Ayurveda For Motherhood
AN AYURVEDIC PERSPECTIVE
ON POSTPARTUM
The first 6 weeks after giving birth are an important time for healing and transition, both physically and emotionally. Although there is a temptation to jump back into “normal life”, honoring your body’s need to heal and slowing down will speed up your recovery. What mothers in our culture may consider a luxury, or even self-indulgent, most traditional cultures consider essential.
"After birth there is a sacred window of time, a time for complete rejuvenation of a woman's physical, mental and spiritual health... a time for deep extended bonding with her newborn. The first 42 days after birth set the stage for her next 42 years."
– Ysha Oakes
Ayurveda supports this approach with beautiful traditions for postpartum care. This includes foods and rituals that are grounding, nurturing, and nourishing; I am honored to bring this care to new mothers. It can protect you from exhaustion, depletion, and postpartum blues and anxiety, rebuild your delicate post-birth digestion and support plentiful breast milk and a stronger emotional bond with your baby. Ayurveda is an elemental science; it is based on the five elements – earth, water, fire, air and space. When you picture a pregnant woman you can see her abundance of earth and water! Birthing a child is the biggest and most swift change in a woman’s life. In just a few hours her body loses vast amounts of earth (the baby and placenta), water (amniotic fluid and tears) and fire (her blood and sweat) leaving an abundance of the air and space elements. Ayurveda emphasizes balancing these elements in your body, by replacing the earth, water and fire that is lost in childbirth.
You are not what you eat... You are what you digest!
Ayurveda considers digestion the seat of all health, and that many more serious health issues begin with simple warning signs like constipation, gas, bloating or poor appetite. During your postpartum period Ayurveda puts emphasis on foods that are easy to digest, and spices that improve your digestion.
Ayurveda teaches us that, like a newborn baby, a new mom has low digestive fire and high nutritional needs. As a new mother you need a lot of energy to breastfeed, recover from pregnancy and birth, and cope with sleep deprivation. Getting the energy you need is not simply a matter of eating more food – you must also digest the food you eat. Modern nutrition looks at the vitamins, minerals and calories involved; it does not consider the complexity of the human body. Different people digest different foods in different ways.
WHAT IS A POSTPARTUM DOULA & WHY SHOULD I HAVE ONE?
Self-care is important. We know that we can’t give our best if we’re not at our best. Self-care postpartum is just as important as caring for your newborn. Caring for yourself is essential for your emotional and physical well-being. Often new moms don’t think about taking care of themselves because they are so focused on their baby. How do you get the care you need when you have a baby nursing every hour on the hour?
That’s where a postpartum doula will help.It should not be considered a luxury to get the help you need, but a necessity for all new mothers. Having a postpartum doula greatly changes the outcome of a mother’s postpartum experience.
Postpartum doulas are non-medical professionals who provide emotional and physical support during the life changing transition to motherhood. I am with you to actively listen, provide a shoulder to cry on, or just to have a cup of tea and a laugh together. You can literally ask me anything! There are no questions too big or small, or too embarrassing.
Before the birth, I’ll help you create a post-birth plan that will set you up for this transition. I’ll give you recipes for meals that will best support you in those first days of your postpartum period. After your baby is born I will support your transition to new motherhood by cooking ayurvedic meals for you, giving you oil massage, binding your belly and much more. My packages are individually tailored. Every family is different and we can adjust each visit to suit your specific needs on that day. I offer a free consultation so we can get to know each other before starting the program.
WANT TO WORK WITH ME?
If you are interested in learning more about how I can support you after birth you can book a free postpartum consultation where we can discuss any questions you have.
*Worried about the financial commitment for one of these packages? Don't hesitate to reach out to me and I'll be happy to find a way to make it more accessible for you.