Only drink warm liquids to prevent afterbirth cramps…goodness I wish I had known that! They really do get worse with every baby. (Filing away just in case I have another baby…or for when my daughters have babies).
I do *highly* recommend drinking nettle and raspberry tea during pregnancy, as my midwife was astonished how little postpartum bleeding I had in the hours after delivery. I think drinking loads of both helped a ton.
Preach it sister! Mary Haseltine put me on to the postpartum Churching and it’s a totally under appreciated tradition. I’m going to ask my priest for it. You don’t win heaven for a martyrdom you inflict on yourself!
My best friend is filippina and her dad made me chicken and liver adobo after my babes were born and the vitamin A needs explain a lot. Might not get it this time around as they’ve moved out of town.
I with my first baby ignored most of the ‘rules’ around foods you shouldn’t eat when pregnant. Especially liver and soft cheese and prosciutto. Can’t live without prosciutto. I looked at the research and went, well, stuff taking combined prenatal vitamins! I’ll just eat organs and insist on regular blood work to check my nutrition. My poor husband would prefer me taking the vitamins though… 😂
I’m on my fourth pregnancy and will be insisting on as much rest as I can get with four little ones under six. I’m not working and have finished my thesis. We’re also lucky in Australia to have 6 months full time mandatory parental leave. But only if you were working. If you’re a stay-at-home mum you get ignored. I was lamenting with the Family Daycare woman I have sent my kids to for a few days of respite how ridiculous it is that I get more help if I pay another woman minimum wage to watch my kids while I do something else ‘productive’. It works with one or two kids, but once you hit 3 or more that economy doesn’t stack up! And then you get basically ignored because you don’t pay taxes.. 🤦🏼♀️
Real Food For Pregnancy by Lily Nichols is a wealth of information re: traditional prenatal nutrition - and helped me set realistic expectations for breastfeeding and postpartum as well. Also second Heng Ou's books, they are all so beautiful- she has 3, one on fertility, one on pregnancy, and one on postpartum.
I know I was shocked when our midwife accomplished things I’d never heard of a doctor accomplishing. And I was surprised beyond words when she and her assistant spent the night at our house for a false alarm. (Just ask your doctor to do that.)
Love all this. Saving in case we opt for a fourth😃 I want to do better this time around!
I feel the lack of appropriate rituals/rites of passage is a huge issue in our culture. Currently working on a post where I share about an old Italian peasant postpartum ritual that’s so beautiful (less about the mother’s health but still very much supportive of the transition to motherhood/addition of another child).
Pasteurization of milk does not remove vitamin A; it may in fact slightly increase it, according to this study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22054181/ Pasteurization of milk does prevent transmission of certain sometimes quite serious diseases from cow to milk drinker and is a good thing, not a bad thing.
Only drink warm liquids to prevent afterbirth cramps…goodness I wish I had known that! They really do get worse with every baby. (Filing away just in case I have another baby…or for when my daughters have babies).
I do *highly* recommend drinking nettle and raspberry tea during pregnancy, as my midwife was astonished how little postpartum bleeding I had in the hours after delivery. I think drinking loads of both helped a ton.
So many good tips in this article!
Nettle is weirdly high in Vitamin A too!
So grateful another multip mama clued me into topical magnesium for the afterbirth pains… for my 4th, the mag really helped!
Preach it sister! Mary Haseltine put me on to the postpartum Churching and it’s a totally under appreciated tradition. I’m going to ask my priest for it. You don’t win heaven for a martyrdom you inflict on yourself!
My best friend is filippina and her dad made me chicken and liver adobo after my babes were born and the vitamin A needs explain a lot. Might not get it this time around as they’ve moved out of town.
I with my first baby ignored most of the ‘rules’ around foods you shouldn’t eat when pregnant. Especially liver and soft cheese and prosciutto. Can’t live without prosciutto. I looked at the research and went, well, stuff taking combined prenatal vitamins! I’ll just eat organs and insist on regular blood work to check my nutrition. My poor husband would prefer me taking the vitamins though… 😂
I’m on my fourth pregnancy and will be insisting on as much rest as I can get with four little ones under six. I’m not working and have finished my thesis. We’re also lucky in Australia to have 6 months full time mandatory parental leave. But only if you were working. If you’re a stay-at-home mum you get ignored. I was lamenting with the Family Daycare woman I have sent my kids to for a few days of respite how ridiculous it is that I get more help if I pay another woman minimum wage to watch my kids while I do something else ‘productive’. It works with one or two kids, but once you hit 3 or more that economy doesn’t stack up! And then you get basically ignored because you don’t pay taxes.. 🤦🏼♀️
❤️ I hope you get all the rest you can!
does anyone have any book recommendations regarding pregnancy, postpartum, & motherhood itself?
Start with “The First Forty Days” by Heng Ou!
Real Food For Pregnancy by Lily Nichols is a wealth of information re: traditional prenatal nutrition - and helped me set realistic expectations for breastfeeding and postpartum as well. Also second Heng Ou's books, they are all so beautiful- she has 3, one on fertility, one on pregnancy, and one on postpartum.
thank you!!
Mary Haseltine’s Made for This
Is very good too. She covers postpartum recovery.
I recommend Ina May’s Guide to Midwifery and Nancy Campbell’s The Power of Motherhood.
Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Sarah Buckley
Such a great post that all women should read.
I’m an unmarried man and I bought “The First Fort Days” by Heng Ou last year at a used book store. Surprise find!
I figured that learning about these matters will be helpful in the future even though I’m not yet married.
Your future wife will love you for your thoughtfulness!
This is perfect
I know I was shocked when our midwife accomplished things I’d never heard of a doctor accomplishing. And I was surprised beyond words when she and her assistant spent the night at our house for a false alarm. (Just ask your doctor to do that.)
Love all this. Saving in case we opt for a fourth😃 I want to do better this time around!
I feel the lack of appropriate rituals/rites of passage is a huge issue in our culture. Currently working on a post where I share about an old Italian peasant postpartum ritual that’s so beautiful (less about the mother’s health but still very much supportive of the transition to motherhood/addition of another child).
Beautiful and important message here!
Pasteurization of milk does not remove vitamin A; it may in fact slightly increase it, according to this study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22054181/ Pasteurization of milk does prevent transmission of certain sometimes quite serious diseases from cow to milk drinker and is a good thing, not a bad thing.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10637050/
Different studies say differently. I understand this may be controversial; all I now is what made me feel better in practice.
I respect that. I am glad you felt better.