The final element of the birth suite is the Solace Chaise – a chaise longue for postpartum use or recovery. It has been designed to create a secure cocoon for parent and baby to bond in comfort and privacy immediately after the birth. This inclusive element can be used after vaginal birth through medical intervention, caesarean, miscarriage or post-elective abortion. It invites every woman who has some experience of motherhood to relate to it.
The Solace Chaise is an object that establishes an immediate bond between mother and newborn. Only a few decades ago, the medical institutions established that it is crucial there the baby to have immediate contact with the mother after birth so that they can share the same bacteria, microbes and antibodies. It is the moment when the baby begins to learn about the outside world through the initial skin-to-skin contact, through the mother’s smell, voice and touch. It is also the most advantageous moment for the mother to start to bond with her newborn and develop her maternal instincts.
In the past, babies were taken away to be cared for while the mother rested and cleaned herself after giving birth. This separation could delay breastfeeding, even when mothers had decided they wanted to do so. For me, breastfeeding was a deeply healing and also political act, which I felt brought me closer to my daughter.
How it works:
The mother’s instincts within the first hour after birth are crucial for prolactin discharge, also known as ‘the motherhood hormone’. The Solace Chaise, through its softness, privacy and serene qualities, allows new mothers to think about their biosocial decisions, their well-being and their needs. The Solace Chaise offers an initial connection in a longer bonding process. It aims to have a relaxing e ect on the maternal body, after it has undergone the trauma of childbirth, miscarriage or abortion.
The Chaise is an empowering tool, celebrating the woman as a free entity, liberated to make her own decisions and to conduct her own ‘procreativity’ as she chooses. The design of the Solace Chaise, through its materiality, form and function, honours womanhood.
