ABOUT US


For too long we have accepted that exhaustion, sleep deprivation, illness and stress are an expected part of early motherhood.  

 

Our mission is to help women navigate the early stages of motherhood with confidence and clarity, moving back to a community-based model of care through a contemporary interpretation of the ancient Chinese tradition of ‘sitting the month’ (坐月子 – zuò yuè zi).  We believe that supporting the health and wellbeing of the mother supports the entire family. 

Our initial offering includes the ultimate pregnancy and postpartum selection of snacks and food supplies, combining nutrient dense ingredients into delicious and satisfying snacks that offer restorative nutrition, as well as mother and baby oils, mists and moisturisers and our supportive postpartum planning workbook, all delivered Australia wide.  

Our future includes frozen pantry staples, traditional chinese medicine products and in-home postpartum support. 

We hope you will join us on the journey of placing a greater focus, awareness, and acknowledgement of parental health needs. 

 

OUR WHY

The process of childbirth and adding a baby to the family unit is a big life event that can cause many new challenges and issues for parents. 

We live in a time of unprecedented stress, anxiety, and ill health, where loneliness and lack of community support prevail, and where mothers return to the burden of household responsibilities and their careers far sooner than is ideal. Rushing through postpartum healing can result in postnatal depletion, postnatal depression and can even negatively affect female hormones at the time of menopause. 

We believe that the traditional practice of postpartum care is essential in today’s world. That ancient healing wisdom has a place in our contemporary lives. And that preventative wellness is far better than cure.

 

OUR MISSION

It is the hope of Elan House of Wellness to bring about deep change to our modern practices of pregnancy and postpartum care. 

Our mission is to help women navigate the early stages of motherhood with confidence and clarity, moving back to a community-based model of care through a contemporary interpretation of the ancient Chinese tradition of ‘sitting the month’ (坐月子 – zuò yuè zi).  

We question western values post birth and therefore present a new framework of care focused on physical and emotional recovery, bonding with baby, and honouring this sacred time. Hence, we translate the traditional Chinese practice of postpartum care into a form that is accessible to everyone. 

As an increasingly individualist society, we have forgotten that for everyone to be taken care of, we must first take care of the mother and the baby. Caring for new mothers is a collective event that requires the support of the community. 

Elan aims to do two things:

  • Change the thinking around what true postpartum maternal care looks like through education, dialogue and sharing of experiences. 
  • Provide tangible care for mothers and their families in the areas of nutrition, physical treatments, cosmetic products and gifts. 

FOUNDER

U-Fhern is a wife, wellness advocate, entrepreneur, and mother of four.

 

She grew up in Brunei before moving to Australia to study a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Melbourne, followed by an accounting career at Deloitte. She then went on to complete her CA and MBA. Since meeting her husband and getting married, her creative and analytical nature has been fulfilled in developing and running property development and hospitality businesses with her husband.

When U-Fhern had her first child she returned to the traditional roots of her mother and practised 40 days of confinement according to Chinese philosophy. During this time, she came to deeply appreciate having the support of wise women – moms, aunties, and friends – as she embarked on her new journey into motherhood. She also saw the value and importance of ‘tribe’ and community. And as she learned about the healing practices and benefits of confinement, she began to understand just how important this approach to postpartum is for a woman’s beauty, vitality, and longevity. 

With her second baby, U-Fhern once again practised traditional confinement and not only gave birth to a beautiful little girl, but also began dreaming up a contemporary postpartum wellness sanctuary. She also began expanding her knowledge around postpartum care, becoming qualified as a Newborn Mothers Postpartum Professional and Certified Postnatal Care Professional (Taiwan). U-Fhern is currently completing her Innate Traditions and Oh Baby Nutrition certifications.

“There is so much pressure for women to be supermoms in the Western world, and this mindset and way of life is hugely detrimental to health and wellbeing. It is my intention and hope that through its offer of an extensive and holistic array of services, Elan House of Wellness becomes a facilitator of change for the mindset of the community, an opportunity for women to prioritise postpartum care, amidst a supportive environment that fosters preventative wellbeing for mother and child.” 


For her third child, U-Fhern was pregnant and birthed at the height of the pandemic during Melbourne’s strict lockdowns. With travel restrictions in place, her family were not able to come over to assist with her confinement but thankfully she sought support from a local midwife and doula, with the result that her postpartum period was largely without tiredness or stress. 

 

“It is so important for women to feel worthy of care and support in the early postpartum days and not shy away from asking for help. We were never meant to navigate motherhood alone so trust that you are worth the investment and having care and support is not selfish or a luxury. It is in the interest of future generations that mothers are cared for today.”

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