La Cuarentena: Indigenous Wisdom for Thriving Postpartum

An expert in ancestral healing shares traditional Indigenous wisdom for helping women thrive rather than survive the postpartum experience.

Though we now have more resources for ancestral birthing and self-care practices than ever, postpartum care is still largely stuck in an outdated, patriarchal paradigm that fails to serve mothers and newborns. ＂Slowing down, recovering fully, and giving your baby the best start isn’t a privilege--it’s a basic human need,＂ says Pānquetzani, a leading expert in Indigenous health care for women. In Thriving Postpartum, she shares the sacred ritual of la cuarentena (or quarantine) that honors, nurtures, and empowers a birthing person’s transition into their new life.

Pānquetzani teaches this 40-day journey as a spiritual rite of passage, one that has endured colonization and supported women in Mesoamerican and Mexican communities. You’ll find everything you need--including ancestral recipes for lactation and replenishing; prayers and somatic practices for physical, emotional, and sexual recovery; and much more. Through traditional stories and practical guidance, she helps you engage your support network, become your own best advocate, and lay a healthy foundation for the years to come.

＂This wisdom has come from my familia and is a direct inheritance from our collective body of knowledge,＂ says Pānquetzani. Imparted with love, tenderness, and respect, here is an invitation to participate in a rich tradition that celebrates birth and motherhood as sacred acts of creation.

Pānquetzani comes from a matriarchal family of folk healers from the valley of Mexico (Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlaxcala), La Comarca Lagunera (Durango and Coahuila), and Zacatecas. As a traditional herbalist, healer, and birthkeeper, Pānquetzani has touched over 3,000 wombs and bellies. Through her platform, Indigemama: Ancestral Healing, she has taught over 100 live, in-person intensives and trainings on womb wellness. She lives in California. For more, visit indigemama.com.