Congratulations on your Journey into Motherhood! My name is Jessica Bogosoff and I am a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, and a Reiki Master Healer. I have previously worked in childcare for over 10 years and although I have no children of my own, I have the privilege of being very closely involved in my niece’s life. I have observed my sister take on challenges while entering motherhood.

I thought it would be helpful to share some suggestions for new moms who may want to incorporate holistic daily practices into their lives. With every suggestion I make I want to come from a place of safety and support. Incorporating holistic habits into the journey of motherhood can help you create a healthy foundation for both yourself and baby. 

What does holistic mean? Holistic healing focuses not only on the physical body, but the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of healing as a whole. There is no one particular way of recovery, it is a step-by-step process of going through layers of the self.

My own personal health journey began with focusing on the physical body. I always like to start with nourishing my body with what it needs to function optimally, so that I can focus my well being in other areas.

Here are some suggestions that you can use to encourage a healthy physical body:

 1) NOURISHMENT

Making time to eat can be quite challenging to navigate in-between holding, rocking, feeding, changing, and entertaining your sweet little one. Begin by understanding which nutrients will best support you during this transition and focus on these main foods while you recover. Simple food choices with the right nutrients can keep you and your newborn nourished. Gut health is closely connected with how our brains are able to function and can determine our energy levels as well as our ability to focus. Here are my top suggestions for new moms when it comes to nourishment:

 Healthy Fats:

• Healthy fats can be very beneficial to new moms because they help to keep you fuller for longer, support brain health, and help to lower inflammation in the body.

• Eating healthy fats can benefit your baby's development and support their nervous system as well as your own.

• Healthy fats include foods such as nuts, seeds, avocado, fish, and bone broths.

An easy way to get fats in is to keep nuts and seeds on hand to add to different meals. For example, I like to add in pumpkin seeds, pecans or walnuts into my salads. It’s even great just to have some on hand to snack on and eat right away without having to worry about preparation. One easy recipe I loved making for my sister postpartum is chia seed pudding. It’s basically just chia seeds, and any non-dairy milk of your choice (nut, coconut etc). You can also add vanilla or any fruit, nuts or seeds that you wish to make it more filling, nutrient dense and flavorful. Here is a link to what my chia seed jars look like: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-LNRZggd81/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Chia seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Coconut milk is also a great source of healthy fats like medium chain triglycerides.

Antioxidants:

• Antioxidants such as Vitamin C help to support the immune and nervous systems by protecting the body from oxidative stress, which means less stress to the body and better sleep.

• Nourishing with an antioxidant rich diet helps produce nutrient dense breast milk for baby

 To ensure you’re getting enough antioxidants into your diet, I suggest keeping a variety of easy to eat fruits and vegetables around the house. Some recommendations are apples, berries, bananas, oranges, carrots, and cucumbers. Prepare them ahead of time so they are readily available for you to eat when you need a quick snack. Other ways to incorporate antioxidants is to add leafy greens such as kale or spinach into your meals. Leafy greens are rich in vitamin C and K, and can be a great addition to your scrambled eggs, soups, stews, meat dishes, and pasta dishes. 

 Iron:

• Iron deficiency after giving birth is quite common which can affect energy levels dramatically.

• Iron deficiency can have adverse effects on the nervous system https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17660705/

• Iron supports neurological development in infants

• Nourishing with iron can improve sleep and decrease levels of exhaustion

There are two types of iron sources - heme and non-heme. Beef, liver, chicken, and fish are all great sources of heme iron, which is found only in meat sources. Non-heme iron which is found in plant sources, includes foods such as beans, fortified cereal, spinach, and even dark chocolate. Eating non-heme iron with vitamin C increases the absorption of iron into the body. I suggest preparing meals that include both plant sources of vitamin C, and meat or beans for iron to increase absorption. A dish I like to make that includes both is one of my favorites - taco bowls! I use grass-fed ground beef, beans and a variety of vitamin C rich vegetables such as bell peppers, and leafy greens. It’s simple to make and is great for leftovers.  

 

  2) BREATHWORK

An important part of having a healthy physical body is having a healthy nervous system. The nervous system is responsible for how well we handle stress. Creating healthy habits that support the nervous system can be beneficial for our emotional and mental wellbeing as well. Many changes might be felt throughout the body during the transition into motherhood. It’s perfectly normal to feel how you do. Hormones play a big role in manipulating emotions, and during postpartum hormones such as estrogen and progesterone decrease dramatically. This dramatic drop can contribute to the “baby blues” or anxiety, depression, and mood swings. Supporting the nervous system is not only helpful with nutrition but using simple techniques to regulate the nervous system can help you to cope as your body adjusts. 

 

Breathwork:

• Breathing directly and indirectly impacts both our parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6070065/

• Breathwork increases oxygen flow to the body, which is beneficial for the circulatory system and can help increase energy levels

 Here is a simple breathwork practice you can work on anywhere and anytime:

 4-7-8

• Sit in a relaxed position and take a deep breath in for 4 seconds

• Hold your breath for a count of 7 seconds

• Exhale your breath while counting up to 8 seconds

• Repeat

That’s it! As simple as it might seem to do this exercise, it is very beneficial to the nervous system. Nurturing the nervous system can help to relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression, nervousness, help with sleep, and energy levels. 

 

3) HEALTHY CONNECTION

Creating connections with other moms is something that has been greatly beneficial for my sister during pregnancy as well as postpartum. I know for myself; a huge part of my health journey has been gathering and networking with like-minded women who support and understand me. Connection with other moms who are going through similar situations can be very helpful when support is needed. Here are a few ways to create connections with other moms:

• Prenatal groups: Look up different prenatal groups online, such as on facebook or google groups in your area

• Community baby drop in: Many community centers host drop-in times for mothers to gather and bring their babies to play. This is a perfect opportunity to mingle with other moms, and expose your child to socialization. (Even during COVID these groups are still accessible but with limited numbers and pre-registration beforehand is necessary)

• Art or music classes for babies: Search your area for programs you can bring your newborn to, classes are a great way to meet other moms and a fun bonding activity for you and your little one.

 

When it comes to the holistic health journey I believe there are many different paths that can be taken. Becoming a mother is a huge transition, but by supporting the nervous system, you can relieve some stress, and potentially increase energy levels. My gratitude, love and respect for mothers has exponentially grown since the birth of my niece. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for doing all that you do everyday - mothers are truly amazing!

Please feel free to follow me on instagram @plantspiritwellness for any additional lifestyle, recipe, and nutrition tips. My website www.plantspiritwellness.ca is currently under construction but will be launching very soon! I wish you all the best on your new journey and am so grateful to be able to share my recommendations with you.

 

• Jessica Bogosoff RHN, Reiki Master Healer