Oh Baby! Mom’s on a Mat-Cation

New mothers are on the go. Post childbirth, many of these mothers are packing bags, booking flights and hotels and heading out with their babies in tow. Once considered a time to stay indoors, the postpartum phase has now gone through a revival! It’s no longer confined to dimly lit bedrooms or counselling sessions. It’s all about being under the sun, by rivers and mountains, amidst foreign cityscapes and skies.

Mat-Cation

Mat-Cations (aka Maternity vacation) is a growing trend that has mothers go onto group or solo travels. They could be accompanied by a friend or spouse. While this idea may have eyebrows raising for a few, for many mothers, it is a lifeline. “Today’s mothers are redefining what it means to parent with presence and purpose,” says Sangeeta Manglani, Relationship Coach and Spiritual Psychologist. Sangeeta explains that these ventures usually range from a short getaway, catching up with long-cherished hobbies or hanging around with close friends.

Sangeeta quips, “These mat-cations are no longer confined to luxuries but are lifelines.”

Think of this period as a time for mothers to reconnect with themselves, to remind themselves that they have a life out of pregnancy. Dr Archana Nanduri, Director of Vidyaranya Counselling Centre from Hyderabad, says, “Newbie moms usually navigate a complex period of emotional, physical and psychological change during and after pregnancy.”

However, many of these moms today realise this lacuna and are jumping onto the ‘self-care’ mode.

Dr Archana shares that while motherhood is a beautiful experience, it can also be ‘all-consuming’. She says, “These deliberate pauses allow mothers to feel like individuals again.” Paving a path and space for moms to breathe, reflect and recharge better.

Breaking Norms

Historically, many cultures nudged women who got into motherhood to go through the ‘postpartum confinement’ period. This typically would range from 30 to 100 days. Here, all you had to do was stay indoors, rest well, recover and follow tradition.

While a few Indian women still stick to these, many seem to be jumping onto the other side of the fence. With some mothers choosing to fly with their infants, too. Of course, traveling with a newborn is no cakewalk but the benefits definitely outweigh the shortcomings.

Sangeeta shares how traditional homes in many ways served as an organic space for child rearing. She says, “In earlier times, many homes were joint families with childcare being organically shared by members.”

Simply put, there was always a grandparent, an aunt or a sibling to look after the little one. So even though mothers did not take ‘formal’ getaway breaks, the ecosystem around allowed them room for ample breathing space. However, today, nuclear families have a lot of parenting done in isolation.

Sangeeta opines that it hence becomes necessary for newbie moms to create intentional pauses to care and look after themselves.

Postpartum Blues

The joy of childbirth can also have a drastic shift in emotions. This phenomenon, called postpartum blues or baby blues is for real. While it’s extremely common among newbie moms, the Postpartum phase could also have the PPD (Postpartum depression) kick in. Isolation or staying indoors only worsen it. Dr Archana explains that while postpartum depression is multifactorial, lack of support or isolation could serve as significant stress contributors.

On the contrary, venturing out would create a healthy space for women. Dr Archana says, “While mat-cations may not prevent PPD entirely, they play a protective and healing role.” It’s also about creating a space to rest, be seen and heard or simply engage in activities that give joy and also reduce isolation and fatigue.

Re-defining Motherhood

At the end of it, these little getaways aren’t about glamorizing motherhood or shunning away from responsibilities. It’s about rewriting the narrative. Mat-cations define a larger cultural shift where a woman adapts to a new role without sacrificing her previous identity.

Sangeeta speaks of these trips being emotional recalibrations for mothers. She says, “When a mother honours her need for rest, creativity and connection outside the home, she returns to her child more present, grounded and joyful.” Dr Archana also reminds newbie mothers who can’t afford venturing out, to spend time with themselves. She opines that self-care doesn’t always mean planning a big road trip or event.

Dr Archana advises, “Even spending 30 minutes of quiet time with a book or an uninterrupted bath or engaging in music would work wonders.” All in all, what’s clear is that motherhood doesn’t mean erasing a part of your identity. It’s about embracing an additional facet and adding a feather to your hat!