The Principle of Building during the Childbearing
Years
Wisdom Traditions in Nutrition for Woman from Moontime to Menopause
The “principle of rebuilding” is an important facet of women`s health, especially for
women of childbearing age (as well as to any woman who has given birth at some point
in her life!).
Understanding this principle can prevent future health problems for women, even years
after they are done having children. This knowledge can be used to fortify a woman`s
potential for optimal health.
Attending conscientiously to `rebuilding` or fortifying our health as women, is to
increase the likelihood of having healthy fertility, an enjoyable pregnancy, an easeful
birth without complications, as well as a healthy baby with a strong constitution (having
one’s health built on a solid foundation). In addition, cultivating optimal health during
the childbearing years can go a long way toward creating a smooth transition into
menopause.
The “principle of rebuilding” during the childbearing years acknowledges that as woman
we are always giving up of our own tissues. We are literally using the material of our
own bodies to build the tissue of an organ (our womb) or the body of a child each and
every month.
We do this month after month, year after year; from our first menstruation to
menopause. Because of this, we need to give back to our own bodies on the nutritional
level, as much as we need to attend to carving out time to replenish our emotional,
spiritual and social selves etc.
Because each cell and organ of our body is built by the nutrients we consume, we must
ensure that we maintain an adequate supply to meet the demand, if we are to achieve
and sustain optimal health. Many woman live their lives in a state of constant state of
anxiety, overwhelm and exhaustion because they are not aware that they are
nutritionally depleted.
© 2013 Nourish Mama. All rights reserved. Certified Nutritional Wisdom for the Childbearing Years® Practitioner
Little do they know how stable and energized they could feel if only they had the
minerals and adequate fats needed to stabilize their nervous system.
Moontime
During menstruation (which I like to call “moontime”) we build up our uterine lining and
then we release these new tissues as menstrual blood. Not only does it take extra
nutritional reserves to build a home for our potential womb baby each month, but then
we give up even more of our reserves by bleeding later, to let the tissues be eliminated
when we do not become pregnant.
Childbearing
Being pregnant, giving birth and nursing our young ones can also be a very depleting
time in a woman`s life on all levels. Especially in industrial societies where woman are
expected to shoulder childrearing and domestic duties without other woman
community and family to share in the tasks of each day.
Beyond the fact that mothers are often overwhelmed, they are also overtaxed
nutritionally and overburdened by toxicity, especially if they live on the Standard North
American diet (otherwise known as SAD-a diet that is predominantly processed, low fat
and high in refined sugar).
Other woman find themselves at risk for deficiency because they have restrictions in
their diet, whether from overtaxed digestion leading to food sensitivities, self imposed
limitations, or fear of fat and calories etc.
In general, few women realize the importance of making space and time to consciously
consider how they can rebuild and restore their health, as part of on-going self care.
Fertility and Conception
Many women struggling with infertility are unaware that fertility problems are more
often indicative of an overall health imbalance, rather than a structural problem. A more
empowering perspective is to address the overall health of the body, with special
attention to reproductive health as preparation for conception.
© 2013 Nourish Mama. All rights reserved. Certified Nutritional Wisdom for the Childbearing Years® Practitioner
Since the mother and father’s health at the time of conception creates and sustains the
child’s constitution (basis of health), we want to take special care during pre-conception
and pregnancy to give our children the best raw materials possible to build the very
tissues that their bodies arise from.
If you are struggling with fertility, and you do not have a structural problem, then
consider that your body is using an innate intelligence to not conceive for the purposes
of asking you to wait until your overall health is improved, to the benefit of both your
own and your baby’s well-being.
In cultures such as Ayurveda, these special opportunities in a woman’s life to revitalize
and restore health are recognized and accounted for throughout a woman’s rites of
passage. These include cleansing and building rituals in preparation for conception for
both the mother and the father, as well as special attention given to restoring or
rebuilding mother`s nutritional stores after birth. This care is provided by the family and
community through nourishing food, rest and massage with oils intended to replenish
lost oil and moisture.
Special Nutrition for any Woman Who Has Ever Given Birth- No Matter How Long Ago
Because our bodies will give up our own stores of essential fats and minerals to ensure
that baby is provided for, the gestation period and nursing duration tend to have a
drying effect on the mother, and thus advances premature aging if not attended to.
Typically a woman will be depleted of essential fats and minerals, which can predispose
her to a susceptibility to nervous conditions, depression and exhaustion. “Chronic
deficiencies originating during this critical time period may also explain why women
tend to experience far more depression, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and autoimmune
disease than men.”
Women who have long since raised children can also benefit from the “principle of
rebuilding". If you have older children or are already a Grandma, you too can benefit
from taking some time to pay special attention to optimizing your fat and mineral
stores to improve on your health now. In addition, this is an important time to attend to
mineral stores in prevention of osteoporosis and a time to support to detoxification
pathways to prevent menopausal difficulties such as hot flashes.
© 2013 Nourish Mama. All rights reserved. Certified Nutritional Wisdom for the Childbearing Years® Practitioner
If you are planning to have children (or more children someday), or are currently
pregnant now, you can ensure that the childbearing years will be much less taxing on all
of your reserves: nutritionally, emotionally and other wise, by optimizing your
consumption and storage of essential fats and minerals.
Reference:
Pregnancy Brain May be First Sign of EFA Deficiency During Childbearing Years
http://www.naturalnews.com/028391_pregnancy_nutrition.html
© 2013 Nourish Mama. All rights reserved. Certified Nutritional Wisdom for the Childbearing Years® Practitioner