A glossary of global postpartum practices that put the mother first.

Name     

• Translation

• What It Is

• Origin

Al-Taqsan

• No direct English translation

• A 40-day tradition of seclusion and renewal, where mothers are wrapped in a kourziya cloth, nourished with herbal baths and rfissa, and gently guided back into balance through ritual and rest.

• Morocco

Barsel

• Maternity

• A 6-week postpartum period of rest and recovery supported by midwife home visits, warm barselgrøt porridge, and government-backed leave, ensuring mothers heal fully before returning to daily life.

• Norway

Benkung

• No direct English translation

• A practice where new mothers are wrapped in a long cotton cloth, offering gentle compression that supports muscle, ligament, and core healing during postpartum recovery.

• Malaysia

Japa

• No direct English translation

• An approximately 40-day period of devoted postpartum care led by family or japa nannies, where mothers receive daily herbal oil massages, belly binding, and a ghee-rich diet of warming foods for strength and balance.

• India

Kırkıncı Gün

• Fortieth Day

• A Turkish tradition centered on warmth and cleansing, marked by heated stone treatments, sweet nourishing foods, and a ritual bath symbolizing renewal.

• Turkey

La Cuarentena

• Quarantine

• A 40-day period of rest and nourishment, where mothers are cared for by family and community, abstain from exertion, and restore vitality through warm foods and herbal teas.

• Latin America & Mexico

La Cerrada

• The Closing

• A postpartum ritual practiced across Latin America, where mothers are massaged and wrapped with rebozos to mark the end of pregnancy and honor the transition into motherhood.

• Latin America

Lying In

• Lying in bed

• A month-long period of seclusion after birth, when mothers rested in bed, sipped spiced caudle, and were tended by nurses before reentering society.

• 17th Century England

Omugwo

• After-birth care

• A postpartum tradition lasting up to six months, where the new mother’s own mother or mother-in-law moves in to cook, massage, and guide recovery with warming pepper soup and daily rituals.

• Nigeria

Sanhujori

• Postpartum recovery

• A practice of restorative rest, miyeok-guk (seaweed soup), and heated towel massages to promote circulation and full-body healing.

• Korea

Satogaeri-bunben

• Returning home to give birth

• A tradition in which mothers return to their family home to give birth and recover in peace, surrounded by quiet, care, and the comforting rhythm of familiar hands.

• Japan

Yu Fai

• Sitting by fire

• A heat-based healing ritual lasting 7 days to 1 month, where mothers rest near a warm fire or heated bed, receive herbal steam and massage, and restore balance through warmth and stillness.

• Thailand

Wochenbett

• Weeks in bed

• A 6-8 week period of rest, midwife visits, and protected recovery, ensuring mothers heal fully before rejoining daily life.

• Germany

Zuo yue zi

• Sitting the month

• A millennia-old tradition rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, where new mothers spend the first 40 days postpartum resting, avoiding strenuous activity, and nourishing themselves with warm, restorative meals.

• China & Taiwan