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Why I Worry About Our Postpartum Moms

July 10, 2019 by Tansy Briggs Leave a Comment

I have the privilege of seeing many women through the process of fertility and pregnancy.  They regularly come in for acupuncture treatment and we also discuss nutritional and herbal needs, how they are feeling, what to expect at every stage, and any other personal stories that tend to come up during the months they share their lives with me. I do my best to help them prepare for the next stage: having their baby. At this stage, I rarely see them in the clinic unless there is a significant complication in their or their baby’s health. Often they lament that they need care, but can’t figure out a way to juggle all of life’s demands and make time for coming into the clinic.

There is an adage in Chinese Medicine that says: “To Treat the Child, Treat the Mother”

The first three months after a full-term pregnancy is considered the fourth trimester.  Unfortunately, it is also known as the “forgotten trimester.” Postpartum health is more than a women’s issue.  It is more than losing the ‘pregnancy weight’. It is vastly important to not only the woman herself, but for her baby and for her family.  Not only that, how she heals postpartum can have lasting effects on her health throughout her life. Our modern culture, the concept of the ‘superwoman’ is rewarded — have your baby, jump up immediately, lose the pregnancy weight and resume normal life. This notion goes against thousands of years of experience in Asian Medicine.

In Asian cultures, postpartum care is a traditional practice passed down from grandmother to mother and mother to daughter for many thousands of years.  New mothers are fed and cared for by either a hired professional who specializes in this field (confinement doula) or other female members of the family. During this time, special diet and foods are cooked and fed to the new mother, the baby is co-cared for, and new mothers are massaged, oil rubbed, bathed in ginger water and heal during the 30-40 days after birth.  Traditional practices like this help the new mothers recover postpartum and prevent premature aging. There are many benefits of this traditional practice focusing on diet, lifestyle and self-care for the first 30-40 days.

All this sounds lovely! But, sadly, these are not traditions that are supported or carried out by the average modern western woman or promoted through the average western medical advice.  Further, not many modern studies have been done in collecting data that is comprehensive enough regarding cultural traditions of postpartum care to be used in conventional medicine. Generally, the mother is seen about 6 weeks postpartum for a check up.  There is so much healing to be done in these 6 weeks! So, how can we support proper postpartum healing within the constraints of the average western lifestyle and expectations?

This is why we are starting Mom Mondays at The Healing Arts Center Bryn Mawr.

Proper healing postpartum may help prevent and/or heal:

·      Postpartum depression

·      Hemorrhoids

·      Uterine Prolapse

·      Urinary incontinence

·      Diastasis Recti

·      Weight gain

·      Premature aging

·      Hormonal imbalances

·      Body aches

·      Imbalances that could lead to other diseases later in life such as thyroid problems, osteoporosis, increased symptoms with peri-menopause and menopause etc.

In my clinical experience of over 20 years of practice treating women of all ages, I have treated many of these issues with positive results.  I have so many examples of woman who have finally been able to come to me for treatment, sometimes months to years after giving birth and say “I just haven’t felt right since having my baby.”  These issues can range from pain, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, easily becoming sick, incontinence, irregular menstrual cycles and depression to name a few.

In Western culture and healthcare, healing mom’s postpartum is mostly left out of our healthcare system.  

I worry that our western culture has put this type of pressure on families.  Women are expected to ‘get on with it’. Get back to work, sometimes as early as six weeks postpartum or earlier, lose the ‘baby weight’ or care for your new family at home. It is ironic that many studies have shown that this vulnerable time for women and children is also a very important period of time that can have profound impact for their health on the rest of their lives.  Whilst I don’t expect that all of a sudden we will fully adopt the Asian practice of postpartum care, there are many things we can do to aid and support postpartum healing, even if one is unable to come in for regular care in the clinic or have access to Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Nutrition

Help your body heal and produce nourishing milk using the warm digestion principle:

o  Start your day with a warm, cooked breakfast. Include warming proteins with your breakfast.

o  Drink only warm or room temperature beverages (this includes water).

o  Eat lots of soups and stews, such as bone broth soup, miso soup, chicken soup and beef stew.

o  Avoid all raw vegetables until month four after giving birth, then only eat them sparingly.

If you’d like to learn more about warm digestion Read More Here.

Rest

o  Spend most of the first month horizontal, giving your abdomen and pelvic floor a chance to heal.

o  Try to avoid picking anything up heavier than your newborn.

o  Only consider light exercise like walking after six weeks postpartum (and longer if you’ve had a c-section).

o  In the second to third month postpartum begin restoring your core exercises.

o  Avoid any impact exercises where you are ‘bouncing your pelvic floor’ until you are fully healed (such as running, jumping, etc) – sometime in the fourth month or even longer postpartum.

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Remedies

Acupuncture and taking Chinese Herbal Remedies are also very helpful during the first three months but can also help heal many months to years after giving birth if you have an issue that hasn’t resolved.

Finally, be gentle to yourself, accept help and remember to let yourself HEAL postpartum.

 

 

 

You’re not stuck with the health you have!  

In Person clinic visits = Schedule with The Healing Arts Center: 215-627-3782

Seeing Patients in Bryn Mawr, PA on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays and  in Center City, PA on Wednesdays.

Like us on Facebook!

www.tansybriggs.com

The views and nutritional/herbal advice expressed by Tansy Briggs, DOM, L.OM is not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. Purchasing a product, program or wellness coaching does not establish a practitioner patient relationship with Tansy Briggs, DOM, L.OM.  If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider. We suggest that you continue to work with qualified medical professionals as you engage in our material, products and services. No information offered here should be interpreted as a diagnosis of any disease, nor an attempt to treat or prevent or cure any disease or condition. Information and statements regarding products and/or services made available by Tansy Briggs, DOM, L.OM have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Tansy Briggs, DOM. L.OM or Integrative Health Link products and services are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Filed Under: Breastfeeding, Digestion, Health Topics, Infant Nutrition, Postpartum, Warm Foods Tagged With: postpartum, postpartum nutrition

Infant Nutrition Book

June 22, 2017 by Tansy Briggs Leave a Comment

The Secret To Infant Nutrition Kindle Cover

The Secret to Infant Nutrition – Using Warm Digestion to Guide Your Baby from Breast or Bottle to Eating Food.  

This book is for the expectant parent, the new parent or a parent of an infant who is being breastfed or formula fed facing the daunting task of transitioning your baby to eating solid foods.  This is for the baby struggling with digestive issues such as: colic, reflux, spitting up, constipation or loose stools.  This is for the baby with lingering chronic health issues such as: respiratory illnesses, constant phlegm and ear infections.

Implementing this simple concept into your daily dietary routines will not only improve your baby’s health but can help the postpartum mother heal as well.  This is a common sense approach that can be incorporated into any lifestyle or cultural food approach.   The book is written with the simple intent of making it easy to understand and implemented immediately.

I have used this approach with the thousands of patients I have seen over the last sixteen years.  Originally a listed guide that I would hand to patients, this little book has been expanded to be more user friendly.  Easily follow the suggestions and enjoy lasting resilient health!

Order your ebook or paperback on Amazon HERE!

About the Author:

L1006520Tansy Briggs is passionate about educating as many people as possible about how the balance of good nutrition and keeping your digestion warm can promote resilient health from birth to adulthood. As an Integrative Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Practitioner, she sees patients in her clinical practice as well as online via telehealth. She regularly consults with current patients and new clients about their wellness, no matter where they live or travel. You can learn more about Tansy Briggs at www.tansybriggs.com

 

Filed Under: Books, Breastfeeding, Digestion, Infant Nutrition, Postpartum, Warm Foods Tagged With: baby, breastfeeding, colic, ear infections, infant nutrition, postpartum, reflux, respiratory infection, sleep, solid foods, warm foods

Inflammatory foods that may be affecting your breast milk & making your baby unhappy.

April 25, 2017 by Tansy Briggs Leave a Comment

INFLAMMATORY FOODS

THAT MAY BE AFFECTING YOUR BREAST MILK

61704835 - asian mom and her baby.Some foods you may be eating might be causing inflammation.  This can be transferred to your baby’s immature digestive system through your breast milk, causing your baby’s digestion to be very reactive: gas, bloating, colic, reflux or frequent spitting up. If this is happening, you may want to look through the following list of foods.

As much as keeping a warm digestion is important (Read more about this concept here), some foods fall into an inflammatory category because they are hot or produce heat toxins in the body. If you are not sensitive to inflammation, you may have less trouble with these foods. But if you tend to have food sensitivities, you may have more severe reactions or it can pass on to your baby whilst breastfeeding.

60215751 - baby foot prints pastel color vector backgroundBelow is a list of the common inflammatory food groups and then some examples of how you can apply the warm digestion concept (where appropriate) to reduce the effect of that inflammatory food in your diet. Perhaps you don’t need to completely eliminate these foods during the postpartum period or during breastfeeding. As your baby grows, their digestion will begin to mature as well. Foods that may affect them more in the first month may not affect them as much by the fourth month.

 

  • Gluten, including wheat, rye, oats, and barley, which are commonly found in breads, pasta and other products made with refined flour, is a very common allergy and inflammatory substance. Studies are still unclear as to whether it’s gluten itself or some component of the grain brought out either through growth or production that causes an allergic reaction.

 

How to make it better: Using the Warm Digestion Concept: sprouted grains, such as bread made from sprouted wheat, can reduce the inflammation and sensitivity in the digestion. Highly processed forms of gluten often cause more inflammation and irritation.

 

  • Excess Alcohol and Caffeine

Both alcohol and caffeine can affect the functioning of the liver, kidneys, and blood sugar regulation systems and have other long-term health and inflammation repercussions.

 

How to make it better: Using the Warm Digestion Concept:

Alcohol: Studies have shown the benefits of moderate use of certain types of alcohol. Red wine, for instance, is warming and is used in preparations of certain Chinese herb formulas to reduce pain and provides other health benefits. For postpartum patients, there is a formula where you cook the herbs in sake (rice wine) and drink this formula for the first month after childbirth. Traditional Chinese Medicine considers even water too cooling for this time of a women’s life.  In other traditions, a stout beer can increase breast milk volume.  Regardless, if you apply the warm digestion principle and pay attention to how your body is responding, a moderate approach can be beneficial.

 

Caffeine: best to avoid in any amount of quantities, as caffeine acts as diuretic and can reduce your breast milk volume.

 

  • Soda (especially diet) and processed fruit drinks that are high in simple and refined sugars are hard on the mechanisms that regulate your blood sugar levels. High intakes of sugars, especially synthetic sugars, have been associated with inflammation.

 

 

  • Pork, cold cuts, bacon, hot dogs, canned meats, sausage, and shellfish, as well as meats that are not organic or naturally raised and processed, can be high in hormones, antibiotics, and other undesired ingredients utilized during processing.

 

How to make it better: Using the Warm Digestion Concept: Eat natural forms of meats without nitrates or additives, since they are generally be less reactive.

 

  • Corn, tomato sauce, and nightshade vegetables commonly cause inflammation and allergic responses.

 

How to make it better: Using the Warm Digestion Concept: Eat more heritage strains grown without pesticides, and eat them when they’re in season.

 

  • Eggs and all dairy (all milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt.) produce dampness and phlegm in the body.

 

How to make it better: Using the Warm Digestion Concept: Eat farm fresh eggs, harder, drier cheeses, Hormone-free milk, yogurt, and butter can be more nutritious and less reactive.

 

  • Citrus fruits, juices, strawberries and sometimes pineapple are common allergens and/or phlegm producing. (They produce a cooling effect to the digestion). They may also adversely affect blood sugar regulation.

 

  • Foods high in saturated fats and refined oils, such as peanuts, margarine, and shortening, may be inflammatory since processing these foods places an extra burden on the system.

 

How to make it better: Using the Warm Digestion Concept:  Less processed, good oils and fats have a true health benefit in the body’s systems.

 

60215751 - baby foot prints pastel color vector background

 

 

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Remedies from the online store, custom formulas, in-person visits & e-visits are available to ensure you have a healthy digestion and a happy baby!

Established Patients:

  1. If you need a quick Telehealth visit, book an Established Integrative Health Patient Check In Consultation here.

New Patient Telehealth Consultations:

  1.  Book an initial consultation via The Better Health e-visit.  Read more here.

New Patient in-person Consultations

  1.  Book an initial consultation via The Healing Art Center.

 

You’re not stuck with the health you have!  

Consult with Tansy Briggs, DOM, L.OM for the right treatment plan for you.  

Online e-visits = Schedule Here

In Person clinic visits = Schedule with The Healing Arts Center: 215-627-3782

Like us on Facebook!

www.tansybriggs.com

  The views and nutritional/herbal advice expressed by Tansy Briggs, DOM, L.OM is not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. Purchasing a product, program or wellness coaching does not establish a practitioner patient relationship with Tansy Briggs, DOM, L.OM.  If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider. We suggest that you continue to work with qualified medical professionals as you engage in our material, products and services. No information offered here should be interpreted as a diagnosis of any disease, nor an attempt to treat or prevent or cure any disease or condition. Information and statements regarding products and/or services made available by Tansy Briggs, DOM, L.OM have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Tansy Briggs, DOM. L.OM or Integrative Health Link products and services are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Filed Under: Breastfeeding, Digestion, Health Topics, inflammation, Postpartum, Warm Foods Tagged With: breastfeeding, colic, inflammation, postpartum

Breastfeeding? What you eat affects you and baby.

April 25, 2017 by Tansy Briggs Leave a Comment

23867293 - mom and baby vector iconNUTRITION FOR BREASTFEEDING & HEALING POSTPARTUM

It is very important to eat warming and nourishing foods whilst breastfeeding and especially for the first three months after giving birth. This will help your body heal as well as support breastfeeding and help your newborn have a healthy digestion and reduce the possibility of colic and other digestive upsets.

 

 

WHAT IS WARM DIGESTION?

The concept of keeping a warm digestion is deeply rooted in Oriental Medicine. Think of your digestive Briggs_Ecover_thumbnailsystem as a soup pot that needs to reach a certain temperature to begin to “cook” (or properly digest) the food. All foods, herbs, and spices are categorized and have a temperature, ranging from cold to hot. Cooking, as well as certain ways of preparing food, such as adding spices, can help change the temperature qualities of some foods. For example, iced water is cold, but you can warm water to a neutral room temperature, or you can boil it to make it hot. The more cool foods and drinks you have, the harder your digestive system must work in order to “heat” the food to properly digest.

Oriental Medicine has shown that keeping a warm digestion during the postpartum period is very important for the health of both mother and baby.

Why don’t you want a cool digestion?

If your digestion is cool or cold, your ability to properly digest food is weakened. You may physically feel the effects of a cool digestion as: slow healing after childbirth, slow to lose the pregnancy weight, irregular digestion and fatigue. If you are breastfeeding this may also affect the digestion of your newborn manifesting as: gas, bloating, colic, reflux (or frequent spitting up).

How to keep your digestion warm

Oriental Medicine is about seeking balance in all areas of life, including food and digestion. Having a nice mix of temperatures, flavors, and foods greatly enhances health.

 

61704835 - asian mom and her baby.8 ways you can have warm digestion on a daily basis during breastfeeding:

  1. Start your day with a warm, cooked breakfast.   Include warming proteins with your breakfast.
  2. Drink only warm or room temperature beverages.
    3. Eat lots of soups and stews, such as bone broth soup, miso soup, chicken soup and beef stew.
    4. Avoid eating leftovers right out of the refrigerator without warming.
    5. Avoid all raw vegetables until month four after giving birth, then eat raw vegetables sparingly.
    6. When eating dairy, choose drier and harder cheeses (less damp and cooling), and plain or neutral flavors of yogurt. Adding cinnamon to yogurt will warm it up.
    7. Avoid all fruits until month two after giving birth and then only more warming and/or in season fruits or cooked fruits.
  3. Avoid most foods on the inflammatory list until month four after giving birth.

Lists of foods from cold to hot

Generally

  • Fruits are cooler than vegetables.Book Cover Warm Digestion copy 300
  • Vegetables are cooler than grains and legumes.
  • Grains, legumes, and nuts are neutral.
  • Animal meats are warm.

Within each category though, there is a range of temperatures. Grains, legumes, and nuts are neutral, soy is cooler than rice, and rice is cooler than oats. During the Postpartum period, especially the fourth trimester (first three months after giving birth) avoid all cold or cool foods and only eat neutral to warm foods. Let’s go through examples of the temperatures of foods within each category.

 

apples and berries photoFruits

  • Cold: banana, blueberry, cantaloupe, cranberry, grapefruit, mango, persimmon, rhubarb, tomato, watermelon, mulberry, plum, kiwi
  • Cool: apple, avocado, black current, prunes, tangerine, pear, oranges, coconut
  • Neutral: apricot, loquat, papaya, pomegranate, tangerine, peaches, lemon
  • Warm: blackberry, cherry, dates, grape, litchi, longan, quince, raspberry, strawberry, kumquat, figs
  • Hot: pineapple

 

 

Vegetables – during postpartum you can eat from the entire list but you must cook the foods first. However, avoid nightshade vegetables (such bell peppers, tomatoes, eggplant) as they may affect the your breast milk and can upset your baby’s digestion.

  • Cold: asparagus, Chinese cabbage, seaweed, snow peas, water chestnuts, dandelion leaf, white mushroom
  • Cool: artichoke, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumber, daikon radish, eggplant, mushroom, spinach, swiss chard, turnip, zucchini, alfalfa sprouts, bamboo shoots, carrot, endive, potato, romaine lettuce, tomato
  • Neutral: beets, carrot, cabbage, lettuce, shitake mushroom, olive, peas, pumpkin, yam
  • Warm: bell peppers, chive, green bean, kale, leek, mustard greens, parsley, parsnip, squash, sweet potato, watercress, scallions, onion, fennel, oyster mushroom
  • Hot: garlic, green onion

 

Grains, Legumes, and Nuts

  • Cold: wheat germ39335774 - healthy food in heart diet abstract concept
  • Cool: amaranth, barley, buckwheat, millet, wheat, wild rice, lima beans, mung beans, soybean
  • Neutral: brown rice, corn, flax, white rice, almonds, chick peas, hazelnut, peanut, pistachio, pumpkin, sunflower seeds
  • Warm: oats, quinoa, safflower, spelt, black bean, chestnut, pine nut, sesame seed, walnut

 

Animal Products

  • Cold: clam, crab, octopus
  • Cool: eggs, pork, duck
  • Neutral: abalone, rabbit, cheese, duck, goose, herring, mackerel, milk, oysters, salmon, sardine, shark, tuna, chicken
  • Warm: beef, liver, anchovy, butter, chicken, eel, ham, lobster, mussels, shrimp, turkey, venison, fresh water fish, sheep, goat, sheep milk.
  • Hot: lamb, trout

 

Pungent spices and oils

  • Cold: salt, white pepper
  • Cool: marjoram, mint, peppermint, tamarind, cilantro leaf, sesame oil
  • Neutral: coriander, licorice, saffron, olive oil, peanut oil
  • Warm: anise, basil, bay leaf, carob, caraway, clove, cumin, dill seed, fennel, fenugreek, fresh ginger, nutmeg, oregano, rosemary, sage, spearmint, thyme, jasmine, coriander
  • Hot: black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili pepper, cinnamon, dry ginger, horseradish, wasabi, mustard, garlic

 

By now, you may be beginning to have a better idea about warm and cold foods. This is by no means an exhaustive list! You can take these lists and experiment and even add your own foods as well. At the end of the day, you are the best judge of your body.

 

60215751 - baby foot prints pastel color vector backgroundOther Nutrient Concerns:

  1. Adequate Protein – at least 50g warming proteins daily
  2. Adequate Electrolytes – at least 8-12 oz balanced electrolytes daily
  3. Good oils – include DHA in your supplements as well as 1 tsp good olive oil daily
  4. Good salt – sea salt or good mined salt
  5. Warm teas and drinks – avoid cold or iced drinks altogether
  6. Bone minerals – Bone broth soups, supplement to support bones
  7. Reduce inflammatory foods during the fourth trimester (see inflammatory foods that may affect your breast milk)

 

BONE BROTH SOUP RECIPE SUGGESTIONS:

 

Bone Broth Soup is very nourishing after childbirth and gives needed nutrients for healing and breastfeeding support. You can make it in advance and freeze it as well. Bone Broth can then be eaten by itself or as a stock to make other soups. There are a lot of great recipes on the internet. You can also purchase organic bone broth from health stores. However, if you like to make your own, below is a general recipe to give you an idea of what bone broth soup is all about.

 

Choose the following bones (as they are the most warming):

Beef – especially good to rebuild blood after blood loss to recover your energy.

Chicken – especially good to aid a weaker digestion and give you energy.

Lamb – especially good to rebuild blood after blood loss to recover your energy

 

Choose any of the following Vegetables:

Carrots, squash, beets, celery, leeks, dark greens like collards, parsley (these vegetables support the kidney, liver, blood, energy and enhance immunity)

 

Choose any of the following spices:

Ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, turmeric, fennel, pepper, good salt (these spices are warming, support electrolyte balance and enhance immunity)

Directions:

  1. Rinse about 5 pounds of bones to remove any dirt or blood
  2. Roast the bones in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 1-2 hours to enhance flavor
  3. Bring 5 qt. cold water to boil and then simmer
  4. Add bones
  5. Skim bubbles and scum until water is clear
  6. Add spices and simmer for 4-5 hours
  7. Add 2.5 cups vegetables of choice and cook for another 1-2 hours
  8. Strain all the vegetables and bones and keep the stock
  9. This can be frozen for future use

Bone Broth Soup Recipe is Adapted from: 7 Times a Woman – Ancient Wisdom on Health & Beauty for Every Stage of Your lIfe. By Lia A

 

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Remedies from the online store & e-visits are available to ensure you’re supported postpartum and during breastfeeding.

Established Patients:

  1.  Remember to order your postpartum herbs and nutrients before having your baby!
  2. If you need a quick Telehealth visit, book an Established Integrative Health Patient Check In Consultation here.

New Patient Telehealth Consultations:

  1.  Book an initial consultation via The Better Health e-visit.  Read more here.

You’re not stuck with the health you have!  

Consult with Tansy Briggs, DOM, L.OM for the right treatment plan and get the support you need. 

Online e-visits = Schedule Here

In Person clinic visits = Schedule with The Healing Arts Center: 215-627-3782

Like us on Facebook!

www.tansybriggs.com

  The views and nutritional/herbal advice expressed by Tansy Briggs, DOM, L.OM is not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. Purchasing a product, program or wellness coaching does not establish a practitioner patient relationship with Tansy Briggs, DOM, L.OM.  If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider. We suggest that you continue to work with qualified medical professionals as you engage in our material, products and services. No information offered here should be interpreted as a diagnosis of any disease, nor an attempt to treat or prevent or cure any disease or condition. Information and statements regarding products and/or services made available by Tansy Briggs, DOM, L.OM have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Tansy Briggs, DOM. L.OM or Integrative Health Link products and services are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

 

 

Filed Under: Breastfeeding, Health Topics, Postpartum, Warm Foods Tagged With: breastfeeding, colic, infant nutrition, postpartum, postpartum nutrition

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