My Postpartum Struggle Showed Me What Moms Are Missing
Postpartum support was something I didn’t even realize I needed after the birth of my daughter in 2010. I went back to work the next day. My husband was a cofounder and I was part of the founding team for our first company, and we were working nearly non-stop, so I didn’t hesitate to get back to work. My daughter was healthy, so I was grateful, but I was suffering from engorgement and postpartum depression. I didn’t fully recognize it at the time and was struggling more than I let myself admit. This would skew my perception of what giving birth was actually like.
In South Korea postpartum care looks very different
Before the birth of my son in 2014, I had considered traveling to South Korea, where my family is from, to recover in a supportive postpartum hotel. South Korea prioritizes care in a way that is based on century-old traditions where moms are cared for during this delicate time with everything from nutritious meals to postnatal massages, lactation support and more. I’ve had friends benefit from recovering in these hotel-style retreats for weeks after giving birth, which provided them with the education and support needed for motherhood.
I ended up staying in New York and had a C-section birth. I thought I’d be able to recover quickly, but the reality of healing from major surgery meant I couldn’t physically push through like I had with my first pregnancy. I felt very conflicted because I needed to keep working, caring for my family, and maintaining my household. Most of all, I felt the expectations that so many women face when it comes to getting back to “normal” after giving birth.
I struggled to manage everything I was up against, including the physical recovery and the demands of real life. I felt guilty for not spending more time with my newborn, and eventually I realized I had been suffering from postpartum depression.
I thought for sure that something comparable to these retreat-style hotels would be available where I live in New York City, but I was surprised to find out that they weren’t here. So I decided to create one. We launched Boram’s first hotel-style postpartum retreat, modeled after those I had seen in South Korea. We’ve since shifted our efforts to reach more families and expand access further through an at-home model.
Building better postpartum support in the U.S.
It turns out that I wasn’t alone in how I felt. Nearly 90% of women feel unprepared after giving birth and struggle with feeling exhausted and having minimal support. And one in four women go back to work within two weeks of giving birth.
The absence of postpartum support and the patchwork approach to paid leave in the U.S. is a disservice to new moms and families. The grim reality is that the maternal mortality rate in this country is the worst of any industrialized country and it’s even worse for women of color.
This shouldn’t be the norm. As a nation, we need to prioritize postpartum care in an impactful way. I created Boram at Home as part of that shift. It’s a support service that brings doulas and lactation specialists into the home to help moms feel cared for during that challenging postpartum time.
I’d love to see this offered as part of insurance coverage or as employer-provided healthcare coverage, but this isn’t the whole solution. We need to expand paid leave nationwide and build systems that prioritize wellbeing and mental health in new ways.
Postpartum care isn’t a luxury, it is a public health imperative. Mothers shouldn’t be left to figure out recovery on their own, and families shouldn’t have to choose between healing and survival. My story isn’t unique, and that’s exactly why the gap in postpartum needs to be solved.
It’s time to prioritize support in our healthcare and workplace systems and create policies that reflect what it means to care for families and mothers.
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About the Author
Name: Boram Nam
Professional Title: Co-founder Of Boram
Bio: Boram Nam Is An Entrepreneur Of Innovative Startups. She Is Co-founder Of Boram, An Organization Dedicated To Making Postpartum Care Essential In The U.S. Through Supportive, Elevated Services For New Mothers.
