If you are currently breastfeeding and experiencing difficulty, that situation can range from frustrating to devastating. Luckily, there are lots of natural options that can improve your supply and make breastfeeding a lot easier. From diet and herbs, to acupuncture and lactation consultations, I’ll break down exactly what’s what and how to boost your supply in no time.
Read MoreIf you don’t know already, a sitz bath is a bath you can sit in, so it’s typically used for healing the perineum, anal area, and vulva. It can clean, soothe, and reduce inflammation or irritation of these areas in cases of hemorrhoids, perineal swelling, irritation or the anus or vulva, general uterine health, and postpartum recovery.
You can do a simple sitz bath with plain water, or some people add epsom salt, sea salt, and/or essential oils. I tend to prefer using brewed herbs to boost healing and gain the benefits of whichever botanicals are used.
If you’ve never used a sitz bath before there can be a bit of a learning curve to getting it right, especially when adding herbs into the mix, but it’s actually not that complicated. I’ll explain exactly how.
Read MoreRaspberry leaf, aka Rubus idaeus or Fu Pen Zi in Chinese medicine, happens to be one of the most common herbs I use myself and prescribe to my patients. It is a gentle yet powerful uterine tonic, it is safe in pregnancy, and when brewed as tea or an herbal infusion it's a good source of dissolved minerals.
And, you don't have to be pregnant or even a woman to benefit from this amazing herb. It also has benefits for digestion, skin, lungs, and gums. In fact, for many of it's benefits you don't even have to drink it, you can use it as a soak or add it to your bath. I'll explain how.
Read MoreIf you're gearing up for a new baby in your life or you've just welcomed a new addition to your family, then you've probably already done all the research about cribs and carseats, taken the baby care classes, and set up the nursery. Even with all this research, however, caring for yourself in the postpartum period may still leave you with a lot of questions.
If that's the case, I'm glad you're reading, because supporting women during the postpartum period is literally my job. The months following birth are a sensitive time, during which women need plenty of support to properly recover, but in most cases a few simple adjustments are all that's needed to help a new mom to recover quickly.
Read MoreAs an acupuncturist who specializes in women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and postpartum, I get asked often if I attend births. I just as often surprise people to let them know that actually I don't.
It's not because I don't want to, rather, it's because I've found I can be of most use to my patients during the weeks leading up to their birth. With acupuncture, herbal medicine, and moxibustion (a Chinese medical heat therapy,) I have developed a process I call the Pre-birth Protocol - through which I help women to prepare for vaginal or surgical labor, so that when the time comes they are ready and the process moves along smoothly.
The Pre-birth Protocol is a holistic method of preparing the body for labor, but that doesn't mean you have to be a totally crunchy hippie to use it. No matter if you've planned a birth at home, in birth center, or hospital, no matter what you're feelings are about pain medications or pitocin, no matter if you're delivering with a midwife or OBGYN, you can still use the Pre-birth Protocol to help prep for your experience. Here's how.
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