Postpartum (or postnatal) refers to the period after childbirth. Most often, the postpartum period is the first six to eight weeks after delivery, or until your body returns to its pre-pregnancy state. But the symptoms and changes that occur during the postpartum period can last far beyond eight weeks.
Symptoms experienced during post-partum:
- Soreness and pain in your perineum: This area stretches, and sometimes tears, during vaginal childbirth. Your entire perineal area may be sore, swollen and tender for weeks after childbirth.
- Lochia: vaginal bleeding after giving birth (even if you had a C-section). It begins red and tapers off to brown before it ends as a light brown discharge. This entire process can last up to six weeks.
- Uterus involution: The uterus shrinking back to its pre-pregnancy size, it can take up to six weeks, but it begins almost immediately after your baby is born.
- Breast engorgement and nipple pain: Swollen and painful breasts for at least a few days or longer (if you breastfeed).
- Night sweats: due to hormonal changes after birth
- Constipation and Hemorrhoids: epidural can slow down the bowels, pushing during delivery can cause hemorrhoids formation.
- C-section recovery: If you have stitches due to a C-section, your skin will take up to 10 days to heal.
- Hair loss: due to hormonal shifts
- Baby blues: feeling sad and teary after giving birth these symptoms diminish after few weeks
- Postpartum depression: This is a type of depression that causes extreme sadness and despair in the weeks and months after childbirth and continues for months
- Postpartum anxiety: it usually co-exists with post-partum depression, It can be accompanied by physical symptoms like losing sleep or heart palpitations.
Post partum complications that need medical intervention by your physician
- Post-partum hemorrhage: severe or excessive bleeding after childbirth. It’s a serious, potentially life-threatening condition. Signs are dizziness, feeling faint and an increase in heart rate.
- Post-partum preeclampsia: elevated blood pressure and blood protein in the urine, it can last up to 6 weeks after delivery.
- Deep vein Thrombosis: Blood cloth in the leg, needs immediate medical attention
- Pulmonary embolism: blood clot in the lungs
- Postpartum psychosis: This condition affects the sense of reality, causing hallucinations, delusions, paranoia or other behavior changes. In severe cases, people with PPP may attempt to harm themselves or their newborn
- Sepsis: It causes extensive inflammation throughout your body that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and even death.
Holistic postpartum care
Acupuncture, Moxibustion, herbal medicine and nutraceuticals can play essential roles in postpartum care. Our postpartum care includes treatments of the followings:
- Abdominal cramping and pain, promotes lochia discharge and uterine recovery: Wrist-ankle acupuncture reduces the degree of postpartum abdominal pain and promotes the lochia discharge and the uterine recovery. The effect mechanism may be related to the up-regulation of serum β-EP (beta endorphins) level and the increase of pain threshold so that analgesia is obtained.
- Anxiety/postpartum depression: in a study 85 women with postpartum depression were divided into two groups, one group received acupuncture and therapy, the other group received a SSRI medication. Acupuncture and therapy showed to be as effective as the SSRI with less side effects.
- Constipation : in Chinese Medicine, some herbs can tonify yin and blood and move the qi to restore peristalsis and improve constipation.
- Hemorrhoids: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can increase the expression of Fibulin-3 and 5(elastic fiber system that helps tissue structure), restore damaged elastic fibers in hemorrhoid tissues, and protect anal cushion tissue. TCM can reduce the level of MMPs (enzymes that break down extracellular matrix) , thereby reducing damage to anal cushion tissues and playing a therapeutic role in the treatment of hemorrhoids. TCM can treat hemorrhoids by inhibiting the level of NOS (nitrogen oxide synthase), which in turn relieves varicose veins, it can also inhibit formation of the new blood vessels in the affected area, TCM also can reduce local tissue damage by reducing inflammation.
- Excessive Vaginal bleeding and discharge: Studies have shown uterotonic herbs such as Motherwort, red raspberry leaf, Shepperd’s purse, Anethum graveolens (Dill) just to name a few are uterotonic that help with postpartum bleeding. In a study, 84 women with excessive postpartum bleeding were divided into two groups, one group only received carbetocin, the other group received carbetocin plus Chinese herbal formula Shenghua decoction. The results demonstrated significant improvements in blood loss and hemoglobin levels in the SHD (Shenghua decoction) treatment group compared to the control group
- Fatigue: acupuncture has been found effective in treating postpartum fatigue, including nutraceuticals will help to improve overall health and wellbeing.
- Hormonal balance: Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine has been shown to influence hormones.
- Insomnia: Acupuncture can reduce anxiety level and improve sleep quality, another study has shown that acupuncture can help improving sleep quality in postpartum and pregnant women by stimulating melatonin production.
- Insufficient lactation: Galactagogues are commonly used by herbalist to increase breast milk supply. Commonly used herbs include Fenugreek seeds, Moringa (Malunggay), Galega (Goat’s Rue), Shatavari. Consult with a trained herbalist before taking herbs to ensure safety.
- Mastitis: Topical use of herbs has shown to decrease lactational mastitis symptoms such as pain, breast tension and erythema.
Holistic Fertility & Pregnancy and Postpartum Support for Women in West Lafayette, Indiana
At Yarrow Holistic Center, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, we specialize in acupuncture, herbal medicine, and functional nutrition tailored for women navigating all stages of fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum wellness. Our holistic approach supports hormonal balance, reproductive health, and overall vitality.
We offer both in-person treatments and telehealth consultations, including personalized plans for herbal remedies, nutraceuticals, and functional nutrition therapy—designed to meet your unique needs wherever you are.
