Many of the women I work with in my practice invest a lot in themselves in order to get pregnant. They get acupuncture, take herbs, take supplements including a good prenatal vitamin and they follow my dietary advice; often depriving themselves of their favorite foods and beverages.They make many sacrifices in order to get pregnant and have a healthy baby. Many of them also continue on during their pregnancies to help prevent miscarriage, relieve morning sickness, and alleviate the aches and pains that can come with later pregnancy. Often in the weeks before delivery we do special sessions to help pave the way for a smooth delivery.

But what happens after delivery?  This can be a challenging time for new moms, especially in the first few weeks after birth. It seems impossible to find a moment for yourself. The baby’s needs naturally come first. However, this is a particularly important time to nurture yourself as well.

Consider this, you have given of your own body to create this baby. You have given your blood, your body’s nutrients, your Qi, your very essence to this new baby. You need to replenish yourself, your blood, your nutrients and your Qi and Essence to return to your most healthy self. Your new baby needs a healthy mom.

Postpartum depression, anxiety, frequent colds and other distresses are often signs that you need help in replenishing your body after birth.

In Chinese Medicine we have special herbs and foods that help in restoring what has been given to baby. We have special herbs to help augment breast milk.This may be your most important time to return yourself to health and to become even more healthy than you have ever been.

Give some special attention to your diet and avoid cold and raw foods especially in the first week after birth. Add eggs, beans, brown rice, dark berries like raspberries and blueberries to your diet if you don’t already eat them. Eat lots of cooked leafy greens, and add some fennel to help increase breast milk. Nettle tea is also great postpartum.

These are just a few suggestions to help you replenish your body. However, if you want to return to or surpass your pre-pregnancy health give me a call and we can create a plan to nurture you so you can be at your best for your new baby. You can reach me at 310-367-1564