sharing about Lucy's postpartum meals experience today

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends;

This is a letter I wrote this evening after counseling with Lucy about

her food we paid a professional postpartum mother's kitchen to bring

in. I had asked her to bring a rice pudding with coconut or almond

milk, and a moist kitchari with a vegetable or two in it. The woman

feels she has some good education about ayurveda and for postpartum,

but the refinements we learn in even a full weekend exposure goes much

farther than a short introductory lecture and self study, and we saw

this today. I wrote her the following letter hoping it is well

received and to the benefit of mothers in the future. You all may feel

I am being awefully detail picky, but believe me, all these little

things make a big difference during the early days! The woman is I

believe a wonderful midwife and I have left her name out to honor her

privacy.

Namaste;

Martha

 

Dear

Thank you again for being so available to bring food for Lucy today.

I just spoke with her about it and asked in detail how it was, and

thought you might like her feedback. She was very grateful to have

food brought in, and in such abundance. Fortunately, she knew to make

a couple adjustments, based on her postpartum condition.

 

Regarding postpartum kitchari, it needs to be especially moist, and

oily (ghee rich). The normal kitchari recipes are pretty dry, we make

it like mushy porridge - I should have made that more clear. First

week, in Nepal, the mother is fed a rice congee 5 times a day along

with all the boiled milk (cow's) she will drink ... (you might want to

read a long post on the Ayurvedic approach to milk in my articles

section, as I know how much trouble milk is giving so many people it

is even being contraindicated for postpartum moms). And the congee

recipe is basmati rice (not brown) 1 part boiled and boiled and boiled

in 16 parts water! Until it is a gel. It is served with 2 - 3

TABLESPOONS! Of ghee per serving, plus ginger, clove, nutmeg and

pippali (special variety of pepper) cooked in to help reignite her

very low digestive fire/enzyme processes the first days. And with

generous iron rich sugar (the really dark jaggery).

 

Lucy found milk even ayurvedically prepared not suitable in late

pregnancy, but she is enjoying yoghurt made thin in a lassi drink.

I've recommended she take this with kitchari in the middle of the day

when it creates less phlegm and obstruction to body channels; it

supports digestion of the mung in the kitchari, and adds protein of

course in its own right. The rice/mung combinaton 1:2 gives also a

complete protein.

 

Postpartum moms do need to favor sweet, sour and salty tastes,

minimizing bitter, astringent and sharp pungent, and minimizing

rougher, drying as well as cold and lighter goods. So as indicated on

the website documents I referred you to (see attached) millet,

buckwheat, corn is contraindicated if there is rice, oat, barley,

quinoa, amaranth, or wheat to choose from. Like white or brown

potatoes, if you have to use them at this time, it is very well

cooked, mushed, heavily buttered and very moist, as well as seasoned

with generous baking spices such as cinnamon, anise, fresh ginger,

etc. This is because after birth our innards are very tender and need

soft gentle touch inside as well as outside! As well as help moving

things thru at this time not with rough/age so much as extra moisture

and oiliness. Everything heals faster and more easily that way, and

the bowels are supported to keep moving in spite of their tenderness too.

 

We find also that the ayurvedic rule of not using fruit for sweetener

or combined with grains or other foods is best for mom and baby

digestive systems and minimizing the gas factory Banana warmed in

ghee or butter with cardamom and chopped dates is a suitable snack,

but not wise cooked in the pudding. It turns out that her appetite

for the pudding provided was very little, unfortunately, except that

it is fortunate her appetite fits with what is probably best for her

and Baby in this situation. I did recommend she eat a banana today,

as she is having some difficulty sleeping and I know the potassium can

be good. (She is taking cal/mag regularly, so that isn't it. We

counseled at some length about a number of factors over the phone, and

she did rest a lot today even though she is still sleepless.

Hopefully tomorrow will bring better news! Unfortunately, with her

stitches she is not yet allowed to soak in a nice hot bathtub!).

 

I believe the cause of her sleeplessness has to do with so many

changes and so much time on the phone yesterday trying to arrange for

help with her painful nipple. She called all over Taos area, every

druggist, hospital, lactation consultant, etc. and could not find a

nipple shield. That is too much time on the phone and in her will

power, after what she has been thru, not to feel it crank her out of

her mind-body connection! But things are continuing to improve today,

including some good healing on the nipple.

 

So Ayurveda DOES favor sweet taste as part of postnatal daily fare for

almost all cases, favoring the iron rich sweeteners of succanat,

sorghum, dark jaggery and molasses when possible, and avoiding cooking

with honey in all cases due to the toxic accumulations of cooked

honey. Honey and agave are suitable aside from that for some use in

that they are inherently warming, like the other sweeteners above and

unlike white sugar or maple sugar which we do our best to avoid at

this time. Honey and agave are also excellent for those moms who

really have some extra fat to burn, they help with that. We also use

some raw lighter sugar in some recipes. When combined with suitable

fats and grains, perhaps some nuts, it does not hit the system to

hard with a crash, and suits very well the very high caloric needs at

this time, as well as ayurvedically, the extremely high vata

pacificaiton needs.

 

Lucy's husband was grateful not to have to cook a main dish for

himself today also. She has asked me about using the leftovers

tomorrow, and I reminded her that even though she may digest it today

fine, tomorrow it is likely to create gas. Postpartum is pretty much

guaranteed that way ... Sigh. As her baby had been on his way to

worsening digestive system and more gassy nights, she has decided she

is feeling clear and strong enough to make herself some rice and

veggies and use some flax oil/cottage cheese seasoned with them for

simple fare tomorrow. This is a good sign, every day she has had help

including today has given her strength building for when she has to do

it herself again, this is very clear.

 

I hope this is helpful for you and your clients in the future. I know

that there are many food rules from many systems vying for attention,

but I can tell you over the last 14 years in my practice, the

ayurvedic guidelines really make a huge difference in maternal and

infant comfort and rejuvenation.

 

I got a call from the woman sending payment for your services, it just

hit the mail today as she is caring for her 96 year old mother and

just moved, couldn't get out for a stamp ... Lucy will have it next

week. Thank you also for your trust in the delayed payment. Best of

luck in your career! You clearly are a very strong woman and will be

serving many women. I would love to have time to hear about your new

orleans' prenatal work/experiences ...

 

Warm Regards,

Martha