Pregnancy & Postpartum Digital Care Pack
A year into this pandemic and our stress levels, social networks, and the way we birth & are cared for by community has been altered. I have had a number of recently pregnant & expecting parents over the last 11 months so I’ve started to compile a digital care pack with my favourite resources. My intention is to continuously update this list:
Debrah Betts labour prep and birthing acupressure PDFs are something I always send to my birthing people and encourage the loved ones attending the birth to learn.
Also her moxibustion handout for turning breech babies is wonderful.
This VOO breathing exercise was developed by Peter Levine for trauma resolution. It helps to settle the nervous system and tone the vagus nerve. Helpful for calming anytime but can be great for labour breathing.
Nesting Doula Collective - Offers culturally appropriate birth and post partum doula support. They also currently offering free postpartum doulas for BIPOC families.
A quick easy breakfast to support lactation + this lactation cookie recipe.
This qi gong move for morning sickness & grounding.
Sisterhood Apothecary post partum collection + individual consults for any trimester.
Aviva Romm’s herbal postpartum baths.
Sabine Wilms article on the traditional Chinese medicine placenta rituals and placentophagy & A Lactation Consultant's Perspective on Placenta Encapsulation.
Expectful Meditation App - audio meditations for all stages of parenthood from conception to postpartum.
These nebulae videos - a cosmic visual meditation of a stellar nursery, a place where stars are born. A beautiful reminder of the power and beauty of birth.
Women tell their stories of the TCM tradition of sitting the month.
Ten ways acupuncture can help with pregnancy, labour and postpartum.
A recipe for postpartum confinement broth
This Meal train organizer for postpartum care
Feeding Mama - TCM post partum meal prep service is based out of Vancouver but also has some great resources and meal ideas on her blog.
*Acupuncture for labour prep is recommended weekly starting (at the latest) 34 weeks to help the body transition. If finances are a barrier, I am able to offer special pricing & treatment packages during the pandemic as a way to support families during this time. Please contact me for details.
In care & community,
Carmelle
Birth Plan Templates for Trauma Survivors
Birth plans are a document created to outline the wishes of the birthing person in regards to their care during and after labour. It teaches care providers what kind of birth they would like, things they may be uncomfortable with and desires of how baby will be cared for after delivery. Simple templates can be found here and here.
For survivors of trauma an additional birth plan can be of benefit to help anticipate and find solutions for triggers and anxieties that may come up during labour. Often times the feeling of preparedness is enough to help survivors feel safe an empowered to handle any challenges. This template can be filled out for personal reflection, or shared with care providers and birth support person to help with advocacy during birth. The choice is up to them.
Lactation Cookies
Cookies are a nice snack to have on hand after brith, keep in the freezer or make a batch to gift to someone postpartum. The ingredients in these cookies help to boost energy and increase milk supply.
Lactation Cookie Recipe:
2 cups oats
1/4 cup flax seed
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup nut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder & soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Optional:
1 tbsp Ashwagandha powder - helps to adapt to stress, and support immune/hormone function
1 tbsp Astragalus powder - adaptogen, supports energy and milk production in Tcm
Directions: In a food processor pulse flax and 1 cup oats into a flour. Mix all wet together, then add dry , with chocolate chips at the end. Bake for 10-12 mins on a greased cookie sheet.
Postpartum Confinement Broth
Confinement practices are part of the cultural tradition of sitting the month postpartum - where one is confined to their house to recover after giving birth. Sitting the month has a particular focus on dietary therapy to help heal the body gently. Herbal soups and broths are taken to replenish vital substances lost during delivery and to prevent illnesses from occurring while the body is in a depleted state. More on sitting the month here.
As such, I often give my clients bags of herbs to make broth or drop off a fresh batch following a birth. This is my current go-to broth recipe, delicious and full of tonifying & replenishing herbs. It freezes well, so I often make an extra large batch and store some for later use. It can be taken by the mug full as a supportive drink, used to cook rice or quinoa, or as the base for traditional confinement soup recipes.
INGREDIENTS
chicken bones - I use a whole carcass for a large batch
if you don’t eat meat 2 cups chopped shiitake or maitake work well in place
4-5 stalks green onion
4 lobes of garlic
2 inch piece of ginger, sliced
3-4 Chinese dates
2 tbsp Goji berries
4 sticks of Huang Qi - Astragalus
small handful Dang Gui - Angelica
one whole lemon, halved
1-2 cups chopped veggies or veggie ends - carrots, celery, etc
salt & pepper
Directions: place all ingredients in a large stock pot & fill with water. Bring to a boil, cover with lid and reduce to simmer for at least 2 hours - longer is better with bones. Strain off broth & refill water to boil a second batch of broth if desired.