After giving birth and returning home, some mothers apply the 5-5-5 rule in their daily lives. This very specific method has its supporters and detractors…
After the delivery stage and the stay in the maternity ward, returning home can be a source of anxiety for young mothers. It must be said that the arrival of a child completely disrupts parents’ daily lives. For women, this is even more difficult to live with, because they are gradually recovering from having given birth. Emotionally speaking too, they may feel overwhelmed and exhausted by their new responsibilities. In this delicate period that is postpartum, some mothers implement a method to avoid being overwhelmed and to rest effectively.
It comes to us from the United States and is being talked about on social networks, its name: the 5-5-5 method, also called “the 5-5-5 rule”. Concretely, what is it? This is more or less a special postpartum rest program, which lasts fifteen days. The first five days are devoted entirely to recovery. Young mothers stay in bed with their babies, they rest and get up as little as possible. It is also valuable one-on-one time with the child to create a relationship. During this time, daily tasks are all delegated to the partner, as are meals and care for the baby. This first phase would be essential for recovery, both physically and emotionally.
The following five days introduce a gradual return to activities, which require little effort. Mothers continue to rest, but they can also get some fresh air outside, do some stretching or simply take the time to shower. During this phase, it is important not to overdo it and to listen to the body’s limits. This is also when young mothers can, little by little, introduce their baby to their brothers and sisters and do small activities together, such as listening to a nursery rhyme or reading books. Here again, fathers must be present to support their partner.
The last five days are dedicated to reconnecting with the world. Clearly, mothers are gradually returning to their daily routine. They can go out for a walk, see friends, relatives, go to the bakery… The outings are short and of course, it is essential to rest for a while during the day. This last phase would allow young mothers to regain a certain balance between their life as a mother and their life as a woman.
According to this 5-5-5 method, fathers have a crucial role to play during these first fifteen days. But this practice is far from unanimous among some parents. Some fathers feel excluded after the birth of the child, while others have difficulty managing the tasks that mothers usually carry. On the Reddit forum, for example, a young American mother shared her experience and explained to Internet users that her husband broke down after five days, saying that it was too much for him and that he couldn’t do everything, all alone.