Hello, September: An Autumn Season of Nourishment, Nesting & Postpartum Daydreaming

Hello Momma,

There is something about September that always makes me want to slow down. The mornings begin to feel a little different, and I find myself reaching for warmer drinks, dreaming about cozy sweaters, and thinking about all the little rituals that make home feel especially comforting this time of year. After such a full summer and our travels through Europe, I think our family is craving exactly that. I will say it is still in the 80s here and hot hot hot but a girl can dream.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what this next season might look like, both personally and in my work with postpartum Mommas. So much of what I love about autumn feels beautifully connected to postpartum: warmth, nourishment, slowing down, gathering, and creating a little cocoon around yourself and your new baby.

My Autumn Postpartum Daydream 🍁

If I could dream up the coziest autumn postpartum season, it would look something like this…

Chunky knits and newborn snuggles on a crisp morning. A warm cup of cinnamon tea while the baby sleeps nearby. A big pot of nourishing soup simmering on the stove. Cranberry muffins in the oven. Oversized quilts on the porch. Matching pajamas for the whole family. And those quiet afternoons where you don’t really have anywhere to be.

I love the idea of embracing the season you’re in rather than feeling like postpartum needs to look a certain way.

If your baby arrives in the autumn, there are so many simple ways to make those first couple of months feel extra cozy and intentional. Warming herbs for a sitz bath, nourishing soups and stews, freezer-friendly muffins, warm beverages, soft layers, and plenty of opportunities to get outside for a little fresh air without rushing anywhere.

I put together an Autumn Postpartum Dream Board filled with ideas and inspiration for creating a warm, cozy, and deeply nourishing postpartum season. Think of it less as a checklist and more as a collection of little things that might make you smile and help you imagine what you want your own postpartum to feel like.

Nourishment Is at the Center of Healing 🌿 This has been especially present in my own life lately. I’ve now had three sessions with my naturopath as we’ve been working through my Dutch test results, and we’re focusing more and more on nutrient-dense foods and replenishing my body. One of the things she’s encouraged me to incorporate into my mornings is a carrot, ginger, and turmeric juice. 🥕 It’s part of the way we’re approaching nourishment and supporting my body, including areas that came up in my hormone results that we’d like to work on, such as estrogen metabolism. What I keep coming back to is how often healing really does come back to the basics.

Nourishment. Digestion. Rest. Nutrients. Warmth. Replenishment.

I’m very much in my own healing and nourishing season right now, and I think that’s one reason I’ve been so drawn to thinking about postpartum again. The more I learn about caring for our bodies, the more I see how important it is to build a foundation of nourishment before we ever need to draw from it. And that is really the heart behind so much of the work I do with postpartum Mommas.

Back in the Kitchen 🍲

I’ve also been spending quite a bit of time experimenting with new recipes.

I’ve been working on some easy gummy recipes specifically for birth recovery because sometimes we don’t have bone broth simmering on the stove or a full meal prepared and ready to go. I love the idea of having something nourishing and simple that can be grabbed from the refrigerator when you need it.

At the same time, I’ve been bringing more bone broth back into my own life. There’s something so comforting about having a pot simmering away in the kitchen, especially as we move toward cooler weather.

I’ve also been playing around with freezer-friendly recipes that Mommas can prepare ahead of time and enjoy beyond those first few weeks postpartum. The first six weeks often get so much attention, but nourishment doesn’t suddenly stop being important once you reach that milestone.

One of my favorite autumn recipes to make right now is my Garden Veggie Autumn Soup, which I’ll share below. It’s especially lovely because you can adapt it based on what you have growing in your garden or what looks beautiful at the farmer’s market.

A Little Garden Update 🌻

My garden has been having a bit of a difficult summer. The heat has been intense, and some of my plants have definitely felt it. But that’s one of the things I’m learning to appreciate about gardening. You can’t force a season to be something it isn’t. So instead of feeling discouraged, I’m starting to dream about what I want to grow next. More sunflowers. More herbs. More flowers that I can dry and use. More plants that I can eventually incorporate into my kitchen and postpartum work. I’ve been especially intrigued by natural plant dyeing lately, which ties into another little project I’ve been working on…

Belly Binding Is Coming Back 🪡

I’ve officially started exploring bringing my postpartum belly binders back. For years I’ve made belly binders for my Etsy shop, but I took a pause from that part of my work. Lately, though, I’ve really been feeling pulled toward creating them again. I finally ordered cotton swatches so I can start experimenting with different fabrics and figuring out exactly what I want to use.

Ideally, I’d love to work with organic cotton, but I’ve been discovering just how much more expensive organic fabric can be per yard. It’s something I’m still working through because I want to create something beautiful and thoughtfully made while keeping it accessible. I’ve also been dreaming about incorporating natural dyes into the process.

I’m imagining a soft avocado-plum shade from avocado skins, a sagey green inspired by rosemary or sage, and a soft blush pink from things like cherries and rosebuds. 🌸 I don’t know exactly where this little experiment will take me yet, and that’s part of what I’m enjoying about it. If you’ve been waiting for my belly binders to return, I’d love to hear from you. You can always reach out and let me know you’re interested so I can keep you updated as I work through the process.

Entering My Sourdough Era… Again 🍞 Apparently, I’m also back in my sourdough era. I’ve been making sourdough for years, but lately I’ve wanted to go a little deeper and learn how to mill my own flour. So now I’m learning about whole grains, milling, hydration, fermentation, and everything that comes with making bread from flour you’ve milled yourself. I’m currently using organic, glyphosate-free hard white wheat, which was surprisingly difficult to find. Finding grain that met both of those criteria felt like a little victory. Learning to mill my own flour has been a whole new learning curve, but I’m really enjoying the process. There’s something so satisfying about knowing where your ingredients came from and slowing down enough to make something from the very beginning. And maybe that’s another theme of this season for me: returning to the basics.

Choosing Home 🍂

After our European travels this summer, our family has been feeling especially grateful to be home. We had such an incredible time traveling, but there’s something really beautiful about coming home and wanting to stay for a while. We’ve been talking about doing a few little adventures for the rest of the year, maybe squeezing in one more outdoorsy trip before the season changes. Yosemite has been floating around in our minds. 🌲 But mostly, we’re craving a nesting season.

More family time. More evenings at home. More cooking. More garden projects. More little adventures that don’t require a suitcase. And this month is extra special because we’re also celebrating our 10th anniversary. ❤️

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately appreciating my husband and learning more about him in a different way. Ten years together feels like such a beautiful milestone, and after all of the traveling and changes of the past year, I’m especially grateful for the life we’ve built together.

ALWAYS DAY DREAMING ABOUT WATER COLORING WITH MY 7 BESTIES IN BELGIUM :)

Welcoming September 🤎

So that’s where I am as September begins.

I’m healing and nourishing. I’m dreaming about autumn postpartum DOULA seasons. I’m experimenting in the kitchen. I’m learning how to mill flour. I’m watching my garden struggle and dreaming about sunflowers. I’m exploring natural dyes and bringing belly binding back into my life.

And I’m embracing a slower season. Maybe that’s what I’m most excited about this time of year. Not doing more. But being more present with what is already here.

If you’re a September Momma, I’d especially love to hear from you. Tell me where you are in your journey and what you’re looking forward to this season. And if you’re not expecting, I’d still love to hear from you. Tell me what you’re cooking, growing, dreaming about, or simply enjoying lately.

Happy September, Momma. 🍂 May this season bring you warmth, nourishment, a little more slowness, and plenty of reasons to cozy up.

mEGAN

Heal. Nourish. Cocoon. 🤎