YOUR VILLAGE

"IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD
If you are expecting, this is a good time to recognize who is your "Village". Most of us have at least one best girlfriend and 6-12 good friends who will be on your baby shower or blessing way list, and who would also like to help out how they can, sometimes once, some would love the blessing of newborn contact by supporting you in some way weekly. Some would love to be there but can't, and will spend money even on things you don't need. Some don't know they are part of your village, until you invite them, such as church, La Leche League , satsang, or other interest group members. If you are new to your town, now is the time to find your community.

If you are a grandma or other well wisher close to a mother who may not be open to anything foreign like the word "Ayurvedic", you may find some very helpful tips in everyday terms at Letter to a Grandmother with a wink at the end. A rose by any name is still a rose, you know? Note of course all the other goodies herein!

If you can pay for postpartum doula help

• you will be wise to arrange for local help in some advance

• and to schedule a consultation with an experienced AyurDoula.
• occasionally an AyurDoula is available to travel to your residence and do care, and some cities have AyurDoulas. Look for AyurDoulas here.
• You may want to get your local doula on the phone with us too, and reading some valuable information to improve their service to you.

Many communities have very few postpartum doulas. Unfortunately, they tend to be low paid and often become long term nannies if it is a good match, and the profession does not attract too many due to the low wage. In bigger cities there is more need for better income and postpartum doulas are charging more. They are wonderful for basic household support with TLC, if you all feel good with each other. They are very knowledgeable about some of your needs, and aside from giving you a break, don't get much education around avoiding depression or colic.

A postpartum doula may or may not do all these, but generally look for light housekeeping, normal cooking, breastfeeding support, baby care, older children care, perhaps errands, and community resource referral wisdom. Be sure to work with her around the unusual postpartum nutritional needs she will not know about.

HOW CAN MY COMMUNITY OR "VILLAGE" BEST HELP?
Everyone likes to visit Mom and her newborn, and many would love to know how to help best. If your community is sincere in wanting to help improve the outcomes of mothers and babies after childbirth in this unfortunately very misinformed and problematic corner of health care, and especially of course, to help you their dear friend with your postpartum experience, here are our suggestions for working with your community:

Sign up to help sheet (there's a few important details you will want to include so it works smoothly). Design it by days of weeks 1 - 6 postapartum. If your partner or other relatives can cover for you on the weekend, then you just need 5 days, but the first couple weeks you may still want to include 7 days. Includes arrangements if needed for things like:

• Housekeeping help
• Meals - enough for lunch and dinner that day, delivered at what time, what quantity (will the rest of the family eat postpartum foods or are they on their own, or who takes care of them? In traditional villages around the world, Grandma or similar relative takes care of Mom, the rest of the village takes care of the rest of the family.)
• Errands if needed (everyone shops, and you should minimize going out unless health essential, for several weeks)
• which day of the week who is available
• who is available for backup, on call if someone else has to cancel
• Who wants to help weekly, or on a certain day
• who is coordinating it all (her phone number)
• name, email as well as phone of who so the network will know when Baby is born, and what else they need to know for your best support
• older child care
• Baby care while you receive a postpartum home spa treatment, take a long soak in the bathtub, take a nap, whatever is most needed

Maternal Nourishment that avoids Depression, Colic
Little known tips and issues are behind these condensed tools:

• Cooking for Postpartum Mothers - Foods to favor and avoid, and surprising, little known keys. Every word contains more value than you would guess! If you or Mom has questions around these, please call to discuss how your specific needs and concerns will be best met. 360.783.2838, ask for the doubter's 10 minute free consult if you need to.
• Foods by Weeks Postpartumis several pages of types of recipes and foods that make a tremendous difference to lean on. Vegan and vegetarian, and non-vegetarian will find where their preferences can fit best. Based on ancient and time tested wisdom, the guidelines are basic to cultures around the world that don't have problems. Recipe types are mostly familiar to American culture. Included with a consultation.

Suggested Gifts that really make a difference
These are things that are not on the baby layette list, and just as important. Again, let a best girlfriend organize for this, so you don't have to ask anyone but her. That much is your gift to your family and community, a great responsibility we have to our society as well as ourselves as mothers.

• Baby shower donations for a postpartum doula
• Baby shower gifts for AyurDoula consultations ( More Info here) instead of expensive items often available second hand in great shape, expensive bouquets of flowers, or a crib when you would rather co-sleep.
• Gifts of special foods for your rejuvenation
• Hot water bottles - 2 for Mom, and perhaps a mini for Baby too! Simple handmade flannel covers for them are really nice.
• A baby receiving blanket and cap lined in silk - this protects Baby when around other people, from absorbing undue vibration/emotional energies.
• Education - as the Ayurvedic postpartum handbook and cookbook are temporarily unavailable, we are recommending the AyurDoula correspondence Foundations unit. Also available are Ayurvedic Infant Massage and Basic Herbals and Perinatal Essential Oils units notes. Please Contact Ysha for details; they are sold separately ranging from $10 - 20 each. Call or email also for other complementary books.

Doulas and other Perinatal care practitioners
please consider-

• MEALS FOR MOMS Holiday FundraisersRead a story here.Ayurvedic Cooking for the Holidays meals and cooking classes can double as a fundraiser to sponsor mothers in need with Ayurvedic support after childbirth.
  
• GIFT BASKETS FOR MOTHER-BABY SPECIAL NEEDS.
  Suggestions include postpartum care supplies, rejuvenative foods and culinary spices supporting prevention of colic, depression and other common problems. See Gift list.

A cover note or baby shower intro/announcement to your community from your best friend may read something like this -

Dear Friends;

We are excited to coordinate (your name)'s best friends support as their virtual VILLAGE around the birth of their baby, due (date) . We also are honored to be inviting you to work with some tools shared by an Ayurvedic Postpartum Doula and trainer of many years. She says these make a big difference for best support to prevent the too common problems such as colic and depression, as well as strengthening maternal rejuvenation and mama-baby bonding. (more info at www.sacredwindow.com). Please let us know if you are able and willing to participate in this community service project for the first 6-8 weeks after Baby is born.

We have a sign up sheet with suggestions for help and handouts with foods to favor and avoid at how many weeks postpartum, to prevent the common problems and support mama and baby comfort, strength and grounding as they begin their new life together. Please let me know/sign this sheet before you leave if you think you may be able to join us in this mutually beneficial community service for our dear friends.

As this will hopefully benefit other mothers and babies in our ever growing circle, we are especially happy to share with you in this way.

Love and light,
(Your best friend's name)

Further notes from site hostess
Ayurveda is the ancient system of health care from India with comprehensive, simple, little known but very effective knowledge for maternal/infant well-being.

This time immediately after childbirth is well known to create powerful influences on both Mama and Baby well being for decades to come, for better or worse. The burden on society is tremendous for many mothers. 17 years ago research reported 40% of divorcing men claimed the beginning of breakup was postpartum conditions.

A doula is a woman who assists mothers after or during birth, not trained as a midwife or nurse but more in support of her personal needs. An AyurDoula has advanced training in powerful rejuvenative skills and wisdom with tremendous results.

Full Ayurvedic Postpartum Care Services includes:

1. Cooking for her and family
* specialized meals to avoid colic and depression, and maximizing her rejuvenation.
* Foods selected by weeks postpartum for her weak digestion, tremendous nutritional needs, and other conditions
* A lactation/rejuvenation/digestion postpartum tea and a postpartum herbal decoction for the pelvic area rejuvenation and purifications
* postpartum specific herbal food supports
* Special oleation for cleansing, hormones and vata pacification
* Unusual and gentle detox methods for wastes from pregnancy and birth
2. Ayurvedic Infant Massage instruction
3. Ayurvedic Self massage instruction and/or "Home Spa Care" - hot oil applications, heat treatments etc for daily care.
4. Support for best rest including basic home care needs
5. Daily wise-woman consultations with Ayurvedic guidance for moms
6. Tips for Fathers and other family and community for best understanding and support
7. Essential oils for immune, hormonal, emotional and pain support
8. Personalized herbal support as appropriate for special needs
9. Simple Alternate Nostril breathing technique for calm and centering

If you can print out and post or otherwise share this, kindly consider passing the word.

We live in a fragmented family society, and in a culture with pioneer roots that had lost the traditions that work so well for cultures which still preserve them. The impact is great for us all, and it really does take a Village to raise a child! Please join us if you can to begin community support for this much needed care for mothers and babies at such a crucial time in their lives.

Warmly;
Ysha
Site Hostess and Postpartum AyurDoula