Exceptional postpartum care right in your backyard

The postpartum experience is such a special time for families as you get to know this sweet new babe you just welcomed into the world. And while you’d love to soak in this time and focus only on your parenting journey, it also can be clouded with overwhelm due to lack of family support, limited parental leave, or caring for multiple children. Enter Sanu, a postpartum retreat-style experience that promotes recovery, education, and emotional well-being.

Being highly involved in the parenting community here in Northern Virginia I knew when this retreat opened I wanted to learn all about it and how it can benefit families in the DMV during there parental leave. Being a nurse practitioner I also loved that the program was developed by a physician, is evidence based, and that they have experienced caregivers providing around-the-clock support.

Many families ask me “what can I be doing during the postpartum experience to promote good sleep habits for my baby” ? My number one answer- take care of yourself and prioritize your rest in the prenatal and postpartum time. Why is this important? Because we know that up to 40-60% of women will experience postpartum insomnia within 6 weeks after giving birth (Sivertsen, B., Hysing, M., Dørheim, S.K. et al., 2015). And while we would like to believe that insomnia just goes away soon thereafter, unfortunately, the same study shows that insomnia remained high at 41 % at year 2 postpartum.

The support

At Sanu they lean back into the traditions of Korean (sanhu-jori) and Chinese (zuo yue zi) postpartum care where they are fully supporting the mother. They have thought of everything from lactation support to nutritious meals, and even access to board-certified and licensed pediatrician and OBGYN for en suite visits (umm can I go back in time and not have to leave a cozy bed for that first pediatrician visit??). Seriously I want to have another baby just to relive my postpartum experience here…. well almost 🙂

Sanu can support a variety of families from first time parents, single parents, parents of multiples, and even parents of having their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th babies! Every family’s needs may be different. One family may go to Sanu for more rest and relaxation, another family may find the newborn support very helpful as they learn new parenting skills. The ideal time to stay at Sanu is 0~12 Weeks after Childbirth as you will get the most out of your stay. According to the care and operations supervisor I chatted with the average stay at Sanu is about 1 week and many come stay directly from the hospital or join during a “retreat week” in which they cluster families together for their stay to promote connection and enjoy newborn education together.

The sleep environment

As a sleep consultant and nurse practitioner I was happy to see the safe sleep environment that the have at Sanu! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends baby sleeping in a shared room in their own sleep space, which they have done in such a beautiful way. They also are teaching about safe practices for when you go home too in a much less rushed environment than at the hospital. Babies at Sanu can either sleep in the bassinet in with their parents or if parents need a break the highly trained staff can watch your baby for a bit to get you the rest you need as you recover from birth.

The added perks

At Sanu I was very impressed with some of the added perks! The best part is that they all foster healing and supporting the family. There are many things that are included in nightly rate such as: