Postpartum care & Cesaruan & Lactation
REBUILDING AFTER BIRTH
A Chinese Medicine View
Pregnancy and birthing asks a lot of the female body. The Kidneys in TCM store our essence, and what we call our Primary Qi. This is drawn from and depleted with pregnancy as the baby draws from moms Kidney essence to grow and develop. Moms body stores a lot of blood throughout the pregnancy to which they loose come birthing. There is a technique in Chinese Medicine to help mom rebuild after birth called Warming the Mother. We use a common herb called Moxabustion (Mugwort) burned close to the abdomen and low back (but never actually touching the skin), to bring warmth and heat back to the body, rebuilding moms blood and Kidney Yang after birthing. Traditional Tonics has crafted a Herbal Tea specific to rebuilding mom after birth. Contact Kelly for details.
When To Get Treatment
These Acupuncture sessions are specifically tailored towards rebuilding mom. Rebuilding her blood and restoring qi (energy) as well as anything that shows up specific to her and her body.
Treatment is recommended about a week post birth and the few following weeks. Usually 2-3 sessions are required for best results.
CESARIAN SECTION SUPPORT
A Chinese Medicine View
A surgical incision causes localized stagnation while the body heals. Acupuncture can increase the healing time, decrease inflammation, minimize scarring, reduce the effects of nerve damage, decrease the pain or tension in the abdomen and increase circulation of blood and nutrients to the area.
When To Get Treatment
Needles will be delicately placed close to the incision but never in, as well as Acupuncture points all over the body to work with blood flow, muscles, tendons and uterine blood flow following the Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory. For best results, it is recommended to get treatments about 4-6 weeks postnatal, weekly for 6 weeks.
LACTATION
A Chinese Medicine View
There are two main presentations with Lactation issues in Chinese Medicine. One presents as a stagnation, the milk is there but is blocked and is not coming though to the baby. If this is not addressed early on and progresses it can turn into Mastitis. The other is that mom is having a lack in production, this happens when the body is depleted from the pregnancy and the birthing process and needs more energy to create more milk.
When To Get Treatment
It is advised to come in for treatment as soon as there is a drop in milk supply. Acupuncture is a fantastic tool to help with milk let down, as well as is studied and shown to help with insufficient milk supply. With the needles inserted, moms will feel the breast fill with milk. 2-3 treatments in one week often resolve the stagnation. If it has progressed to mastitis, Acupuncture is still helpful to break the stagnation up and help the body fight the infection. If the lack of supply is from a deficiency in mom, Acupuncture can help boost the qi (energy) and blood levels needed to produce milk, as well as some dietary advice or herbal medicine. These treatments are recommended weekly for a few weeks while the body restores itself.