Postpartum wellness | The Western Producer

Glacier FarmMedia – The Cultivating Wellness column explores natural health through food and herbal healing. You can expect to find recipes that support full-body health from the inside out.

In many cultures around the world, and throughout all traditional health philosophies, new mothers have been replenished by deeply nutritious soups and teas in the months following birth.

Nourishing a woman after she’s given birth is an integral part of postpartum care that is not focused on enough. Herbs can be an excellent way to help new moms regain vitality via easy-to-access nutrition in the first few months after delivery.

A tea blend I frequently suggest for the postpartum period includes herbs that contain high amounts of minerals and vitamins, which support the nervous system, digestion and overall well-being. In traditional practices the body requires “building up the blood” during the postpartum period.This translates to eating food with adequate calories to meet the body’s demands during the post-birth period, including breastfeeding and early-stage parenting. It involves an intake of “warming” foods, herbs and densely nutritious, whole foods.

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A daily herbal infusion (tea) regimen is an easy way to drink our nutrition, to hydrate and to holistically support the whole body. Many of the herbs I’ve chosen for this tea blend can be sourced locally as dried plant material or grown in your garden this year and dried for future use.

Nettle, raspberry leaf, alfalfa, red clover and oat straw have high mineral and vitamin content to nourish the postpartum body and mind.

Chamomile and calendula are wonderful digestive aids. Calendula has a powerful effect on mucous membranes and offers a soothing, hydrating benefit from the inside out.

Tulsi and lemon balm support the nervous system and mood, and provide gentle, adaptive nutritional support. Peppermint is added for flavour and can help with digestion, and ginger supports healthy circulation.

This blend makes about twenty servings of tea.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. dried nettle leaf
• 3 tbsp. dried raspberry leaf
• 2 tbsp. dried chamomile flower
• 2 tbsp. dried calendula flower (including green base)
• 3 tbsp. dried alfalfa leaf and flower
• 3 tbsp. dried red clover flower
• 5 tbsp. dried tulsi (holy basil) or lemon balm leaves
• 3 tbsp. dried oat straw
• 5 tbsp. dried peppermint leaf
• ½ tbsp. ginger powder

Mix all ingredients and store in a sealed, air-tight container out of direct sunlight.

Use approximately 1 tbsp. of tea blend per 2 cups of hot water and steep for 20 minutes to six hours. Drink 3-4 cups daily. Steeping the blend overnight can increase mineral extraction, as will re-steeping the mix a few times throughout the day. I will often steep leaves in a teapot and pour fresh hot water over used leaves and flowers two to three times a day.

While all these plants are generally considered safe for postpartum consumption, you should always consult your health care team to ensure they are safe for you. Those with complicated postpartum experiences, other health conditions or who are taking medications should consult their doctor or pharmacist to ensure there are no interactions between your medication and the herbs in this recipe.

A dry blend of this recipe can be stored for about a year when kept out of direct sunlight and in stable temperatures.