Having a cesarean is not what many chose to have when they are pregnant. Of course there are some who perceive it as a safer option, others are advised later on in their pregnancy that it is their best option, while for some it is an emergency outcome for them. Whatever the reason, it is a surgical procedure where the healing can be greatly enhanced by natural medicine.

The 5 top naturopathic tips to help recovery from a cesarean.

1. Be aware your body has had major surgery and rest as much as you can after the birth. Call in help if you can so you can speed your recovery.

2. Eat very nourishing foods that include good serves of protein at least 3 times a day and lots of vegetables.

3. Have warming foods such as soups, stews, stir-fries, and oven-baked vegetables. The abdomen can become very cold and slow to heal after the surgery and ice cream, cold drinks and lots of salads will delay the healing. Add lots of ginger and turmeric to your foods too, as these are very warming herbs.

4. Talk to your practitioner about wonderful herbs that will help the healing of the scar and reduce the risk of infection. Also Vit C and particularly zinc are wonderful nutrients to help with the healing process.

5. Sometimes the cesarean is quite a traumatic outcome for the mother and this can impact on her sleep, her bonding with her baby and her whole nervous system. There are some very safe herbs that can be taken even while breast-feeding that will help the mother relax and cope.

How acupuncture and Chines medicine can help your recovery from a cesarean:

When a cesarean is performed it cuts through some of the energy channels know as meridians in the body. The four main channels that run through the abdomen are the kidney, Liver, Spleen and what is known as the conception vessel. Really the scar we can see is only the tip of the iceberg and a lot needs to be done to make sure the meridians are flowing well again. Acupuncture and moxa (the burning of the herb mugwort) can greatly assist in getting the flow of energy back into the abdominal area. This helps to prevent adhesions forming and assist in all the local organs functions to full capacity.

From a Chinese medicine perspective childbirth itself causes a woman to be blood deficient if not looked after well. Having a cesarean increases the degree of blood deficiency which means she can become weak, prone to infections, may have poor milk supply etc. so it is important to make sure appropriate herbs are given to build the blood and energy in the new mother. Warming nutritious foods as mentioned before also assist with this.

It is also thought that surgery can disturb the spirit of a new mother and once again acupuncture can help to balance the energies in the Mum.