(originally published in 2007, edited and re-published October 11, 2017)
A subject dear to my heart is the topic of motherhood and
health. You see, the health of the generations begins with
the health of the mother. The father’s health is important
also, but because mom carries the baby in the womb, she
is the one whose body nourishes that little one’s. And,
because she is the one who gives birth, and then can
sustain and nourish the baby with her milk, she is the
one who continues to give of herself – almost emptying
herself- for the good of her child. For a first-time mom,
this is a new, sometimes overwhelming and exciting
time. For a mom with several children or perhaps many
already, it is a familiar sweetness in addition to
managing a bustling household.
I want to mention here a very important book I have read
and re-read. It is called A Natural Guide to Pregnancy
and Postpartum Health by Dr. Dean Raffelock and Robert
Rountree, M.D. This is “the first book by doctors that
really addresses pregnancy recovery.” If you have ever
had a baby, you will want to read this book. Even if you
had your last baby 10 years ago, you might be surprised
to learn that perhaps you have never recovered
completely. There are many physical, mental, and
emotional complaints that can be traced back to
hormonal imbalance, nutrient deficiencies or adrenal
exhaustion that stem from not fully recovering from
giving birth and nourishing a baby.
In this day and age, we deal with constant bombardments
of stress in many different forms that did not exist
100 years ago. Moms think they are expected to run households on
a shoestring, teach or care for multiple children, bring in an
income, host various functions, keep a neat and orderly
home, prepare delicious meals, keep a happy
countenance and still set aside time to exercise and get
enough sleep. In short, many of us expect that we are to
be everything to everyone simply because that is our job
description. Of course, no one can be wonder woman
and we should not put stress on ourselves that ought not
be there. But that is easier said than done, right?
I mention all of this really to bring into focus how
important it is that we get the nutrients and rest our bodies need
in order to function properly as God intended. The more
stress we deal with, the more important it is that we are
properly nourished and properly rested. My definition of
stress is “more demands than you have resources.” I
firmly believe that God’s grace is sufficient, don’t get me
wrong. But just like the plaque I used to see in a friend’s
kitchen that said, “God blesses this kitchen but He doesn’
t clean it,” there are practical realities in this life that
lend itself to being particularly stressful at times, even
when we are bountifully blessed!
It is extremely crucial to understand the tremendous
importance of replenishing your body after having a baby,
and also the importance of establishing good nutritional
habits before you have a baby, as well as while you are
raising up the next generation of child-bearers. In times
past, I believe there was generally more wisdom passed
on from grandmother to mother to daughter about things
such as traditional food preparation. Now we must recover this wisdom!
But quickly, here are my recommendations for assisting a new mother’s body and mind physically. First, take a good, properly balanced vitamin and mineral supplement. I can’t find any better pre-natal supplement on the market than Dr. Ron’s multivitamin at www.drrons.com. I personally would take 3-4 capsules daily with food, right before eating a meal. This helps the digestion and assimilation of the nutrients, and they don’t feel like they get stuck in your throat! I would also take 3-6 capsules of the Calcium-Hydroxyapetite, (1000mg./500mg.) which is a calcium-magnesium combination derived from grass-fed cow bones from New Zealand. These absorb quickly and the calcium is taken up in your bones and not in your soft tissues, like other calcium supplements which are not properly balanced with magnesium. I would make sure to take 3 caps at night with supper or with a snack before bed, to alleviate the muscle cramps in the calf muscle which are all too common at night in pregnant women. Finally, in light of important research on vitamin D deficiencies, I would add two drops of vitamin D (which would be 4000 IUs) in juice or water a day. This will make sure Mom doesn’t get deficient, and it is way below any possibility of being toxic. This will also help the newborn to not be deficient, and it is crucial for the formation of the baby’s skeletal system. And finally, especially right after birth, I would make sure to take vitamin B12, the methylcobalamin form. I would take it until I feel back to “normal.” I get mine from www.vitacost.com Vitamin B12 levels are easily depleted with extreme physical exertion (such as giving birth), stress, lack of sleep, etc. Many people are deficient and they don’t realize it. Supplementing won’t hurt you and may ward off depression, some diseases, and post-partum depression specifically. DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor, and I don’t diagnose or treat any diseases. None of my statements are FDA approved. I am only sharing my understanding, my research, and my experience of 27 years of mothering, giving birth to 9 children and breast-feeding for over two decades. My recommendations are what I would do, not necessarily what you should do. But I am sharing my thoughts because I think they might be helpful to some.
REST. REST. REST. Good sleep is tremendously healing at any age, at any stage and for any illness or injury. When you are a new mom, please rest. Even if you have other children, do the best you can to make yourself take a vacation. Put your feet up and watch a movie. Stay in bed as long as you can, and nurse your baby while you rest. Eat good food and take your vitamins and drink the pregnancy tonic, herbal teas, and even coffee if you like it. Try sweetening with raw honey for extra healing energy.
On the spiritual side of things, if you are struggling with exhaustion and dark thoughts, tell someone of your struggle. You don’t necessarily have to be detailed, you can just say you are having spiritual depression. Talk it out and make sure someone is aware of your struggle. Ask them to pray, and even get someone to pray over you – ideally your husband. But if he is not there, if your mom, your sister, your neighbor, a close friend – ask them to pray with you. I will tell you right here, right now, this is something many women have faced, and it WILL pass. But I would take that vitamin B12, declare that God is good and He will help you. I would read the verses in Psalm 103 that say, “He forgives all of my iniquities and heals all my diseases.” I would put myself at the feet of Jesus who covers us in His blood to forgive us of any and all sins and to heal our diseases. He is faithful and He will help and sustain us. Dark or evil thoughts or condemning thoughts, are never from God, never from Jesus. Those dark thoughts come from the miserable entity who wants you to be miserable. But the truth is you are loved, you are precious and God really does have a wonderful plan for your life! This hard and difficult time will pass and you will feel better soon. I know this from experience.
Along these same lines, a common problem postpartum women face many
times is a hormonal imbalance, and usually it is
predominantly a progesterone deficiency. The pregnant
woman’s body makes a huge amount of progesterone to
sustain a developing baby. After birth, that amount
plummets down to zero. In the succeeding months
afterward, the levels may remain way down, leaving the
woman vulnerable to a variety of complaints, not the least
of which is postpartum depression or emotional
problems. Rest helps profoundly. But when a woman’s hormones are imbalanced,
stress or illness will magnify that and the resulting effect
will either be turned inward (self) or outward (towards
others).
Many women have found relief using progesterone
cream. The absolute best progesterone cream I know of is
Oasis Serene Progesterone Cream. It is an all-natural
bio identical 100% USP Progesterone and does not
contain any dangerous chemicals or preservatives or any
herbs that might cause disruption in a nursing mother
such as Black Cohosh. This is another product that I have used
personally and highly recommend to anyone needing a
good, clean, effective progesterone cream that is
reasonably priced.
Progesterone cream, I might add, has been shown to help
women who were susceptible to miscarriage, and also to
actually prevent postpartum depression, when used
throughout pregnancy and then started again several
days after birth. But this should be done with advice from your midwife or doctor.
New moms need to enjoy their new babies and embrace the miracle that is life! Don’t let anything ruin that joy!
If you have any questions about this article, please comment below or e-mail me at info@fairhillsfarm.com