North Carolina’s first postpartum retreat will open in Charlotte’s SouthPark area in early 2025. Ziva Postpartum Retreat will be a full-service, overnight postpartum and postnatal retreat offering a luxury experience, including lactation consultants along with around-the-clock postpartum doula care and nursery access. After gaining popularity in Europe and Asia, the first postpartum retreat in the United States was opened in 2022 in New York to meet a growing need as maternal and infant mortality increased. North Carolina is also ranked 11th in infant mortality, according to a 2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. In addition to being the first-of-its-kind in North Carolina, Ziva will be one of only two Black-owned postpartum retreats in the U.S., highlighting a significant lapse in representation.
“Becoming mothers opened our eyes to the gaps in postpartum care, especially for those seeking a blend of expert support and luxury,” said co-founder Selena Williams, a single mother by choice and former litigation e-discovery professional. “When we realized North Carolina didn’t have a retreat like this, we knew we had to create one.”
Ziva will open in February 2025 in a specially designed, re-outfitted SouthPark area hotel where new mothers will have the opportunity to choose between packages for three, five, seven, or more nights. Bookings will open on Nov. 1, and it is recommended that clients make reservations after reaching 25 weeks of pregnancy.
As part of a regular stay, new mothers will be treated to three meals and snacks daily and have access to a doula, lactation consultant, childcare and postpartum classes, and access to a nursery and luxurious mothers’ lounge. Add-on services for an additional fee will include postpartum therapy, belly-binding, massages, manicures, and pedicures. There will also be meditation classes and yoga for mothers six weeks postpartum and beyond.
“Ziva Postpartum Retreat is on a mission to give mothers a space to rest, recover, and be nurtured during one of the most important times in their lives,” said co-founder Lauren Hall – a mother of two that also owned a personal assistant business. “We’re creating the retreat we dreamed of—where mothers are cared for, pampered, and supported in every way possible. From doula care to wellness services, we’ve designed an experience that will help new mothers ease into their roles.”
Postpartum retreats have grown in popularity in Europe and the U.S. since becoming the norm in Korea and other parts of Asia in the 1990s. Though considered a luxury experience, there is a significant need for this type of postpartum support. The U.S. ranks first in maternal and infant mortality amongst developed countries and the developed nation without a federal paid family leave policy. It is reported that 20 percent of American mothers experience postpartum depression and approximately 40 percent of new moms miss their six-week check-up following delivery.
Ziva Postpartum Retreat is open to all postpartum parents, including adoptive parents, intended parents through surrogacy, gestational carriers, and others.
