during this time can reduce the risk of adulthood diabetes and heart disease.
  
  

• By providing freshly cooked and nourishing meals, along with baby and mother donated goods, and in-person support, we can reduce the economic and social stress of this time for mums and their families, reducing the risk of maternal mental health disorders, poor nourishment of mother and baby, and social isolation.

The Postpartum Care meal service supports First Nations mums and families on Bundjalung Country with weekly meal drops for the immediate 6 weeks after birth, supporting families to rest and recover together, while easing the pressure of meal times. The meal packages are delivered to family’s homes, containing meals which are healing for mum’s body, help increase breastmilk quantity and nutrient density, and are ancestrally and nutritionally-appropriate for the immediate postpartum period.

Our meals are created using fresh and local ingredients, infused with bush foods and are organic where possible. We have a team of women volunteers who prepare each meal with care.

We also assist families in accessing donated goods for mum and bub for those in need, through partnering with other community-run charities.
The Postpartum Care Program is currently servicing families on Bundjalung Country from Tweed heads, south to Ballina, and west to Casino.

Designed to work alongside our postpartum meal delivery and support service, the Indigenous Postpartum Care Workshops program is a series of workshops for Indigenous aunties, sisters and Elders to build community capacity to care for Indigenous mothers.

While First Nations cultures traditionally had protocols and bush medicine for mother and baby after birth, much of this wisdom and practice has been interrupted by colonisation. Workshop participants will learn how to prepare nourishing meals and provide support for the pregnant and postpartum Indigenous women in their families and communities.

Workshops will be led by Widjabul Wia-bal chef Mindy Foods and will focus on the preparation and cooking of meals with native bush foods.