The five kinds of rest – and why they matter for new mothers

When we say ‘rest’, we don’t just mean ‘sleep’, say Sophie Walker and Jodi Wilson. Rest takes many forms and parents should consider building all of them into their lives

We live in a society that champions individualism, productivity and professional and financial success. At every turn we’re encouraged to do it all, which can make us worry that if we’re not being productive, what is our purpose?

Across two years of research, including interviews with more than 60 perinatal health specialists and hundreds of mothers on the Australian Birth Stories podcast, we learned that most mothers enter postpartum with unrealistic expectations of themselves and their bodies. Some are left feeling purposeless and questioning their worth when the work of caring for a baby doesn’t fit with the narrative of a results-driven society.