Postpartum Recovery

From the Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, a new mother loses much of her vital energy during the process of childbirth. It is also postulated that a period of a few weeks after the birth, if used wisely, provides an opportunity for a new mother to regain her energy, strength and vitality that is not to be squandered. In traditional Chinese culture, women were prescribed full bed rest for one month after childbirth. Female relatives would take care of both the new mother and the baby, allowing the new mother to restore her strength and energy. A regimen of specific herbal prescriptions was administered to help shrink the uterus, stop bleeding, encourage lactation, and restore vitality.

In today’s fast-paced society, few new mothers have the luxury of resting for a month after childbirth. Most women need to return to taking care of family or work before their bodies have had a chance to fully heal, making Oriental medicine invaluable for postpartum recovery. In addition to returning the body to a state of balance and health, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine treats a plethora of such common postpartum conditions as abdominal pain, fatigue, depression, insufficient lactation, mastitis, night sweats, constipation, hemorrhoids and urinary difficulty or incontinence, which left unattended can lead to further health issues down the road.