Ayurveda is considered by many to be the oldest healing science, originating in India more than 5,000 years ago.  In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “The Science of Life” and is often called the “Mother of All Healing.” It stems from the ancient Vedic culture and was taught for thousands of years in an oral tradition from accomplished masters to their disciples.

According to Ayurveda, the human body is made up of three energies or doshas: vata which consists primarily of air and space, pitta which consists of fire and water, and kapha which consists of water and earth.  The vata dosha is responsible for metabolic functioning, regulating the nervous system and governs all movement throughout the body including the process of childbirth.  Immediately following childbirth,

The vata dosha increases due to the void left in the body with the loss of energy, fluids, blood and of baby and placenta no longer occupying the abdomen. This empty “space” increases the air and ether elements in the body which manifests as anxiety, dryness, gas, constipation, bloating, fatigue, hypersensitivity and interrupted sleep. 

The key to postpartum care is to calm the vata dosha through introducing nutrition, herbs, routines, and massage which bring the qualities of nourishment, support and grounding. The intention of postpartum care is to rebuild and strengthen both mother and baby so both can experience more harmonious cyclical changes and also have a gentler recovery and healing time.

Bringing a new life in to this world is a sacred time in a woman’s life involving many changes which when understood and supported can lead to a more easeful transition for mother, baby, partner, extended family and community. Traditionally, this time in a person’s life is honored with rites of passages and acts of preparation prior to conception to prepare for pregnancy, during pregnancy and after birth care. In more traditional ways of living, communal and familial care was a necessity to ensure a harmonious transition for parents and baby to settle into the new energy that has come through.  While there is a lot of information today about how to prepare for birth, prenatal nutrition and care, there is still very little information on the importance of post partum care, in particular the importance of specific nutritional and dietary needs of a birther the first 42 days after giving birth.

In order to re-establish balance after childbirth, proper routines, foods and body treatments lead to a full recovery.  The first 42 days postpartum is a time where a woman’s body and mind are even more sensitive to what it is being ingested both in outer and inner worlds. The postpartum window is said to be a time that will impact the next 42 years of a woman’s life. If this window is filled with nourishment and care, then this will follow for the next 42 years of her life and if met with depletion and exhaustion, this too can follow into the next 42 years of life and for this reason, postpartum care is vital to the health and well being of mother, baby, family and community.

Many traditional cultures around the world are attuned to the importance of deeply caring for the mother for the first month postpartum and know that it is imperative to the family unit, new baby and community that our mothers are nurtured in this sacred time of their life.  These practices are still widely used in many parts of the world and in recent years are making their way back into the western world.