Making up for lost sleep

Postpartum sleep deprivation can increase stress and slow down the healing process. Implementing good nutrition and lifestyle habits early on, can only have a positive impact on the road ahead.

There are so many consequence to limited sleep. Some are more serious than others. Whilst general tiredness will not harm the body short term, long term, fatigue can lead to a host of health issues. So how do you get in front?

First and fore most, getting sleep in where you can is obviously the best way to keep on top of things. This means sleeping when your baby sleeps. I found this so hard because it was at these times, when baby was sleeping that I had time to catch up on house chores. Truth is, these things can wait and it is far more important that you are sane, than have a clean sink!

Adequate nutrition is the next most important thing on my list. If you have all the nutrients that your body requires, it will always run better. This is important not only to supply your body with what it needs but also to aid in recovery after birth. Pregnancy is consuming and postpartum, a mothers vitamin and mineral stores will be low. Lets also not forget that if you happen to be breast feeding, you are having much of the nutrients you take in, taken out just as fast! Either way, at this time, excellent nutrition is a must. This may mean supplementation also, to 'top up' what you can't get through your diet. Eat plenty of green leafy veggies which are rich in plant enzymes, fiber and nutrients. Have adequate portions of protein and limit foods which are of little or no value nutritionally.

Along with nutrition comes adequate hydration. Good amounts of purified tap water are also essential to good body function. By drinking plenty of healthy liquids, our bodies can also flush out toxins which built up. Each time you sit to feed your baby, have some water yourself. Its a good way to make sure you are getting plenty in.

Fish Oil may be one of my most favorite supplements. It is wonderful to assist in healing, is helps our minds and supplies the body with wonderful nutrients. It has been shown to assist in treatment of post natal depression and is safe to take whilst breast feeding. Adding a good quality fish oil to your routine will help in so many ways.

How we enter the postpartum period paves the way for how our bodies recover and respond to what is going on around you. Of course, sleep is the best way for your bodies to recover, however it is really important to be aware of keeping your body well nourished and nurtured. Asking for help is just as important, if you feel that things are becoming too difficult, delegate! Each mother is different, but if you can implement this into your routine early on, it may assist in you in keeping yourself sane and afloat rather than sinking.

Depression, postnatal or otherwise....

So many have requested me to talk about depression in this entry. When I started thinking about it, I thought it would be useful to talk about not just depression but post natal depression, since from a TCM point, they are not dissimilar, with the exception of when the depression occurs.

Post natal depression can usually be linked back to a mothers birthing experience, where pathologically she lost too much blood or was deficient prior to the birth. Depression not linked to pregnancy is not too dissimilar in that it is a result of organic imbalances in the body, most commonly the heart. Now from a western sense this does not generally mean there is anything physically wrong with the heart as such, but more the influence and lack of vital substances, blood and qi may be having on the heart.

The heart is very reliant on receiving adequate blood (both TCM and Western physiology wouldn't disagree). From a TCM perspective, the heart houses the mind and governs blood. If the heart becomes deficient, and there isn't adequate blood supplied to it, the person will begin to feel depressed, anxious most commonly also experiencing insomnia and fatigue. A range of other symptoms will also become evident, including lack of motivation, loss in libido and general feeling of guilt. When at this point, a person continues to push on through the condition can worsen, and since each organ is reliant on the next, a host of other symptoms will arrive as a result of other organ contribution (or lack of). This is where TCM excels because at this point, different pathologies will present, and if each individual isn't treated in a specific manner, the patients recovery may be slow or absent. Most commonly, no two cases of depression are the same simply because no two people are the same. Treatment needs to be individualised otherwise it will not be effective.

Outside of treatment, a patient who is experiencing any type of depression will benefit greatly by making healthy changes to their lifestyle. Exercise is extremely important as it assists in moving through 'build up' of hormones which may contribute to emotional problems. Adding an Omega 3 to the diet is also equally important. Multiple studies have shown that a diet lacking in Omega 3 will have greater incidence of depression. Not any Omega 3 will do however, be sure it is good in quality; not derived from farmed fish. A good Omega 3 will cost more than others - don't waste your time with bad quality supplements. Finally, Eating a diet rich in colourful and green leafy veggies is in my opinion necessary for all individuals to receive adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. This is necessary to keep our bodies in working order. If the body isn't getting all this, it cannot be expected to work properly.

We are lucky enough in the clinic to be able to support women not only through their pregnancies but also provide ongoing care. This allows us to be able to prevent postnatal depression, especially when there is a history of emotional problems as well as treat depression in general. With the use of careful diagnosis, acupuncture, herbal medicine and most recently wholistic mentoring we are able to guide women through these periods, ensuring they can go on to enjoy their families and most importantly be happy in their own bodies.