Is this meditation safe during postpartum?

Yes. This is gentle guided practice with no breath-holding or physical exertion. Listen in any comfortable position. If a practice increases distress rather than easing it, stop and speak with your midwife, GP, or a mental health professional.

Do I need the app to listen?

No. Press play on this page for the full guided audio and transcript. The My Maternal Mind app adds offline caching, ambient sound mixing, and a daily meditation written for your current week.

The 3am Hour

Postpartum week 4

0:00−12:01

Background sound

Duration:: 12 min
Stage:: Postpartum · Postpartum week 4
Best for:: The middle of the night, after a feed, settling back down

How to practise

The fourth trimester asks a lot of a person in a short time. This episode holds a calm reset for the smallest hours; returning to sleep once baby is safely settled, without asking you to perform gratitude or bounce back on cue.

Waking in the deep of the night to feed and soothe is one of the hardest parts of the fourth trimester, and getting back to sleep afterward can feel impossible. This practice is a quiet, low-effort reset for those hours. Once your baby is safely settled, it helps your wired, tired body come down and drift back to rest, with no pressure and no shame.

Find a position that supports you (lying down, once baby is safely settled in their own safe sleep space). Press play and let the guidance move at its own pace. There is no correct way to feel, and nothing to visualize on demand.

This episode is written for postpartum week 4. It fits best the middle of the night, after a feed, settling back down, though you can return whenever the week feels heavy or unfamiliar.

Each week in the series stands alone. Listeners often join at their current week and circle back later; the arc rewards continuity, but nothing here assumes you have been listening since week one.

Full transcript

Welcome to the 3am hour.

If you are awake in the deep of the night, having fed and soothed your baby, this is for exactly this moment.

One important thing first, for safety. This practice is for once your baby is settled in their own safe sleep space, on their back, on a clear flat surface. Please do not let yourself drift off while holding your baby on a sofa or a chair. Settle them safely first. Then come back, lie down, and let me help you rest. Let's begin.

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Now that your baby is settled, let yourself lie down comfortably.

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Let your eyes close.

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There is nothing more to do tonight. The feed is done. Your baby is safe. This part is just for you.

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Take one slow breath in.

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And let it out, slowly, like a long sigh in the dark.

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Let your breathing go on by itself. Each out-breath a little longer than the in.

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Your body may be wired and tired at the same time, that strange 3am state where you are exhausted but alert. So let's gently bring it down, a little at a time.

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Let your feet and legs grow heavy. Soft, and sinking.

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Let your hips and your back soften into the bed.

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Let your belly and chest soften. Let your shoulders drop away from your ears.

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Let your arms grow heavy. Let your jaw loosen, and your face go soft.

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Your whole body, heavy now, held by the bed. Nothing to hold. Nothing to do.

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If your mind starts listing all the things, or replaying the day, let those thoughts drift by, like quiet traffic far away. You do not have to follow them. Just stay heavy, and warm, and let them pass.

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Let three quiet truths settle over you, softly. No need to repeat them.

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I can come down from this wakefulness.

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These small hours will not last forever.

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My baby is safe, and now I can rest.

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There is nothing left to do but rest. If sleep comes, let it. You do not have to stay with my voice. You can let it fade.

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And if sleep is slow to come, that is okay too. You are still resting, still held, still doing enough. Just stay here, heavy and warm, for as long as you need.

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Let yourself sink a little deeper.

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Heavy.

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Warm.

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Resting.

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Nothing more to do.

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*(No spoken return-to-day close. The audio fades after the final drift. Safety note lives in the show notes.)*

Show-note line: For safe sleep, always put your baby down on their back, on a firm, flat, clear surface, in the same room as you for the early months. Never sleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair. Ask your health visitor for safe-sleep guidance.

FAQ

When should I listen to Postpartum Week 4?: This practice is designed for the middle of the night, after a feed, settling back down, though you can return any time during postpartum.
Is this meditation safe during postpartum?: Yes. This is gentle guided practice with no breath-holding or physical exertion. Listen in any comfortable position. If a practice increases distress rather than easing it, stop and speak with your midwife, GP, or a mental health professional.
Do I need the app to listen?: No. Press play on this page for the full guided audio and transcript. The My Maternal Mind app adds offline caching, ambient sound mixing, and a daily meditation written for your current week.

Related practice

Feeding and Being Fed, Postpartum week 3
Becoming Someone New, Postpartum week 5
Read the full guide

Practise with the full toolkit in the app

This episode is one of fifty-one in the Pregnancy Weeks series, with ambient sound mixing, streak tracking, and a daily meditation written for your current week.

Download now

My Maternal Mind supports your wellbeing during pregnancy and birth preparation. It does not replace medical advice, midwifery care, or mental health treatment. Discuss your birth plan and any concerns with your care team.

Last reviewed: 2026-06-30