The Herborium Mother Series

These are real stories. Real motherhood reflections.

There’s a version of motherhood we show the world, and then there’s the one we live through. The long nights. The unexpected emotions. The moments that feel both overwhelming and fleeting at the same time. These are real stories from The Herborium Mothers, shared not to teach or to perfect, but simply to reflect what postpartum can truly feel like.

This is a collection of reflections from The Herborium Mothers, shared honestly in the hope that somewhere within these words, another mother feels a little more seen, supported, and less alone.

How Lucy Learned What Real Postpartum Support Feels Like

A postpartum story of Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal support, sitting the month, family care, and what it feels like to be held in postpartum.

Lucy is now running a small business and raising two young children under four. You can follow her business adventures as a mother here at Lucy Adrian (expect LOLS). But before her first baby arrived, she was in the same place many mothers find themselves, deep in pregnancy research mode.

Like so many of us, she spent hours comparing prams, reading reviews, and trying to prepare for every baby detail imaginable. Looking back, she realises how much energy went into preparing for the birth and the baby, and how little went into what comes next: postpartum recovery.

Now she laughs at it.

“STOP RESEARCHING THE DAMN PRAMS!! 😂”

Because beneath the humour is a pattern that’s all too familiar. Modern mothers are surrounded by preparation for baby, while postpartum recovery receives far less attention.

Postpartum recovery is often underplanned, underestimated, and mentally overwhelming, especially when life is already full before birth.

Reducing the Mental Load of Postpartum Recovery

When Lucy discovered The Herborium postpartum package, it reduced her mental load. The 28-day Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal package arrived pre-portioned with clear guidance, and her family stepped into the care process with ease.

“The Herborium took the mental load off me for this part of postpartum.”

Her mother took over the kitchen, preparing nourishing soups every two days as part of a traditional Chinese Indonesian postpartum recovery ritual. Care became shared, structured, and consistent.

For Lucy’s family, TCM postpartum care was already part of cultural practice. The structured herbal package made it simple to continue in a modern household without the complexity of sourcing and preparation.

Her mother held strongly to traditional preparation and freshness:

“She cooked every soup fresh every 2 days because she believed that freezing it would take away the nutrients.”

What followed was a rhythm of care that didn’t need managing, only receiving.

“Shock. Horror. Joy.”

When Lucy described her postpartum experience in three words, she chose:

Shock. Horror. Joy.

It reflects the emotional intensity of new motherhood, full, layered, and constantly shifting.

She also reflected on how recovery required more structure than she expected in the early weeks.

" I thought I would just wing it and work it out when we got there. But if I had my time again I would tell my pregnant self to stop researching about the stupid pram and read a book about breastfeeding instead!"

A postpartum ritual that becomes family legacy

Lucy’s experience extends beyond her own recovery.

Her mother’s involvement, and her intention to one day support her own daughters in the same way, reflects how postpartum care is passed forward through family lines.

This is how Traditional Chinese Medicine postpartum herbal support extends beyond recovery, shaping how care is passed through generations.

Full Interview: Lucy in her own words.

1.     Can you tell us a little about yourself - what season of motherhood are you in and how has motherhood been like for you so far?

I'm in the season of daily cyclones running after 2 kids under 4 whilst running a small business! Ngl, Motherhood has brought out the best and worst in me. It has also shown me how strong women really are, but most of all it has made me appreciate my mum more.

2.     How did your postpartum experience compare to what you expected? Did anything surprise you?

Everything surprised me to be honest 😂 I didn't even know what to expect of postpartum. Like many aspects of my life, I thought I would just wing it and work it out when we got there. But if I had my time again I would tell my pregnant self to stop researching about the stupid pram and read a book about breastfeeding instead!

3.     What made you decide to try The Herborium’s 28 Day Postpartum Package, and which package did you choose?

I heard about the herborium postpartum package through a friend. The postpartum herbal ritual is quite embedded in the chinese indonesian culture and my mum and aunties always spoke about how it helped them recover, so for me it wasn't really a decision I had to make, it was just the way things are in our family. The herborium was an easy choice because I didnt have to think about how to prepare the complex herbal recipes or even where to source them. As I said I was busy reading up pram reviews 😂 so I was glad the herborium took the mental load off me for this part of postpartum.

4.     Chinese herbs can be so foreign to many but we know that there are so many benefits behind this ancient wisdom. Have you used Traditional Chinese Medicine or Chinese herbs before using The Herborium postpartum package? Did your perspective on Chinese herbs or postpartum care change after this experience?

Yes I have. Yes, I was more amazed at the powers of TCM. I had leftover membrane from the placenta that didnt fully expel at birth. I really believe that the shenghua tonic which is known to help expel/flush out the blood helped me pass that membrane quicker than if I hadn't had the tonic.

5.     We truly believe in the importance of rest, warmth, nourishment and mothering the mother as the pillars of postpartum care. Did you follow any traditional postpartum confinement or recovery practices and why do you think these were important when our bodies are vulnerable and has been through so many fluctuations?

Yes I didnt leave my house for 4 weeks as prescribed. Coincidentally the first birth was during covid lockdowns so there was no temptation to leave the house anyways. Also, being sleep deprived whilst still learning how to breastfeed really didnt make me want to leave my house.

6.     The postpartum chaos is real. How did you incorporate the package into your routine? What did you notice most while using the package?

Honestly when I received the package from Wendy, I didnt even take it home; I left it at my mum's house. She was the one who read all the recipes into great depths and prepared every soup in the package for me. She cooked every soup fresh every 2 days because she believed that freezing it will take all the nutrients away. I know I'm spoilt but one day I will pay it forward and do the same for my daughters.

7.     Looking back, what would you tell yourself just before entering postpartum?

STOP RESEARCHING THE DAMN PRAMS!! 😂

8.     If you had to describe your postpartum experience in 3 words, what would they be?

Shock. Horror. Joy.

 

Postpartum asks so much of women.
These stories are a reminder that recovery deserves care too.
Thank you to the mothers who shared a small piece of their experience with us, and with the women who may need these words most.

 


Learn more about our 28 Day Postpartum Packages here.
Limited weekly availability - many mothers choose to prepare early and to take advantage of our early bird discount.

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