Tips for the Postpartum Mother: Part 2
How Postpartum Acupuncture Can Help
Continuing on from my last blog, I am outlining the common postpartum symptoms people have after childbirth and how postpartum acupuncture can help. Understanding this information ahead of time will help you find grace and acceptance of the many changes that are happening in your body. As always, I am here to provide support and recommendations to help you feel better as fast and safely as possible.
- Symptom: Breast health: Breast discomfort is normal following childbirth, with the breasts becoming engorged with milk on day 3 to 4 or as the milk flow comes in and changes from rich colostrum to breast milk. This is a natural process and will occur even if a woman does not breastfeed. Colostrum is a rich premilk that is present in small amounts (a teaspoon or so is all that is required for each feed). It contains antibodies and is ideally designed to aid the baby’s digestive system.
The arrival of breast milk around the third day can occur within a time period of a few hours, resulting in breasts that are hard, painful and perhaps swollen to three times their normal size, often making breast feeding difficult.This engorgement is usually brief (lasting 2-3 days) and settles as the body’s milk production supply becomes established and adjusts to the baby’s feeding demands. In cases where breastfeeding is not required, medication can be given to stop milk production.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
- Acupuncture can help resolve the early symptoms of a clogged duct or mastitis, but if signs of improvement are not seen relatively quickly, I recommend you contact your midwife or doctor for further assessment.
- I strongly recommend working with your midwife or doctor and a lactation consultant while breastfeeding is being established, and beyond.
- Symptom: Sore or cracked nipples are often present during the first few days of breastfeeding before the nipples adjust. This should only be temporary, often peaking around the 20th feed and then diminishing until breastfeeding is established as pleasant and painless.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
- Herbal balms and salves are especially useful during this time of adjustment. I can recommend several different blends.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
- Symptom: Emotionally the postnatal period can be very different from some mothers’ expectations. Immediately following the birth it is common for women to feel relief that the birth is over rather than experience that “magical bonding moment” so often written about in childbirth books and displayed on TV and in movies. The first few days are often filled with feelings of both elation and depression, with many swings between the two. Often around day three the “baby blues” kick in. These are thought to be associated with changes in the woman’s hormone levels and manifest as unexplained bouts of crying or mood swings. These feelings are expected to subside after a few days.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
- Acupuncture and herbal medicine have much to offer in the way of mood support. I like to wait for everyone to settle in before diving into treatment for specific moods during the first few days. If the mother has a history of postpartum anxiety or depression, we will discuss this in the prenatal visits and come up with a plan for the postpartum time.
- I recommend contacting your midwife, doctor or therapist if your symptoms persist.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
- Recovery time:
- The idea that it will take women at least a month to fully recover from childbirth is not a widespread one in Western society. Usually partners or relatives will be around to help out after the birth for a week or two but then for most women it is back to “normal.” It may be an appealing idea that “super moms” be fit and ready for action within a week or two following birth, but this is not the reality for most women. While most will certainly cope, several months later it is often hard to shake off the tiredness and exhaustion.
- While 30 days (or even 100 days) of recovery time may sound extreme to some women, it is in reality a reasonable length of time. You must consider that this is needed to compensate not only for the birth but also for the experience of being pregnant for nine months. This is not a time for absolute bed rest but rather a time when physical rest should be taken at every opportunity. Exercise is appropriate (although not an exhausting attempt to get back into shape), and attention should be placed on a diet that is suited to the woman’s constitution, with the emphasis on building blood and qi (energy). It is most helpful for women to realize that they are not expected to bounce back from childbirth within a few weeks and that it may take longer to recover their energy more completely.
Your postpartum period is full of changes, and I am here to help support you in your recovery and beyond. If you are pregnant, know someone pregnant, or are trying to become pregnant, I invite you to request an appointment to get established so you can explore postpartum acupuncture. Together we can develop a plan to help you maximize your health and happiness.
Tips for the Postpartum Mother: Part 1
How Postpartum Acupuncture Can Help
This is the first post of an ongoing series of blog posts dedicated to the postpartum period. The postpartum period refers to the six weeks directly following childbirth. In this post, I will address many common changes a mother will experience in the first days and weeks following childbirth. Most of the time, I do not see my postpartum patients until one week following the birth of their baby. However, we communicate often via text, email, and phone, so this post was created as a resource with them in mind.
There are many ways acupuncture and herbal medicine can support a mother during this time. Often, much can be done at home, and I am always available to provide acupressure, diet, and lifestyle recommendations and answer general questions related to the postpartum period.
Initially, after childbirth, women may experience the following:
- Symptom: A bloody vaginal discharge (termed lochia) that will decrease and turn a lighter pinkish color as the first week progresses. Initially, this discharge of leftover blood, mucus, and tissue is as heavy as a period and lasts 3-4 days. It will then turn a watery pink before progressing through brown, yellow, and white over the next few weeks. Women may need to wear sanitary protection to absorb this flow, as it can continue for up to six weeks.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
- If, after about ten days, there is still persistent uterine bleeding, acupuncture, and moxibustion offer an effective way to stimulate the passing of any suspected retained product and slow the bleeding. We recommend you contact your midwife or doctor if the situation persists.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
- Symptom: Abdominal cramps (termed afterpains) will start as the uterus contracts. These tend to occur when oxytocin is released as the baby latches on to breastfeed. They are usually most intense in the first 48 hours following birth, subsiding naturally and disappearing within four to seven days.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
- Acupuncture and acupressure can often relieve discomfort when used in conjunction with pressure and heat applied to the local area.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
- Symptom: Perineal discomfort: Women who have given birth vaginally and have a tear will generally experience some perineal discomfort. This can range from numbness to acute pain on walking, sneezing, and coughing in those women who have had stitches. This pain or discomfort is expected to diminish as the perineum heals, usually within seven to ten days.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
- Some great acupuncture points can be incorporated into treatment to help relieve an edematous perineum (swelling). Herbal sitz baths may also be added.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
- Symptom: Cesarean section: For women who have had a cesarean section, incision pain, and later numbness around the scar site are to be expected. It is important to remember that although recovery will be similar to that of someone who has undergone any kind of abdominal surgery, there will be the additional factor of recovering from childbirth. Afterpains, lochia discharge, and breast engorgement should also be expected, and breastfeeding will still need to be established.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
- I like to use a moxa stick (a technique called Motherwarming) to warm the area around a cesarean incision. The mother will take home some moxa sticks at her last prenatal visit or can pick them up at the office postpartum.
- How acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can help:
Acupuncture can provide great relief and support during the postpartum period. Continue reading by checking our second post on postpartum acupuncture. You can do this by clicking here.
The Link Between Health and Hydration
The importance of hydration for health is widely understood. However, most of us don’t realize that proper hydration goes beyond simply drinking enough water regularly. Hydration is the foundation of our immune system and our ability to resist disease and overcome it. In these times of global pandemic, being well hydrated may be one of the secrets to avoiding severe illness.
The amount of water in our bodies varies depending on the tissue. The heart and brain are 73% water, the skin 64%, and the bones are 31%. Overall, the human body is about 60% water. Without enough water, cells cannot reproduce, grow or survive; the brain cannot produce hormones and neurotransmitters; the digestive tract cannot break down and extract the nutrients we need.
Modern medicine encourages us to consume, at a minimum, eight 8 oz glasses of water per day. To put it another way, you should drink 64 oz (one-half gallon) of water from all sources per day. The water contained in food counts towards the total, but it is hard to measure. This recommendation is very general and doesn’t take some crucial factors into account, such as:
- Age
- Bodyweight
- Overall health status
- Activity level
- Diet
- Medication use
Classical Chinese medicine has understood the importance of water for thousands of years. Placing it in the broad context of Yin and Yang can add important layers of understanding to just how essential proper hydration is.
In the next post, you will learn the view of classical medicine and how we can use its insights to improve our relationship with water.
Yin, Yang, and Sleep: How Balance is Critical to Health
Yin and Yang are two energetic states that make up a spectrum of energy in the natural world (on a macro scale) and in our bodies (on a micro scale). They are two aspects of an energetic continuum that balance one another out.
Yin is contraction, cooling, and restorative. Yang is expansive, warming, and energetic. In the 24 hour cycle of a day, each has a period where it dominates. From sunset to sunrise, there is more Yin. Whereas, from sunrise to sunset, there is more Yang. Nighttime activities should consist of less movement and more rest. Daytime activities should consist of moving more and resting less. To be healthy and balanced, humans should synchronize their rest and activities following the daily rhythms of Yin and Yang.
Sleep is the Yin phase of the cycle. It allows us to have energy for the active daytime phase. When we don’t sleep well, we do not smoothly enter and stay in the storage and restoration phase. This affects our ability to engage in the expansive, moving part of the 24-hour cycle.
Trouble with sleep can be summed up as Yang energy not contracting into the storage phase. There can be many reasons for this, but for most people in the modern industrialized world, it often has to do with not taking the time in the evening to slow down, stop “doing,” and disconnect from technology. The overconsumption of Yang foods and drinks, including sugar, caffeine, processed foods, and animal products, falls into this category. Additionally, the underconsumption of Yin foods also contributes. Water, a diet rich in plant-based, whole foods, and lightly cooked or raw fruits and vegetables are all Yin nourishing and can help balance out our Yang tendencies.
Trouble sleeping has become a common problem. Thankfully, it can be treated successfully with the proper perspective and approach.
Constipation During Pregnancy
What is constipation during pregnancy?
Often, difficulty passing stools or constipation is an accepted part of pregnancy. Bowel movements become sluggish due to hormones such as progesterone and estrogen that soften and relax the digestive tract’s smooth muscle. Many women may also experience nausea during early pregnancy, which makes it challenging to maintain a healthy high-fiber diet. Urinary frequency is common due to the effect of the hormones on the smooth muscle of the bladder, so women are often reluctant to increase their fluid intake. Adequate intake of fluids is essential during this time to help minimize constipation.
In later pregnancy, constipation can arise due to the pressure placed on the bowel from the enlarging uterus.
Certain forms of iron, despite their importance during pregnancy, can cause constipation as a side-effect.
HOW CAN CHINESE MEDICINE HELP?
- Regular acupuncture sessions during pregnancy can lessen or eliminate the need for stool softeners.
- Your practitioner can help identify the underlying pattern, such as an imbalance in moisture or temperature within the body, that together with pregnancy-induced changes result in constipation.
- Acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine can decrease or eliminate the symptoms associated with constipation, such as pain, bloating, fatigue, low mood, and reduced appetite.
TREATMENT
Often, constipation during pregnancy can be treated with just a few needles during the first session. This is usually enough to give relief either that day or the day after treatment.
Additional points can be added in the future if there is a clear underlying pattern, such as an imbalance in moisture or temperature.
Treatment at first may consist of weekly acupuncture visits with possible herbal recommendations. Visits may continue bi-monthly, monthly, and then as needed.
Ear press needles are a safe, easy, and practical option for “take-home” acupressure. The acupuncturist will provide the woman with specific instructions based on her particular needs.
Contact your midwife or doctor if there is no improvement.
DIET
From a traditional Chinese point of view, certain foods can create heat or cold in the body. Therefore, it is important to limit excessive consumption of cold substances, such as ice water or milk, which can contribute to too much dampness and cold in the body. It is also essential to monitor heating foods, such as ginger tea which can contribute to too much heat in the body.
Nausea and heartburn may need to be addressed first as they are often predisposing factors to a less than perfect diet.
The following are simple self-help measures women can try to improve their constipation:
- Increase fruit intake, including dried fruit such as apricots, figs, prunes, and raisins. Eating a banana first thing in the morning on an empty stomach may also be helpful.
- Incorporate sunflower seeds, nuts, and linseeds into their diet. These can be sprinkled over cereals, salads, and pasta to add a nutty taste or carried as little snack packs.
- Aim for a daily fluid intake that includes six to eight glasses of warm or room temperature water, which will soften the stools.
- Drink a cup of hot prune juice or lemon juice in hot water half an hour before meals.
LIFESTYLE
Exercise also plays an important role. Although regular exercise routines are often disrupted by pregnancy, a gentle half-hour walk most days will be helpful.
OTHER RESOURCES
https://www.greenwillowacupuncture.com/the-importance-of-diet/
Coffee: Friend or Foe Part III
Coffee is a medicinal substance, and its effects are powerful. In the first two posts of this series, I outlined what it is, what energetics coffee has, and how it affects the body. Now I would like to present a mini guide for how coffee can be used appropriately to experience its benefits and avoid its side effects.
Here are some general guidelines:
Drink coffee in moderation: two 8 oz cups spread out over time should be the maximum amount consumed daily. One 8 oz cup is ideal.
Coffee should be consumed after meals, not before. This helps to aid digestion and to avoid its appetite-suppressing effects.
Limit coffee consumption to the hours before 2 pm
Except for short periods, coffee should not be used as a crutch for those with low energy. Those who can’t get by without their coffee should seek the advice of a competent healthcare professional to get to the bottom of why energy is low in the first place.
Who does well with coffee?
Those who:
- Are generally sluggish and have trouble with motivation
- Tend to produce phlegm
- Retain water
- Are overweight
- Run cold with their body temperature
Who does not do well with coffee?
From an energetic perspective, coffee should be used on a limited basis or avoided by those who:
- Have palpitations and/ or irregular heartbeats
- Are nervous types
- Feel dry in their nose, throat, skin, or other areas
- Run warm with body temperature
- Are constantly moving and doing things
- Who typically have plenty of energy
- Have trouble sleeping
- Have loose stools
- Experience any unwanted side effects from its use
I hope that the information presented in these blog posts has been helpful. Coffee is a wonderful beverage that can safely be consumed by most people, but keep in mind that it isn’t for everyone, and using it within limits will help you avoid the negative side effects.
Coffee: Friend or Foe Part II
The main reason people love coffee is for it’s uplifting, energizing, and mind clearing abilities, but what about the side effects? And how much is enough?
As mentioned in part one of this post, coffee is a medicinal substance, not a food, and as such should be enjoyed in moderation based on an individual’s age, weight, health status, and constitution.
Coffee is bitter, sweet, and warming, but what does that mean?
- Bitter substances are drying and cause energy to move downwards. Therefore, coffee is classified as a diuretic and can be dehydrating. It is also a laxative, increasing peristalsis or movement in the bowels.
- Sweet substances have a tonic effect and tend to hold energy in place – they can help us feel centered and satiated. This partly explains coffee’s ability to decrease appetite.
- Warming substances cause energy to expand, to move upward and outward. This directionality combined with its effects on the heart and liver (energetically) explain the stimulative effect that we all enjoy.
Traditional herbalism teaches that seeds and beans are typically dosed at 6 – 18 grams per day for medicinal purposes. This is considered a safe range to both achieve the desired effects and to avoid most unwanted side effects. Many premium coffee producers recommend a range of 14 – 21 grams (2 – 3 tablespoons) of ground beans per 6-8 oz cup. Following these guidelines suggests that a single 6 – 8 oz serving of coffee per day is optimal for most people. Anything beyond this dose for extended periods of time could become problematic and invite unwanted side effects.
Next time I will answer the questions everyone wants to know: Who is coffee good for and who should avoid it and how one can minimize the negative side effects.
Coffee: Friend or Foe Part I
I ask nearly every patient that I see about whether or not they use coffee because it is a powerful substance that can have profound effects, both good and bad. I take the time to educate people about its pros and cons as it is a hot topic of much debate in the media and scientific circles. Is coffee harmful or helpful? How much is appropriate, and for whom?
Coffee beans have been identified as a medicinal substance by every major herbal tradition globally. Like any other medicine, when used appropriately, it is not considered good or bad. The important thing is to understand how coffee affects the body to make informed choices about how and whether to use it.
From the perspective of classical herbalism, coffee is bitter, sweet, and warming. It primarily affects the liver, gallbladder, heart, kidney, nervous system, and large intestine. Its main actions are to clear/ release stuck energy, stimulate and focus the mind, relieve fatigue, increase peristalsis (movement of the intestines), and increase urine output. All positive things that most people want. But what about the side effects that many people experience, such as nausea, feeling jittery, anxiety, loss of appetite, sweating, and insomnia?
How can one tell if it will be a benefit or liability to better health? What are the problems with drinking coffee over the medium and long term? What are the best ways to reap the benefits of coffee without the side effects? To be continued! 🙂
Welcoming Food, by Andrew Sterman
There is a new book series on dietetics that I absolutely love and would like to share.
“Welcoming Food,” by Andrew Sterman, is a title that I will have on my bookshelf for the rest of my life and will turn to again and again. I think it will take its place among the modern classics of nutrition and dietetics alongside titles like Nourishing Traditions and Healing with Whole Foods.
This is a two-book series: Book one covers the “Energetics of Food and Healing,” while book two covers “Recipes and Kitchen practice.”
These books go beyond the typical food classifications such as whole vs. processed, organic vs. conventional, healthy vs. junk, protein, carbs, fats, etc. Welcoming Food introduces the reader to the concepts of the energetics of food: temperature, taste, directionality, and signature. We have all heard that food is medicine, but Mr. Sterman explains precisely why this is true.
Let me give an example of this. Garlic and onions are two of the most commonly used and essential ingredients in most kitchens. While it is well established that they can aggravate heartburn and GERD in some people, I have never met anyone who would say that they are not healthy. So how is it that something so widely used and revered can be problematic? Traditional diagnostics categorizes heartburn and GERD as conditions of excess heat in the stomach. Both garlic and onions are classified as hot foods, so adding them to an already hot condition causes things to get worse. Heat rises and expands outward, so hot foods should be avoided or used sparingly for individuals with heat-related conditions.
There is a lot more to the story, and I am happy to say that the author shares it all!
He breaks it down according to the theories of classical Chinese medicine so the reader can easily understand not only how a particular food affects the body but how food can be used to treat illness by the home cook. Incorporating eastern and western medicine to cover essential topics like digestion, the microbiota, gut health, adrenal and respiratory health (to name a few), and how all of these things fit together to create a complete picture of how the body functions in health and disease.
To top it all off, he gives detailed information on treating many common (and serious) ailments through diet while sharing many recipes for promoting health and treating illness.
I cannot recommend these books highly enough to my patients, and the feedback has been completely positive so far. Enjoy! 🙂
Rob Mills
Acupuncture for heartburn during pregnancy
What is heartburn?
- During pregnancy, increased levels of progesterone and estrogen relax the smooth muscle tissue in the body. For the digestive tract, this can mean general indigestion & heartburn.
- It is the burning pain felt when digestive juices counterflow through the cardiac sphincter at the top of the stomach and into the esophagus.
- Heartburn can appear at any time during pregnancy and is very common in later pregnancy. This is due to the uterus physically pushing up into the diaphragm and stomach.
- Symptoms can range from mild discomfort to severe pain with vomiting. This can lead to loss of sleep and limited food intake. Some women can only sleep propped up on pillows.
How can Chinese medicine help?
- Regular acupuncture sessions during your pregnancy can provide a drug free alternative for reducing or eliminating your heartburn.
- The Stomach and Spleen organ systems, in Chinese medicine, are responsible for receiving and distributing nutrients throughout the body. Disruption in the Stomach’s ability to descend these nutrients results in the upward movement of energy and the symptom of heartburn.
1. Calms the effects of the pregnancy hormones that are responsible for heartburn.
2. Diminishes the frequency and severity of symptoms with regular visits.
3. Lessens or eliminates the need for antacids.
4. Promotes improved sleep by allowing the woman to sleep comfortably in her preferred position.
Treatment
- Acupuncture is a very effective treatment for heartburn, even for those women who are experiencing severe symptoms.
- Women can usually be treated 1 time per week and then 1 time per month or as needed.
- Ear press needles are a very safe, easy and practical option for “take home” acupuncture. The acupuncturist will provide the woman with specific instructions based on her particular needs.
- Contact your midwife or doctor if there is no improvement.
Diet
- It is best not to indulge in large meals and stay away from foods that will aggravate any indigestion. These include highly seasoned, rich, fatty or fried foods, processed meats, chocolate, coffee, alcohol and carbonated beverages.
- Drinking peppermint tea and decreasing the consumption of yeast-containing foods may also be helpful.
Lifestyle
- Arrange time for rest each day. It is easy to overwork especially in the beginning of a pregnancy.
- Have an assortment of pillows on hand if you do need to sleep propped up.
- Incorporate a daily stress reduction practice like walking around the block, reading for enjoyment, or working on your favorite hobby.
Other resources
Research