If you are a new mom, or a mom-to-be, and you only read one of my blog articles your entire pregnancy, read this one!
I will outline crucial information about how to recover your strength, vitality and good health postpartum and why this period of your motherhood journey is so important.
If you already read my article about acupuncture for labor prep, you know that acupuncture can help women have shorter and less painful labors, and reduces the risk of surgical birth.
This is incredibly valuable, but where Chinese Medicine really shines is in supporting postpartum recovery with herbal medicine.
The postpartum era in a mother’s life does not get the attention that it should, and is often glossed over after the drama and excitement of childbirth.
During this time you need support, healing, nourishment and rest. Your body needs a reset, sometimes a major one.
Though I’ve written plenty of educational material on health and Chinese Medicine, the information in this article has the potential to have the most significant impact on your health⸺now, and long into the future.
The Ultramarathon
Over the past decade I’ve helped many people recover from chronic illnesses. And most of those people were women —not because women experience more chronic illness, but because, in my experience, women tend to be more proactive about taking care of health issues.
I have asked hundreds of women the question “When did this (condition) start?”. The most common answer by far is: “It started after I had my (first, second) baby.”
For many women, the onset of chronic illness happens after giving birth, during postpartum recovery.
Chronic fatigue, depression, digestive problems, blood glucose instability, cardiovascular conditions, and autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's thyroiditis are some of the common problems that can begin during a postpartum recovery.
But why is that?
Growing a human being with your body is one of the most miraculous things a person can do, and it’s also the most physiologically taxing thing that a person can do. Running a 100 mile ultramarathon race would be easier on your body!
You may have had an easy pregnancy, or a very challenging one, or somewhere in between. No matter how “easy” or “hard” it is, your body is still giving everything it’s got to give that baby the best shot at a healthy and happy life.
Giving everything in a way that nothing else (except having another baby) will ever compare to.
This incredible feat of bringing a baby into the world can end up taking so much out of you that it can start the wheels of a chronic illness rolling.
But with the right support, we can significantly reduce the likelihood of that happening!
The Sitting Month
In China there is a tradition called "the sitting month", created to support the mother during postpartum recovery. For the first month after giving birth, the couple’s family comes to live with them. The family does all the cooking, cleaning, work and chores to make sure the mother can rest.
They cook medicinal foods (like Dang Gui Sheng Jiang Yang Rou Tang) that are specifically chosen to support recovery after childbirth. Additionally, powerful Chinese herbal medicines are prepared for the mother to rebuild her energy, vitality, and support milk production.
After the sitting month is over, rest and recovery are further supported by the mother abstaining from work and other taxing activities outside of childcare for another 6 months.
Now, I want to be really clear about something here. The sitting month tradition did not originate from "tradwife" gender roles or "a woman's place is in the home" type of ideology. That's an entirely different subject that I won't get into. This tradition came directly from Chinese Medicine, as a practical way to safeguard the mother's health and longevity, and prevent illness.
Traditions like the sitting month have their origin in the Tao —the laws of nature and the balancing of opposites to create harmony. By respecting the Tao, we live healthier, longer lives.
In Western culture, we are fond of doing our damnedest to spite the laws of nature and find out what happens.
In this case what we have found out is that if we treat pregnancy and childbirth like it’s not an incredible feat of epic proportions, then postpartum recovery can be rough.
You might feel awful, and experience the sudden onset of new health conditions. You might feel a little icky, push though, and go on to develop a chronic illness over the next few years. You also might bounce back like the Energizer Bunny and never have a problem at all.
People tend to plan for recovering like the Energizer Bunny, and be surprised when that’s not how it goes. Our modern lives push us to be Energizer Bunnies. Unfortunately, most of us don’t run on endless power, and we would be happier and healthier if we planned for the occasional break down.
But how do we plan for that break down?
I’ll tell you: preventative medicine.
Think of preventative medicine like an insurance plan that not only catches you when things fall apart, but also makes them less likely to fall apart in the first place. And Chinese herbal medicine treatment is the best preventative medicine there is for postpartum recovery.
Go ahead and plan for the most likely scenario, that postpartum recovery could be hard, and take action now to make sure that it’s as easy as it can be.
A Modern Solution
In modern times, most of us don’t have the luxury of having our family members wait on us hand and foot, nor can we take a full 6+ months off work after giving birth.
But you can access the amazing power of Chinese herbal medicine. The herbal formulas that I use for postpartum recovery were developed over the course of thousands of years exactly for this purpose. Millions of people have benefited from this medicine to support healthy postpartum recovery.
If you were only going to take Chinese Herbal Medicine one time in your life, the months right after giving birth is the best time to do it. This is the time that can be most impactful in your life, and also your baby's life.
After all, postpartum is an extremely important time where your body needs to be able to give lots of energy and resources to your growing baby. This comes in the physical form of breastmilk, but also in the form of love, attention, energy, and patience.
Modern neuroscience tells us that the most important period of your baby's development is the first 5 years. This is the time when your baby needs the most from you, and it's also often a time that parents find the most challenging to have enough energy, stamina, and patience.
Chinese herbal medicine treatment can provide much needed support for postpartum mothers, at a crucial time.
Chinese Herbal Medicine and Breastfeeding
One of the most common questions that comes up with herbal medicine for postpartum recovery is: is it safe to take herbs while breastfeeding?
The answer is - yes!
The formulas I use were developed exactly for this reason and have been used by breastfeeding mothers for millenia. What’s good for the mama is good for the baby. The healthier you are, the better you and your body will be able to take care of the baby. Additionally, Chinese herbal medicine treatment will help support healthy milk supply.
Chinese Herb Quality and Safety
Another concern a lot of people have about Chinese herbs is the safety and sourcing.
The truth is, Chinese herbal medicine is incredibly safe when sourced properly and prescribed by a skilled and qualified practitioner.
In fact, it is orders of magnitude safer than many over-the-counter medicines, common adulterants in foods, and environmental contaminants in everyday products. I live and breathe Chinese herbal medicine, and I only source high-quality herbs that are rigorously tested for purity and potency.
You can read more about herb quality and safety here.
So which herbs do I use for postpartum recovery?
What herbs you take is going to vary according to what you are experiencing. Chinese herbal medicine is powerful not because we have some secret herbs that are magic, it's powerful because of how we select and apply herbs for each person. The practice of Chinese herbal medicine is a systematic method where herbs are chosen based on individual assessment.
Life would be a lot simpler if there was one herb or one formula that worked for every postpartum mother. You would already know about it and be able to pick it up at Walgreens, if that were true!
In Western medical theory we have committed to the idea of one condition = one treatment. And despite the fact that this ideology has a consistently high failure rate, we tend to stick to it.
It's common to apply this same thinking to herbs, as in "valerian root is good for sleep." Sure, for maybe 20% of people valerian root improves their sleep. But that's a very high failure rate if we apply valerian root to everyone with sleep problems!
In Chinese herbal medicine practice we ask the important question: "Whose sleep are we talking about?"
Valerian root is not a cure for insomnia in general; it's helpful for a very specific insomnia pattern, and only that pattern. The same is true for all herbs.
If you dealt with nausea during pregnancy, you might have heard that "ginger is good for nausea". And maybe for you, it was. But I promise if you ask ten women you will not get ten women saying "ginger worked for my nausea." Because there are many patterns of nausea, and the way that we achieve consistently high success in Chinese Medicine is by identifying the specific patterns of symptoms, and using the right herbs for that pattern.
We consider the complexity of the entire person's health to understand the root cause driving their pattern of symptoms, which varies widely from person to person.
So when it comes to postpartum recovery, I create custom herbal formulas for each person to give the exact kind of support your body needs. If you're tired, if you feel cold, if you're in pain, if you have nausea, or low appetite, constipation, or acid reflux. If you were anemic during pregnancy or had gestational diabetes, if your labor was fast, or prolonged with major blood loss.
There are a wide variety of factors in your specific experience that I consider when creating an herbal formula for you, in order to have consistently good success in supporting your body with exactly what it needs.
How long you need to take herbal medicine during your postpartum period for best results will vary based on your individual health picture. But for the majority of women I recommend one-three months of herbal medicine treatment.
GETTING STARTED WITH HERBAL MEDICINE TREATMENT
So, what’s the next step?
I have been running an intensive Chinese herbal medicine clinic for over ten years, and have a passion for helping people find lasting, side-effective free, lifestyle affirming treatments for whatever is keeping them down.
I offer highly individualized herbal treatment for a wide variety of health concerns through an online system so anyone in the US can benefit from this medicine.
In my practice I've successfully treated many difficult cases - including atrial fibrillation, heart failure, post-stroke paralysis, and severe diabetic neuropathy. I’ve treated chronic fatigue, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, irregular periods, migraines and that’s just naming a few. And I've helped in many cases of postpartum recovery - including postpartum depression, insomnia, fatigue, digestive problems, thyroid problems, and pain.
If you are wondering if I can help you, the first step is to fill out my New Client Questionnaire.
It is important that you include as much detail as possible, including a photo of your tongue in good lighting. You can include any diagnoses you may have, but also take time to describe how you are feeling. (For example, rather than just saying “Migraines”, you might say something like: I have weekly migraines with pain behind both eyes, vomiting, and intolerance of light and loud sounds and the migraines are triggered by eating cheese” —or whatever the case may be.)
Next, schedule an initial consultation with me.
Consultations can be done in-person, over the phone or through video chat. During this visit, we will go over important details about your treatment plan, including the duration of your treatment, what to expect when taking herbal medicine, and any lifestyle or dietary change that may be important in your healing process.
You can then move forward with your treatment plan by paying for your first herbal formula. Your herbs will be delivered to you within a few days.
This first formula will last for two weeks. At that time, you will fill out the Returning Client Questionnaire with any changes to how you are feeling and an updated tongue photo.
This tells me how the treatment is working, and if anything needs to be adjusted. I will write an updated formula and send out another two week supply of herbs. We continue like that for the duration of your treatment.
Throughout the treatment process, scheduling regular consultations is not necessary for most clients. All you have to do is fill out the Returning Client Questionnaire every two weeks to stay on track. However, if you have a very difficult case, or if you simply want additional support and have lots of questions - you can schedule follow-up consultations as needed.
So how much does Chinese herbal medicine treatment cost?
I’ll be honest with you: my herbal medicine programs are not cheap.
Our initial consultation is $200.
The cost of your herbal medicine is $400/month, for the duration of your treatment plan. Treatment plans will vary in length based on the condition and severity, but the average treatment plan is 3 to 6 months.
Keep in mind that our initial consultation is a one-time cost; most clients do not need to schedule follow-up consultations for a successful treatment plan.
Most treatment plans for postpartum recovery are 1-3 months, $400-1200.
This can sound like a lot, but in my clinic I frequently help patients who had previously spent much more on treatments that did not work. You might save a lot of money by starting here.
A great deal of time, attention, care, and clinical experience goes into analyzing your case and selecting the appropriate herbs for you. On top of that, I use the highest quality herbs that money can buy, rigorously tested for potency and screened for contaminants like heavy metals and pesticides.
It’s also important to remember that we are not treating you indefinitely, so the monthly cost is not a long-term recurring cost. Chinese herbal medicine treatment is focused on reversing the root cause of your condition, not suppressing symptoms indefinitely.
I have had great success using this process to treat patients for a wide variety of complaints. It is convenient for you, and allows me time to deeply consider your case.
Want to learn more about me, my process, or Chinese Medicine in general?
There’s a blog for that!
You’ll find information about me, my practice, Chinese Medicine, herb sourcing, and more in one place on my Herbal Clinic page.
I’m glad you took the time to read this article, and I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Sean Dugan L.Ac.
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