Any plans for Baby’s first weeks at home? How does staying in bed, not washing, and avoiding cold drinks sound? It may sound a little unusual, but in many international cultures, the post-partum weeks are treated with immense respect, with strict traditional practices followed by new mothers.
From China’s Sitting the Month, to Latin America’s la cuarenta, all over the world, amongst cultures separated by thousands of miles, post-natal practices are startlingly similar. There are strict rules for new mothers focused around long periods of bed rest, specific nourishing foods, limited physical activity, and organised support from relatives. And the goal is the same: for the new mother to rest, restore and recuperate, and protect her health for the future.
Whilst care during pregnancy and childbirth in the West is phenomenal, little focus is placed on the post-natal period…and post-natal depletion is a real thing. As a specialist women’s health acupuncturist, I am often part of a client’s journey during and after their pregnancies. The change in a woman’s vitality after the birth is dramatic – pregnancy and labour really do drain our reserves. Whilst we accept issues such as hair loss, chronic exhaustion and depression as ‘normal’; they are in fact the very signs of depletion that those traditional practices are aiming to avoid.
A post-natal recovery plan is not an indulgence, it’s essential. Here are some of my favourite tips for the first few weeks after birth, based on the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine:
1. Set sensible expectations
Do not be in any rush to ‘snap back’ into your routine, your jeans, your energy levels or anything else for that matter. There is a huge adjustment period for the body and mind after birth.
2. Bed rest
Take as much time are you need to sleep and relax with your new baby in the calm surroundings of your home. If you have older children, make them part of it – Mummy’s nest, with lots of blankets and their favourite cartoons. There is time enough to return to the outside world, but for a few days (or weeks even), let rest be a priority.
3. Build inner warmth
Childbirth is said to ‘open the body to the cold’; a poetic but accurate reference to the depleting impact of birth on a woman’s vital energy. To replenish this inner strength, stay warm - especially your feet, abdomen and lower back. Eat warm nourishing foods, avoiding excessive cold foods and drinks.
4. Ask for help
Cooking, cleaning, minding your older children, school pick-ups, shopping…whatever the task, outsource it! Your extended family will most likely want to help, so take them up on the offer; they’ll be thrilled to be part of the journey with you.
5. Limit visitors
A house full of visitors, hours after giving birth, is a fast-track to feeling frazzled and overwhelmed! Set boundaries. Let people know through a gentle message such as, ‘We are thrilled with our new arrival. Mary and baby Abbie will be taking a traditional period of rest and recuperation. Once we are ready, we would love to welcome visitors.’
By building in a post-natal recovery plan, you can best preserve your wellbeing and vitality, not just in the weeks and months after birth, but for many years to come. And you deserve it!
Fiona O’Farrell is a specialist women’s health acupuncturist. She runs a busy clinic in Greystones. Co. Wicklow. For more information see www.fionaofarrellacupuncture.com.
