The Fourth Trimester

The first blog post here at The Fifth Element Nutrition! It is only right that this very first post be on a subject that I am so very passionate about. A topic that gets the fire going in my belly and that I want to provoke conversation about whenever I can. It is a subject that is very close to my heart having only had my daughter a year and a half ago. My own fourth trimester seems just like yesterday.

The initial postpartum period, the first few weeks after giving birth, has always been considered a very sacred time in many traditional cultures. A time when the new mother (whether it is our first child or not, we are always ‘new’ after growing and birthing another life) is taken care of by female relatives - usually her mother or elders within the family or community. This care is provided as it is understood that this is the time for mother and baby to bond, for the newborn to be able to slowly adjust to life outside of the womb, the new sounds, smells, sights, sensations.

After childbirth, a woman is very ‘open’. By this we mean that she has just gone through an incredible transitional experience, having spent 9 months growing a child, having her womb filled with the wonder of a new life, and now with that new life on the outside she has a space in her womb which needs to be mindfully nurtured back to its pre-pregnancy state whilst embracing the new woman that she has become. Being in this open state, both Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine consider women to be more susceptible to physical and mental illness setting in if this care is not taken to rest and protect.

New mothers are quite rightly doting on their newborn babies, however the health of the baby depends so much on the health of the mother in these early stages that it is vital that the mother receives optimal nourishment and support. Traditional practices are thought to promote milk supply, encourage faster rejuvenation, increase immunity, strengthen bond between mother and baby and decrease the risk of postpartum depression.

In China the initial 30-40 days of the postpartum period is called Zuo Yuezi. It focuses on this period being essential for the mother to regain her strength and therefore protect her long term health. Zuo Yuezi includes: dietary changes - ensuring the mother eats mostly warm, cooked foods, rest - the mother is taken care of with relatives preparing meals, doing the housework, shopping etc so that she can rest with the baby, limited visits by family and friends - this is an incredible transitional experience for both mum and baby where visits should be kept to an absolute minimum - you and your baby are the priority here, not friends and relatives, staying indoors and keeping warm amongst other practices and traditions.

In Ayurveda we see similar guidance. Much of the recommendations in Ayurveda are to balance vata dosha which is increased by childbirth and the empty space left once the baby is outside of the womb. Vata dosha relates to air and space, with properties such as dry, light, cold, irregular, rough, moving, quick and changeable. Therefore it is recommended that we avoid practices with these qualities and instead increase fire, earth and water. Keeping warm and taking warm baths, applying warm oil to the body, getting adequate rest and sleeping when your baby sleeps, increasing the sweet, sour and salty tastes in your foods, avoiding cold, raw foods and vata promoting beans and cruciferous vegetables for the first week or so, using warming spices such as ginger, cardamom and clove, ensuring adequate fat intake and creating a calming environment for yourself and your newborn.

Having a baby come into your life is an exciting experience and as such, well-intentioned family members and friends can often focus so much on the baby that the mother gets overlooked. Traditional cultures understand that it takes 1-2 years for a mother to fully recover from childbirth and by taking steps to ease ourselves into our new routines rather than rushing back into our old ones, we can help protect our health and avoid falling into postpartum depletion.

In our modern day societies, where we often live away from our extended families, it can be difficult to have this support in the postpartum period, however I am happy to see that awareness is growing and communities of women are really coming together to support one another by providing meals, doing the housework or looking after older siblings for one another. With evidence suggesting that low or absent support is a significant risk factor in postpartum depression and strong support being preventative, it is all the more reason to take note of these ancient traditions and incorporate them into our lives as and when we can.

Express your wishes during your pregnancy and ask for help. By making it clear to friends and family how you intend to spend this crucial postpartum period, you avoid any confusion after the event. Let them know you would like help preparing meals or have them cook food in advance and freeze them so you have easy meals to warm up. Explain that there will be very limited visits in those precious first days - they are for you and your baby.

Nutritional Therapy alongside lifestyle support is key to postpartum healing. Each woman is unique, unique in her inherent constitution and unique in her personal circumstances and pregnancy and birth journey. My aim is to empower women, to equip them with knowledge which enables them to nourish their bodies, promote healing and avoid states of depletion.

I am hoping to see this supportive community grow, for these age old practices to be treasured the way that they deserve and for women to thrive.

If you would like more information on how I can support you during your Fourth Trimester then please get in touch or you can read more about my postnatal doula packages here.

With love x

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