By Constance Rock & Aleksandra EvanguelidiThe time period following birth is an extremely vulnerable and potentially volatile period. You are learning a new full-time job without a time clock you can punch out on, with “on the job” training, and even with manuals and “professionals” there to help, it can often be overwhelming. Listed below are some pointers to ensure you have the smoothest transition into motherhood. These are some effective tools to avoid postpartum depression.
Surroundings:
Who you surround yourself with after the birth is as important as who you invite to your birth. After a woman has given birth, there is an absolute need for support postpartum. Partners cannot be expected to be sole caregiver for both mom and baby, take care of the laundry, do the cooking, cleanup, and change diapers. It is just too much for one person, especially since they will most likely be getting up with you when the baby cries for each feeding. So, having extra hands to help out with all those tasks allows your partner the freedom to bond with the baby and share in the beauty and the awe of the experience with you.
So, who gets to come by? People who you know will help you feel relaxed. You do not want to invite anyone for his or her sake during this time period. Good questions to ask yourself are: “Would I need to take care of them and entertain them? Do they understand that both the baby and I will be sleeping for long periods of time, that I will probably not be doing my hair and makeup, and that they are here to run errands, cook, clean, and help out when asked?”
They are here to either serve a practical purpose in your recovery, or, they will end up taking precious energy and time away from your healing and bonding. It is important to find your own way through some of the challenges new moms face without someone watching your every move or telling you what you are doing wrong, this alone can make a huge impact on your confidence levels. Also, make sure that friends and family only spend short amounts of time with you. It is great to have a list of friends that want to come over postpartum—have them sign up ahead of time for a particular day of the week, and have them bring food! That is one less meal your partner has to forage for, and more time you get to spend together with baby, or sleeping!
So, which foods are best to eat postpartum?
According to both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, the best meals to eat postpartum are warming foods. That translates to foods such as soups, broths, stews, and foods that contains herbs like ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, miso (broth with seaweed is excellent), also richer foods with a high fat content such as salmon and sea bass, eggs, chicken, avocado, and raw nut butters. Foods to avoid postpartum, in order of colic-causing potential: tomatoes, orange juice and lemonade, chocolate, coffee, cabbage, tofu, beans, broccoli and cauliflower, and anything too spicy or acidic. Some babies also react to sugar, wheat, dairy, or even nuts. If your baby is particularly sensitive, avoiding dairy and wheat are the best options. Also, it helps to have Gripe Water as well as Rooibos tea for colic that seems intolerable. Both can be used with a dropper for almost immediate relief. As far as beverages are concerned, avoiding anything iced is also suggested. We do not recommend that you automatically start drinking Mother’s Milk Tea unless you have a history of not producing enough milk. Otherwise, you could over-stimulate your milk production. Essentially, there is no need to fix something that isn’t broken. The best teas to drink postpartum are nettle (fantastic minerals), raspberry leaf (tonifying), chamomile (calming/digestive) and Rooibos (antioxidants). Also, the herbs found in chai without the caffeine are ideal for postpartum recovery due to their warming nature. It is essential to make sure there is water next to mom at all times. Breastfeeding moms will suddenly get parched every time they breastfeed, so make sure to have a bottle or glass of water near at all times. You should be consuming 3 liters a day while breastfeeding, including teas and other juices.
Which supplements are the best to take postpartum to avoid getting PPD?
The number one supplement postpartum is FAT! Each nerve synapse in our brain is covered in a fatty myelin sheath, which protects it. During breastfeeding, it is considered a dry/wiry period and all of our fluids tend to go into the production of breast milk. This sensitive sheath can dry up and information (transmitters) does not pass across our nerves synapses very well, causing us to feel anxious, depressed, and sometimes even volatile. I suggest taking a liquid EFA (not gels) supplement twice a day by the tablespoon. Any combinations of the following fats are great: hemp, borage, primrose, flax, sacha inchi, and fish oils. Also, consuming more sunflower seeds, raw nuts, and olive oil are excellent additions to the diet.
Other supplements to take to avoid postpartum depression:
•Placenta: consuming your placenta is one of the best ways to balance the body’s hormones, balance the moods, avoid hair loss, strengthen and build the blood, spleen, heart, kidneys, adrenals, and restore endocrine balance in the body. This is common in many countries, although may be unpalatable to many.
•B12 sublingual: also protects the myelin sheath and helps to balance mood. Jarro 1,000 mcg sublingual, 2x a day.
•Spirulina, Barley Grass, and Chlorella: there are many types of green superfoods on the market. Their job is to feed and oxygenate the cells. Find one you like or a blend of them and take it in a smoothie or juice at least once a day.
•Trace minerals: I highly recommend taking a liquid trace mineral supplement postpartum to ensure your mineral needs will be met as you are meeting the needs of two now. Quinton minerals or Roxtract are some of the best.
•Sunshine: it is so simple, yet so important to get sunlight on your body postpartum. It will help your body break down the excess bilirubin that your blood has produced as well as to release specific endorphins that will support your mood. 20-30 minutes a day will have a profound effect.
•Rest: again simple, but not always easy to acquire. This is paramount to resetting the body’s systems and replenishing us in ways no supplement ever can. Sleep when baby sleeps, at least the first month of the newborn’s life.
In Ayurvedic Medicine, it is recommended that women get rubbed down three times a day in oil, head to toe (with special attention to the low back/kidney area), for the first 30 days postpartum. Our skin is our biggest digestive organ, thus we eat whatever we put on our body. Putting oil on our body not only stimulates the brain, lymph, and endocrine systems, but it gives women the nurturing touch back that moms are constantly putting out. Suitable oils for this would be sesame or extra virgin olive oils—both are considered warming. Coconut oil is not recommended for this due to its cooling effects.
Invest in a hot water bottle. Placing a warm bottle on your womb helps to ease post-labor cramping and fill the empty space where the baby once was. It is also a way to warm our inner core, which according to principles in Ayurveda is now “cold” and contraindicative to the healing process and creates a block in energy flow.
Lastly, purchase a long piece of stretchy fabric about 6 ft long. It is great to wrap your belly to pull back inside the organs that are finding their way back home. It also takes some of the pressure off your back, as your pelvis can be feeling a little unstable postpartum, especially if this is not your first child. Some slings are made of this type of fabric and can be used for both purposes.
As you are transitioning and feeling the tides of emotions swing through you, take some breaths and give yourself some space to honor the tremendous shifts that have taken place in a relatively short period of time. Your body has just undergone the most physically demanding tasks of growing a child, giving birth to it, and now sustaining its every nutritional and emotional need for the next few months, even years of its life. That in itself is a tremendous amount of energy and life force given to the care of another. Take the time you need to recover so that you will be able to maintain your vitality for the rest of your own life. Resting is crucial, eating well is paramount, and getting the nurturing you need ensures that you will heal well and enjoy being a new mom.
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