After I gave birth to my second child, I followed the 40-day Ayurvedic practice of mother warming. This involved staying warm, eating and drinking only warm and nourishing foods and teas, resting, not leaving the house, welcoming only supportive visitors, and receiving traditional belly massage and belly binding. Belly binding involves wrapping the belly in tight material to support healing while moving and sleeping.
It was such a healing and beautiful experience for both myself and my baby. I feel so lucky to have learned about this custom in time to practice it during my 40-day "magic window."
This kind of information is not widely taught in Western society. Everyone knows a woman who has given birth, is one, or will be one. This makes knowledge about the best healing practices for postpartum women relevant to everyone.
We need to know how to care for postpartum women: what foods to bring them, how to serve them, and how to support them so they feel nourished. When mothers are cared for, they are better able to care for their babies.
As a society, we tend to focus mostly on pregnancy, birth, and baby care. These are undoubtedly important, but postpartum nourishment for women is just as vital and deserves more attention. If communities knew how to better care for postpartum women, we could reduce rates of postnatal depression and depletion. This would create benefits for families and society as a whole.
Do yourself and everyone you know a favor and learn about postpartum healing and nourishment. There are many wonderful books, podcasts, and articles available to help you understand traditional postpartum practices. They are so important.
#women #healing #health #postpartum #ayurveda #40days #pregnancy #birth #baby #wellness #womenhealth #community
Comments