10 Days After Giving Birth, I Checked Into a Postnatal Retreat — Here’s What It Was Like

Booking a stay at Boram Postnatal Retreat is slightly different than booking a typical hotel stay, since you obviously don't know exactly when you'll need to check in. Boram recommends going directly from the hospital, but you can also go home for a few days before you begin your stay (you can stay anytime within the first 6 weeks postpartum). When you book, you'll share your due date and delivery expectations (vaginal vs. c-section). If you deliver early or late, Boram is able to accommodate changes to your reservation. If you have questions before you book, you can attend a virtual info session, sign up for a virtual or in-person tour, or have a consultation with a care associate.

I was due in early May, so I booked my stay based on my due date. When my daughter was born three weeks early, I let Boram know and they let me reschedule my stay — my husband and I wanted to spend a few days at home before going to Boram, so we checked in when I was 10 days postpartum.

Prior to arriving at Boram, one of their team members called me to walk me through what my experience would be like. She let me know that I should text them when I was ten minutes away and they'd send someone down to the hotel lobby to meet me.

We parked our car in a garage, texted the Boram number, and made our way over to the Thompson Central Park New York hotel, where Boram has a floor. A care specialist met us by the elevators a few minutes later; she got us checked in, outfitted us with bracelets (like at the hospital, parents and babies get matching bracelets for safety purposes), brought us upstairs to our room, and showed us around the rest of the floor.

In addition to our hotel room, we had access to the Mother's Lounge and our baby had access to the Baby Room.

We stayed in a standard king bedroom, which was absolutely beautiful. There was a hospital-style bassinet in the room for our daughter, as well as a Boppy nursing pillow.

My daughter's bassinet came complete with all the necessities: a soft swaddle, a shirt, diapers, wipes, diaper cream, and disposable changing pads. There was also a tray for bottles and pump parts that needed to be sanitized.

In addition to the basic toiletries, Boram provided us with a variety of Evereden products, like the Petit Bouquet Belly Serum and Nourishing Stretch Mark Cream for me, and the Protecting Baby Face Cream, Baby Moisturizing Lotion, and Soothing Baby Massage Oil for my baby.

In the bathroom, there was a cart with postpartum care essentials: pads, witch hazel wipes, and adult diapers. Boram also provided a sitz bath basin, which the care team would happily set up at any time.

Boram is all about individualized care for mom and baby, so they offer a variety of services to support the postpartum journey. The care team provides hands-on assistance for anything you might need help with: diapering, bathing, breastfeeding, pumping, bottle feeding, swaddling, physical postpartum recovery, mental health support, and more. You can also book spa services and attend daily classes/social events in the Mother's Lounge.

I knew I wanted to take advantage of everything Boram had to offer, so I requested a sitz bath and foot bath, set up time with the lactation consultant, and attended the childcare class that was offered in the Mother's Lounge.

I was very lucky that my daughter took to breastfeeding very easily — she latched well, fed often, and was gaining weight. Because she was born early, though, her pediatrician recommended I start pumping in case she needed supplemental bottle feeds. My husband and I hadn't gotten a chance to set up our breast pump (or even look at it, really) before I gave birth, so I knew I wanted some guidance from Boram's lactation consultant.

I texted my care team and scheduled a time with the lactation consultant. She came to our room and instructed me on how to use the breast pump — it was so nice to have hands-on support from an expert, instead of just trying to figure things out on my own. Once I was done pumping, I put all the pump parts on the tray they provided to be washed and sanitized for me.

Once we had some expressed breast milk, a member of the care team helped teach my husband and I how to do paced bottle feeding. This method of feeding helps newborns adjust to a bottle and can make it easier for them to switch back and forth between breast and bottle.

The Mother's Lounge was one of my favorite parts of the floor — it is outfitted with comfortable couches and chairs, and provides a communal space for parents to meet one another and attend daily classes and events. The Lounge has nutritious snacks, coffee, and breastfeeding support (like lactation cookies and mother's milk tea) available at all times, which is great for middle-of-the-night hunger.

Boram offers a number of daily classes and events for parents. These classes include things like Infant Safety and CPR, Lactation Q&A, Guided Meditation, Childcare Info, and more. My husband and I attended a childcare information session, where a care team member explained all sorts of childcare options — from full-time nannies, to nanny shares, to daycare — and went over the benefits and costs.

Some of the class wasn't relevant to our situation (we're not planning to hire a live-in nanny), but it was nice to meet the other families who were staying at Boram and feel a sense of community with other new parents.

At Boram, mothers are provided with three nutritious meals a day. When you arrive, you're provided with a menu — there are a number of choices for each meal, which you order on the phone via room service. Although partners' meals are not included, they can order off the room service menu (of course, they can also order delivery or leave the hotel to pick up food).

After a terrible experience with hospital meals, I wasn't looking forward to a limited menu — but I loved every single thing I ate at Boram. I enjoyed an incredible gnocchi dish, a delectable avocado toast, a fresh and filling grain bowl, and more. I was honestly shocked at how much I enjoyed the food; during the first few days at home after having my baby, I'd been eating a lot of snacks and just trying to stay full, so I truly felt more energized with three nourishing meals a day.

When it comes to physical recovery, nothing compares to a postnatal massage; 60 minute massages are available for an extra charge, and in my experience, they're absolutely worth it. I scheduled a massage for my second day at Boram, and I was able to get a massage from the comfort of my hotel room. This was honestly the best massage I've ever had in my life, and it felt so refreshing and rejuvenating after my body had been through so much.

One of the most important parts of a stay at Boram is access to the 24/7 Baby Room. The Baby Room, like a nursery, is staffed by registered nurses and nursing assistants specialized in maternal newborn care, so babies are in good hands. Boram knows that new parents need time to rest and recover, and that can be hard to do when you're caring for a newborn.

At any point during the day or night, you can text your Care Team and request that they bring your baby to the Baby Room. While your baby is in the Baby Room, you can watch them via secure video on your phone.

Although the Baby Room is always available, and most parents choose to utilize the Baby Room, there's no pressure for you to separate from your baby if you don't want to.

I'll be honest, I struggled with sending my daughter to the Baby Room, but I knew my husband and I needed some uninterrupted sleep. We were exhausted, and I knew we would be better versions of ourselves with a little more shuteye. That said, when the care team took my daughter to the Baby Room at 3:00am on the first night so I could sleep, I cried for half an hour straight. They brought her back two hours later when she got hungry, so I didn't really get much rest.

On the second night, we were able to give the nurses some breast milk I had pumped, so our baby stayed in the Baby Room for two full cycles (sleep – diaper – milk, sleep – diaper). I still cried when they took her the second night, but I knew she was well cared for.

Although Boram is expensive, it's an incredible experience for new parents. I had a terrible time in the postpartum unit at the hospital, and Boram really allowed me to recover in the way I needed. I felt deeply cared for, both physically and emotionally. With no laundry to do, dishes to wash, or meals to cook, I was able to just focus on healing and bonding with my baby.

My husband and I only stayed at Boram for two nights, but they recommend at least five nights to get the full experience. If I were to go again for a future child, I would definitely stay longer — that way we'd get access to more classes, more time to relax, and a chance to take advantage of all Boram has to offer.

After spending time at Boram, it became even more obvious to me how necessary this kind of care is. New moms deserve holistic postpartum care — and with so many people living far from family, it can be hard to find a village. Boram provides the village new parents desperately need; I only hope we get to a point where postnatal care doesn't have to be seen as a luxury.