Ayurvedic Postpartum Care
The first six weeks postpartum are recognized across many cultures as a sacred and vitally important window—a time when the new mother is just as vulnerable as her newborn and needs a continuous stream of love, attention, and care. Yet, in our modern Western society, this essential aspect of postpartum care has been largely overlooked, leaving mothers—and families—to bear the consequences. It’s no surprise that the word postpartum has become almost synonymous with depression.
But the truth is, with thoughtful preparation, proper support, and deep nourishment, you can emerge from your postpartum window even stronger, healthier, and more vibrant than before pregnancy. This is the true physiologic design of birth—it’s Nature’s Way.
And this is where Ayurveda comes in. Rooted in the wisdom of Nature, it offers a time-honoured roadmap for health and holistic living — one that carries us through all life’s phases in support of lifelong wellness.
Since Ayurveda is considered a sister science to yoga, I was first introduced to it during my yoga teacher training in India in 2008. At the time, I was in my earlier stages of unraveling from the indoctrination of the western medical system, and learning about Ayurveda was a profound A-ha moment for me. Of course!—a system of healing that is founded in Nature, that sees us as whole and unique beings rather than a collection of separate ‘mechanical’ parts who are all built the same.
Now, 17 years later, I’m honoured to be weaving ancient Ayurvedic wisdom into my work with mothers and families - nurturing their transition through this most pivotal postnatal rite of passage— and laying a foundation for lifelong vitality.
Photo from a Fire Puja Ceremony at my YTT in Rishikesh, India
WHAT IS AYURVEDA?
Developed in India over 5,000 years ago, Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest and most comprehensive systems of holistic healing and medicine.
The word Ayurveda translates to : The Science of Life or Knowledge of Life and Longevity (Ayur = life, vital power; Veda = knowledge, wisdom).
At its core, Ayurveda explains Nature’s principles at play within the human body, mind, and spirit. It recognizes that all life - including humans - is composed of the five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether (Space).
These elements combine in varying proportions to form the Doshas, or constitutions : Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Every individual is born with a unique constitution (Prakriti), which takes form at the time of conception and is determined by the specific ratio of the five elements within them.
According to Ayurveda, an individual is in good health when their Doshas (the elements) are in balance and functioning harmoniously. It also places a strong emphasis on healthy digestion and bodily tissues, and bringing the mind, the senses, and the soul into a content and peaceful state.
And it is not just about prescribing medicine once one has already become ill - but living in such a way that actually prevents illnesses from taking root in the first place.
Vata is a combination or Air + Ether, Pitta is Fire + Water and Kapha is Earth + Water
WHY AYURVEDA IN POSTPARTUM?
In addition to your individual Prakriti, as you move through different stages and cycles of Life, different Doshas predominate. Postpartum is one of those times when there is a dramatic shift in the elements. After birth, with the loss of Earth (baby and placenta leaving the womb), Water (amniotic fluid, blood, other bodily fluids), and Fire (through sweat, digestive depletion), there is a lot of open space left - which significantly heightens Vata dosha (the AIR and ETHER elements).
This increase in Vata affects every mother after birth, regardless of their unique Prakriti. Therefore, the main focus of Ayurvedic postpartum care is to restore balance by pacifying Vata. In general, this is achieved by bringing in qualities such as warmth, nourishment, oil/lubrication, peace + calm, routine, and grounded support.
I’ll dive deeper into how we do this in upcoming blog posts, but to give you a taste, think things like: warm, comforting soups, stews and snacks, hydrating herbal elixirs and teas, warm oil massages, soothing sitz baths and vaginal steams, and so much more!
SACRED BODY TIME
Beyond balancing Vata, Ayurveda views the postpartum period as a "Kayakalpa," or sacred ‘body time’. Many other cultures and traditions share this perspective—for example, Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to this period as "Zuo Yuezi," or "The Gateway", and in Mexico it’s the ‘Cuarentena’ which literally translates as ‘quarantine’.
Universally these traditions emphasize a time period of about 40 days (42 in Ayurveda)- for retreat, rest and recovery after birth. Often referred to as a ‘Sacred Window’ - it is a profound threshold between one way of being and an entirely new existence, during which an immense opportunity for healing, growth, and rejuvenation is present - IF the mother is tended to with intentional care that nourishes the body, mind, senses, and emotions.
Ayurveda teaches that choices made during the SACRED WINDOW will have long-lasting effects, influencing health and vitality for decades to come. This wisdom is captured in the saying: "42 days for 42 years," highlighting the significance of postpartum care in laying the foundation for lifelong well-being - all the way through menopause and beyond.
As a Postpartum Caregiver, these are some of the principles that inform the holistic support that I provide. We will discuss this at length in our prenatal preparation visits, determine what your unique Doshic constitution is, and create a postpartum plan that is tailored just for you.
Reach out to me HERE is you’d like to schedule a FREE consultation!
Learn more about my Postpartum Support Packages HERE
And keep an eye out for upcoming posts where I’ll be sharing more about the Pillars of Sacred Postpartum Care.
I recognize that Ayurvedic wisdom is drawn from a tradition and culture that is not mine, yet it offers timeless wisdom that may not be directly accessible to many of us within the culture we live in. In the words of one of my teachers Christine Eck - with Ayurvedic Postpartum care “We do not seek to place any tradition onto anyone, but merely to observe nature within, and adjust our care to help postpartum people feel happier and stronger.” And in doing so, we also give gratitude and deep respect to the cultures from where this wisdom emerged.