Hello Dear One!
Thank you so much for being here. Whether you yourself are in the portals of birth, or are seeking to support another mother, you are making a global impact on the world through the remembrance of biological birth and postpartum care! My wish is that every mother receives what she needs in order to be fully supported through her sacred initiation into Motherhood. Mother’s have very specific physiological and psychological needs after birth, but today I am going to share a little information that will support a stable and healthy postpartum window through Ayurvedic nutrition.
There are 4 main aspects to Ayurvedic postpartum care, being; nutrition, rest, bodywork/massage, herbs. Every single aspect of postpartum care is essential to bringing the mother into a deeply rejuvenative and supported place, but when the resources and people are not available to the extent that is necessary, focusing on the postpartum nutrition will still have a dramatic impact on her well-being. Postpartum nutrition has the ability to “make it or break it”. When we are nutritionally supported, our mind, body, and spirit is given the materials that are needed in order for our naturally healing to take over. The body knows best, we just need to listen.
Ayurveda and Birth
When a mother gives birth, her body has to expel numerous fluids from her body - amniotic fluid, blood, and breast milk when it arrives. She might experience night sweats for several weeks, along with tears from an array of emotions. All of these natural materials have the quality of wetness, which is akin to the elemental essence of water. But when our body is using up these watery materials and not replenishing them correctly, we are prone to excess dryness. Furthermore, when a mother gives birth, her womb changes from holding her child, to expanding and becoming a vast open space in a matter of moments. The physical womb space that once held her baby is now open and must take some time to shift back to its pre-pregnancy form. So, after childbirth, an excess of Air and Space accumulates in the body. The presence of excess air and space in the body leads to a surplus of dry qualities. In Ayurveda, Vata Dosha is the elemental body of Air and Space, which characterize the qualities of dryness, coldness, roughess, subtlety and mobility.
Postpartum stands out as one of THE most significantly Vata imbalancing times of life, and without utilizing the opposite qualities into the body and lifestyle, the potential for illness heightens. When there is a prolonged excess of air and space in the body, we begin to see “common” postpartum symptoms such as constipation, improper digestion, anxiety, dry and chapped skin, insomnia (even when baby is asleep), colic in baby, excess worrying and twitching/spasming. These symptoms are common, but they are not normal. If a mother is supported during the sacred 42 day window after birth with principles of Ayurveda, she has a far lower chance of experiencing these common ailments. Ayurvedic postpartum care is a natural system designed around a mothers physiological needs, and is a wonderful way to support her on a slow, restorative, and transformational postpartum.
In other words, in order to bring balance to a postpartum mother, we must optimize materials which carry the opposite qualities of Vata dosha, and prioritize qualities such as; oiliness, softness, warmth, heaviness, and steadiness.
“The first meal after birth is the most important meal of your life”
—Shelly Rahim
Ayurvedic Rice Pudding
This recipe is traditionally the only thing eaten for the first 3 days after birth. This meal is grounding, sweet, nourishing, super easy to digest, nutrient rich and so delicious. It is iron rich, which is great after blood loss. High essential fatty acids from ghee, which also help to assimilate the nutritional properties. Exactly what is needed after birth!
This beautiful recipe can be slowly prepared by someone on the birth team while mama is in labor, so it is ready to be eaten at the first sign of an appetite after birth. In the case of labor progressing quickly, you can turn up the heat and have it cook a little bit faster. This is a meal that you will always want to have prepared fresh, so that the Prana, vital life force, is fully present!
This is the exact recipe that I had my support team cook for me during my first days postpartum, and I couldn’t get enough! It was exactly what my body wanted!
Enjoy this delicious recipe, practice making it during the last trimester, send it to any expecting mama’s, or better yet, cook it for her!!