How to care for a mother after birth that can invest in her health for 42 years

Hello! I wanted to take a moment to discuss the benefits of taking the first 40 days to rest and replenish during the postpartum window, which is the period immediately after a mother gives birth. After a mother gives birth is a precious time to 

  • rest
  • rejuvenate 
  • restore the intense energy output during pregnancy, labor and birth. 

 

When this 40 day window is honored, the benefits can last for up to 42 years. Imagine giving yourself this sacred time of rest to revitalize your mind, body and spirit post birth and bond with your baby.  Could you put the world at bay and put yourself and your baby first in service of your health, wellness and longevity thriving for the next 42 years? Imagine how you would feel if you invested in yourself like this. What would be possible?

 

Lets face it, the process of becoming a mother in and of itself is a miracle given to us by mother nature! It is a powerful right of passage that calls a mother to step into their greatness and show up with every part of themselves to care for this beautiful new being that has been born. Many of us overlook and don’t understand this great miracle of being a mother and the impact that giving birth can have on a woman. American culture expects many women to bounce back quickly into how their life was before they gave birth without understanding that women need time to restore their vitality and health. Many cultures around the world honor this 40 day postpartum period called the sacred window for rest. Different types of stress whether it be mental, psychological, spiritual, emotional and physical can create stagnation and traffic congestion in the body’s tissues and cells, which when overlooked, can create postpartum depression. Many births are joyous and transformative, but many can be quite traumatic and very challenging depending on where the births happened, the condition of the mother’s health and her support team.  Many women choose to go back to work immediately and if so, this is a greater reason to honor this 42 day period of nesting and rejuvenation. 

 

Research on ADD children shows a high correlation from postpartum depressed mothers who often never took the 42 day rest and recovery period.

“Low blood lipids are common in depression, and hormone imbalances rampant, among many indicators of error in the whole low fat fad of the last few decades. Good quality fats are becoming understood as essential to hormone health, and enough even to be able to lose weight!” Touching Heaven. Tonic Postpartum Care with Ayurveda by Ysha Oakes. Motherhood is a selfless act of taking care of others and during this sacred window, mother’s need to be mothered and treated as delicately as babies. The energy and calorie output during labor is equivalent to running a marathon.  “When any culture allows its women to lose their health and joy through the process of re-creation, people lose touch with the greatest source of its natural enfoldment of lovingness, its vitality, and its innate mappings back “home”. It is essential on so many levels, and especially potent in the postnatal time, that we support Mothers to feel at home within themselves.” Touching Heaven. Tonic Postpartum Care with Ayurveda by Ysha Oakes. 

 

Advantages of Ayurveda in Postpartum Care

Ayurvedic healing promotes balanced health, longevity and thriving throughout one’s life. 

  • maintains vibrant health through optimal nutrition/diet, 
  • exercise
  • yoga
  •  sacred self-care practices
  • healthy digestion 
  • a harmonious mind/body/spirit in accordance with your unique constitution

Having the proper postpartum care through the care of a doula who specializes in Ayurveda known as an “ayurdoula” can prevent and array of health challenges such as: 

  • postpartum depression
  • the need to go on SSRI antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs. 
  • prevent anxiety
  • mood disorders
  • adrenal fatigue, 
  • obsessive thoughts
  • manic depression
  • psychosis and much more

 

Through an ayurvedic perspective, Most of these conditions are considered a vata constitution disorder. Vata “dosha” or constitution governs mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being and all of these can also impact the energetic state of the physical body. Giving birth raises vata levels. When one is stressed, vata levels increase and they can experience stress and anxiety. Vata dosha is made up of the element air and ether and typically manifests in the body when once is out of balance as stress, overwhelm, feeling ungrounded or anxious. When vata is in balance, it manifests as clarity, inspiration, connection to something greater than oneself, balanced breathing and ease. 

Therefore, when we can balance the vata levels through 

  • dietary
  • lifestyle 
  • herbal treatments/ foods
  • proper postpartum wellness consultations
  • oil massage treatments called abhyanga

Abhyanga restores the tissues, promotes healing and restores balance of the nervous system and other self care practices like yoga, exercise and meditation. As a result, a mother’s resilience and ability to bounce back to balanced health is enhanced. 

 

Lastly, this 42 day postpartum ayurvedic care has a positive impact on the mother’s health by creating…

  • longevity
  • vitality 
  • and ability to thrive for the next 42 years

 These practices re-create healthy tissues, digestion, elimination, balance all three of the ayurvedic constitutional states and promote a healthy mind, body and spirit.