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 even
100 years ago. Moms are expected to run households on
a shoestring, teach 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 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!

In this section I will include some articles by Dr.
Raffelock so you can see and 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. Also, I think there
was more support for the new mother and more
household help, allowing her longer periods of time to
rest and recuperate after giving birth. It seems that was a
luxury of yester-year that I would like to bring back!

In addition to Dr. Raffelock’s articles, I want to mention
the supplements that he created called After Baby
Boost and Before Baby Boost. After Baby Boost is the
only supplement I know of that has nutrients in it that
specifically target deficiencies women are known to have
after giving birth. There are plenty of examples of women
who had not had a baby in years that were suffering from
ailments that cleared up when the nutrient deficiencies
were addressed. I personally take these vitamins and
have found them to help me, and I highly recommend
them.

After Baby Boost is safe and good for nursing mothers
and is even recommended to take for 2 years postpartum,
though many women continue taking it beyond that.
Before Baby Boost is a new pre-natal vitamin that will
also help to build up nutrient reserves in preparation for
birth, so that the new mom is better prepared for the rigors
of childbirth and the postpartum period, and to make sure
the developing baby has plenty of nutrients to grow
strong and healthy.

Another 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. 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 use
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
actually prevent postpartum depression, when used
throughout pregnancy and then started again several
days after birth.

To purchase After Baby Boost,
Before Baby Boost, or an
autographed copy of A Natural
Guide To Pregnancy and
Postpartum Health, go to
www.pregancyrecovery.com.