Transcendence Ayurvedic Beauty therapy (LEE) wrote:
Ysha - I'm working with my first client that had a vaginal birth. What can I do to help support her belly going back down to normal. She looks like she still has a bowling ball in there.
Lee
www.transcendencespa.net
(303)440-8435
Hi Lee - Yes, there is so much empty space the organs kinda slip and slide around and use the already stretched, it is an important issue for helping the nervous system communications, digestive/bowel function, uterine placement, along with appearances. lease forgive the day's delay. You probably already see a big difference over 24 hours? How many days postpartum is she, for the record?
We find these things help a lot:
the mother's massage including the belly circles
belly wrapping (see discussion at the end of your home spa care notes, under exercise *0). In some Indian community in south America, they take a cloth and wrap into a square, about 3/4 inch thick over the uterus then wrap with the long belly wrapping cloth. Here there are special postpartum girdle type things sold which are also good for this support. Connective tissues are still stretched and weakened from appropriate hormones, making the whole pelvic bowl and more vulnerable.
keeping the bowels lubed and moist, with good food intake
supporting the agni
do you have the panchaloka variations recipe? I don't think you do, it is fairly new for me and for the cookbook. good as she likes it for several days or more, some version or other.
First Day Black Pepper Ghee and Panchaloka Variations
Right after delivery, it is traditional in Nepal to give the mother a Tablespoon or two of strongly spiced ghee, and then to wait until her appetite comes up before feeding her a rice congee. This recipe is an easy to make for westerners variation on this energetic support for the mother. The ghee is very soothing and carries the influences into deep tissues. The pepper is said to tone the uterus by some grandmothers; vaidya Dr. Shresta explains spices such as ginger, clove, pepper, and/or pippali help start the digestive "fires" back up which get shut down by labor and birth re-prioritization of body energies. Ghee helps balance the sharpness of pepper, as does the rice.
2 T Hot, freshly prepared basmati rice
1-2 t ghee
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 pinch salt
1) Right after delivery and at the beginning of lunch and dinner, mix all ingredients and serve very warm to the newly delivered mother for several days.
2) The traditional Nepali method is to make a decoction of the herbs of ginger, pippali (long pepper), and at least one other strong agni enhancing spice. Decoctions and then herbalizing the ghee take a long time to make, boiling herbs in considerable water with ghee until the moisture is gone. This is the herbalized ghee most officially used.
3) Other herbs suitable for just that first day are chitrak (very warming with very little taste, but especial agni support) and bala, (enhancing for strength, calm and balance, reducing pain and vata).
Cooking Tips
• Dr. Rucha Kelkar gives just pippali mixed with aloe gel 1-2 T twice daily, with meals.
• Dr. Maneesh Thite uses the traditional Panchaloka, equal parts ginger, pippali, pippalimul (root), black pepper root, and chitrak. We can gain benefit using American kitchen familiars, even just ginger, black pepper, mixed with some clove powder, similarly.
• Many Krishna community mothers in Florida have been taught by their Indian friends to take a t mixed of ginger, pepper and nutmeg or clove before meals - in honey or ghee.
Recipe Source Aparna Khanolkar, Ysha Oakes and our teachers
Enjoy!
Ysha
