Preparing for a Positive Postpartum

The Emotional/Spiritual

Ayurvedic ‘lying in’: This ties in to the ‘no guest’ rule (or limited guests who will help cook, clean and care for older children), as well as fighting that pressure to ‘get out and about’ or ‘back to normal’ before you’re ready. Put simply, it comes down to mothering the mother so she can nurture her baby. Diet and nutrition (as well as daily massage and herbal drinks) play a big part in this Indian tradition of giving new mothers 40 days/nights of rest with their new baby, free from cooking, cleaning, hosting guests – anything other than bonding with their newborn. 40 days is roughly equal to six weeks – the time it takes to establish breastfeeding and heal from either a ‘normal’ delivery or a C-section. There is a saying that these 40 days impact the next 40 years of life.

Of course, in our western world, with the disappearance of the ‘village’ and the pressure on new mothers, as well as – in some countries, such as the US – the need to return to work after 6 weeks makes a full ayurvedic lying-in something of an impossibility. However, it pays to do some research and adopt as many aspects of it as you can, to suit you and your family. You never get this time back; something you sadly don’t realise until it’s flown by.

Placenta Encapsulation: Nothing divides opinion quite like mentioning that you’re planning to turn your afterbirth into tablets and take them daily after giving birth. Admittedly, when I delivered Primrose’s placenta, it went straight into a clinical waste bag and, when asked if I wanted to have a look at it, I turned my nose up and that was that.

Since then, I’ve done a lot of research into placenta encapsulation and its benefits on physical and mental wellbeing. As I’m desperate to avoid the horrible anxiety I felt last time, it seems more than worth it. Whilst research is anecdotal, reported benefits include: increased oxytocin levels, to promote wellbeing and bonding; increased levels of stress-reducing hormone CRH; increased milk production, boost to iron levels and a reduction in low mood. Other options include eating the placenta raw or cooked, turning it into a smoothie, or creating balms/creams with it. Ensure you are using a certified and licensed placenta remedy specialist. They will send you detailed information about storage and any conditions that may render your placenta unsuitable.

Closing the Bones: This is another practice I’d never heard of until very recently. It is an Ecuadorian tradition, designed to ‘close’ the bones that have opened during pregnancy and birth, as well as refocusing the mind to ease the transition into motherhood. It is carried out by another (trained) mother – often a doula, hypnobirth instructor or yoga teacher – and can include female family members or close friends. Using soft lighting, aromatherapy and relaxing music, the mother is massaged before being wrapped in rebozo scarves to aid the ‘closing of the bones’.

Self Care: I cannot mention this frequently enough. Aside from nourishing yourself, getting as much rest as possible and allowing yourself time to heal, physically and mentally, the more you care for yourself, the more able you are to care for this new tiny being. Mothers tend to put themselves last, even when support is being offered. Your partner is there to help you, and, in most cases, friends and family will offer to help – you just have to be willing to accept!

Having treated myself to massages, reflexology and a couple of spa days in my first pregnancy, as soon as I’d given birth, anything like that went out the window. I told myself I was no longer carrying and growing a baby, so I didn’t need those ‘luxuries’. The truth, of course, was that I needed them more than ever. They’re not luxuries, they’re necessities. For me, it’s a bit of pampering; your ‘time out’ may look different – make it work for you. It’s also worth noting that many therapists will work around you, so you could have a pedicure, head massage or reflexology whilst holding or feeding the baby – where there’s a will, there’s a way!

I’ll let you know how these preparations pan out once baby makes an appearance. To achieve them all would be a ‘best case scenario’ but, even if I can achieve a handful, I hope it will make a difference.

Tell us how you prepared for postpartum below. What worked for you? What do you wish you’d done differently?

Jo, The Mother Side x


Originally published on Tales From The Mother Side. Jo is co-founder of ‘Tales from the Mother Side’, a blog centred around gentle parenting, breastfeeding support and the ups and downs of life as a parent. You can also find them on Facebook

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