Across many different traditional cultures, warmth is a common theme within postpartum care.
If we look at pregnancy and birth a a cycle of seasons, birth is an outward motion, while postpartum is an internal motion, our internal winter that calls for rest and hibernation.
In the context of energies, birth is very Yang - energetic and intense. After the birth experience, Yin will flow in to counter the space that has been filled with Yang. However, too much Yin can lead to depression, anxiety, loneliness and stagnation to form within the body. Therefore according to TCM, practices to warm the new mother are essential to ensure that she is not filled with excess yin.
Swipe to learn more about ways you can incorporate warmth into your everyday.
Food and drink
Use of herbs and spices in your food such as ginger, cinnamon, Dang Gui.
Eating warm foods (not raw) that ease digestion as opposed to cold salads and smoothies which kill the digestive fire and make your body work harder.
Using a thermos to keep your drinks warm throughout the day is especially important over the colder months. Boiling water with some red dates and ginger and sipping on it throughout the day is a great way to stay hydrated whilst also staying warm.
Clothing
Keeping your extremities warm - think scarves, beanies, hats, gloves and socks so that your warmth isn't lost to the external but rather is kept your internal warm.
Haramaki 腹巻 Stomach Roll - not like a belly fat roll but more like a sushi roll wrapped with seaweed. Traditionally this was used as protective Japanese armour around the torso but more recently its resurgence is in the form of a piece of clothing around the abdomen to keep the body and womb area warm.
Rituals
Warm foot baths - as the base of your body, if your feet are warm your body too will be warm. Sometimes even when socks don't do the trick a warm foot bath followed by thick socks can keep you warm for longer.
Moxibustion is a TCM technique that is often used in conjunction with acupuncture. It is essentially the burning of medicinal herb mugwort to strengthen the blood, stimulate Qi (or energy), and maintain good health. The heat generated through moxibustion can enter the meridians unblocking any stagnation and allowing energy to flow.
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