Nourish Your Body: 2 Supportive Recipes That are Ideal for Postpartum Care
The postpartum period is without a doubt a tender and transformative phase in the journey of birth and beyond. In the Holistic Approach to Postpartum Care Intensive in The Herbarium, our team of expert herbalists embrace the beauty and complexity of the fourth trimester, delving into the layers of the postpartum period and offering safe, simple, and effective strategies for physiological, mental, and emotional support during this special time. This in-depth intensive provides trustworthy information on a breadth of topics—postpartum physiological changes to expect, insightful wisdom from traditional cultures, the importance of nutrition and self care for foundational nourishment, herbal and lifestyle approaches for easing common concerns and supporting lactation and nursing, and go-to herbal support and recipes for baby care.
A common thread in postpartum practices found across cultures is the importance of rest and nutrition to support the health of the new mother and baby. After labor and during the fourth trimester the focus should be on nutritious, warming, and blood-building foods. Why warming foods? It’s important to eat warming, nutritive foods because labor is very demanding of the parts of your body that need warmth, such as the reproductive organs, and cooked foods that are easy to digest are less taxing on the digestive system. Consider warm spices, soft and warm food, and well-cooked simple dishes without too many ingredients. Meals that are easy to reheat and serve are ideal to maximize time for rest and bonding with baby during this busy time. Some examples are soups, stews, congees, and porridges—these are all used traditionally and are good sources of nutrition to have right after labor.
The recipe below is a sneak peek into our Holistic Approach to Postpartum Care Intensive, which includes a variety of safe and effective herbal recipes that support both parent and baby, as well as partners and caretakers. You’ll find drinks such as nutritive herbal infusions, milks, broths, and herbal seltzers as well as nourishing dishes such as Brown Rice Cream Porridge and Mother’s Bowls to support the well-being of the birthing mother. And, you’ll find an array of recipes for common conditions, from a sitz bath to support post-birth healing and a tincture for sleep to a salve that supports the body in healing the C-section scar, to name just a few. Not to mention multiple recipes for supporting baby’s needs and lactation!
This deliciously nutritious meal is a great recipe to have on hand to get the nutrients needed during the fourth trimester. Follow the recipe below to make 2 servings, or make it in larger batches and reheat it with a little bit of additional water or milk—ideal during postpartum. ½ cup organic brown rice, finely ground in a food processor or bullet blenderBrown Rice Cream Porridge
1 cup water
1 cup nut milk or organic milk
2 tbsp nut butter
2 tbsp hemp seeds
2 tbsp hazelnuts or other nuts
2 tbsp goji berries, raisins, chopped dates, or other dried fruit
1 tbsp codonopsis (Codonopsis pilosula) root, soaked and chopped
½ tsp cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.), powdered
½ tsp ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome, powdered
½ tsp fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed
Pinch of sea salt
This blend of nervine herbs can help support much-needed rest during the postpartum period—and beyond! This infusion can be enjoyed by mama, parent, and everyone in the family, and if nursing, can support baby’s sleep, too. 4 parts chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) flowerSleep Infusion Tea Blend
4 parts lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) aerial parts
4 parts passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) aerial parts
2 parts catnip (Nepeta cataria) aerial parts
1 part lavender (Lavandula spp.) flower bud
Meet your teachers! You’ll learn from Herbal Academy team herbalists Heather Wood Buzzard, (MA), doula and lactation expert Jovan Sage, Shona Richter MacDougall, RH(AHG), Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz, Lindsey Feldpausch, RH(AHG), and Alison Birks, RH(AHG), who share their extensive experience.
Inside the Holistic Approach to Postpartum Care Intensive, you will find:
Session 1 | Introduction: After defining and investigating what the postpartum period includes and the physiological and other changes it may bring with it, we’ll discover why it is important to support individuals holistically, and introduce some postpartum traditions from across the globe.
Session 2 | Nutrition and Self Care: We’ll delve into a variety of safe and effective ways to use food, herbs, and lifestyle changes to support the overall health of the birthing parent in order to avoid depletion (includes several delicious recipes!).
Session 3 | Common Concerns: We’ll explore many herbs and lifestyle strategies that can offer much-needed support for common physical and mental health concerns, from recovering after the birth to soothing anxiety, thus enhancing the well-being of the postpartum individual.
Session 4 | Herbal Support for Baby: New parents want supportive and enriching options for their little ones, and we’ll share a number of safe and gentle herbs to use in simple preparations to support newborns and babies for everything from bathtime to feeding time.
Session 5 | Lactation Support: When lactation and nursing is part of the postpartum period, it may be accompanied by a number of challenges that herbs can ease and lifestyle shifts can enhance—and we’ll also share guidance and resources for reaching out for additional support when needed.
Session 6 | Additional Resources: Want to learn even more? We’ve compiled a wealth of trusted online and book resources to provide additional support and learning around this important life stage.
The Holistic Approach to Postpartum Care Intensive is the third installment in our series of intensives developed to provide holistic guidance and herbal support for those on the journey of starting a family—it joins the Holistic Approach to Fertility Intensive and the Herbal Support for Pregnancy Intensive—as trustworthy resources in The Herbarium.
Not a member of The Herbarium yet? Get access today with a 3-day trial for only $3!
Would you like to learn more about the “the fourth trimester”? Get access to the Holistic Approach to Postpartum Care Intensive with a 3-day trial for only $3 if you’re not already a member of The Herbarium!
The Herbarium is an ever-expanding, illuminating virtual collection of over 200 (and counting!) searchable herbal monographs, topic-specific intensives, and numerous articles, videos, ebooks, and helpful downloadable resources. Members also gain instant access to several other intensives on popular topics, such as the Kitchen Herbalism Intensive and Botanical Nootropics (and many, many more!). The Herbarium is crafted to help you learn and grow in your herbal journey!
Learn more and sign up for The Herbarium here.
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