Acupuncture and TCM Postpartum Care
The first 40 days is said to set the tone for your postpartum life. Being well nourished and supported is emphasised greatly in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which provides support using tools such as Acupuncture, Moxibustion (moxa), food direction for deep nourishment, and herbal medicine where appropriate.
Pregnancy doesn’t only belong to those who identify as women, but the term ‘mother warming’ is still used in Chinese Medicine as a bit of a ‘catch-all’ term for the earliest sessions postpartum. It refers to treatments that rebuild Yang energy, Qi and blood that becomes depleted during birth, and primarily uses Moxa, along with Acupuncture. Moxa is a warming herb used topically over the womb and sacrum to warm the body, assist with the uterus as it resizes, tissue support, while relaxing muscles and sinews through that region. Acupuncture is tailored around your birth experience and can be used to promote c-section recovery with softening and fading scars, prolapse, lactation issues, mastitis, pain, get bowels moving again, mood support, energy, blood loss and general recovery to name a few.
Pregnancy is a time of abundant Qi and blood in the body, whilst birth is a great expenditure of those resources. Restoring & replenishing yourself during your forth trimester navigates the hormone fluctuations, sleep scarcity, delivery experience and recovery, rebuilding Qi, blood and fluids, milk production issues, mastitis, recovery from tears (read that how you will), prolapse, surgery and scar healing.
Between Treatments:
Food as Medicine is one of your most potent tools. When looking specifically at postpartum nourishment we want you to be consuming things that are easy to digest as well as nutritious to help with your stress response, fatigue levels, and mental/emotional support during this time. Protein and produce are a good default go-to, however TCM emphasised things that are cooked and easy to absorb such as congee’s (can be made sweet or savoury), porridge, broths and soups, & warming herbs. Nutrient dense meals that have a postpartum focus work to restore Qi and Blood. Classically we avoid raw & cold foods, ensuring the intake of energy results in easy nutrient assimilation. In some cases, herbal medicine is recommended to help potentiate the effects of treatments. These are individually tailored to assist in recovery, and designed to have whilst breastfeeding.
Not New to Postpartum?
There’s no comparisons with ‘severity’ of symptoms between your own pregnancies, or other people’s. Your baseline is your baseline, and the aim is to build up from there. We are forever living in a state of flux, and the nuances that come with life change mean that we see and support where ever you happen to be, without judgement. We’re simply there, for you.
If this isn’t your first birth & you never felt you caught back up from the last one, then there’s every possibility you’re going into this feeling like you don’t remember what a fuller cup feels like. Qi and blood is depleted through things such as overexertion, sleep loss, or irregular eating patterns. Sound familiar? Perhaps even a *scoff of scepticism* over the idea of not feeling bulldozered?! If this is you (or someone you know), then consider this the sign to touch base for some support. It’s not an overnight turnaround, but there’s plenty of support on-hand to shift you in the right direction. If during pregnancy the time allows, some pre-labour prep may also go a long way. If thinking ahead & planning for another, preconception TCM care would be your starting point to balance your system.
Bodies were built for this, so if you’ve chosen to create a tiny human (or two ..or more), your greatest gift is going to be in receiving timely support & allowing yourself permission to prioritise your recovery. The later years will thank you for it!