Welcome to the Postpartum University podcast where we support you and your provider in understanding the science, the art, and the sacredness of healing after birth. I'm Maranda Bower, your host, your Postpartum Nutrition Specialist, and homesteading mom with four wild kids. It's time to get you the holistic, whole-body healing that works.
Hello. Welcome to the Postpartum University podcast. I'm Maranda here, and I'm going to be answering a really common question that I get all the time. I'm telling you, I get this question several times a week in my inbox, and I thought, "You know what? It's about time that I go ahead and create a podcast episode on this." Because my responses I have found tend to be really lengthy. I apologize in advance. I do my absolute best to give you all of the information and details, which I know for so many of you that can feel really, really overwhelming. If that was you, I apologize in advance. I am creating a podcast episode just for you because I know that if you're asking the question, other people are wanting to ask it too.
Here's the question I'm getting. "If I'm not feeling well, or if I feel like things are starting to spiral, what do I do? Where do I go? Where do I even begin?" Because the reality is there is so much in our world right now that feels very chaotic and confusing. There's so much out there in regard to what we should eat, what we should need, how we should exercise, what to take in regards to herbs, what not to ever take in regards to herbs. There's so many contradictory pieces of information, and it's really difficult to sort and sift through all of that, especially when the majority of that information is not taking into account the physiological and psychological changes that happen within a mother.
And so when we start looking at what that means, these psychological and physiological shifts that take place, and we start piecing together the puzzle, we know that about 90% of what is available out there is not very supportive. As a matter of fact, most of the information out there isn't really for your benefit anyway. A lot of moms don't even search for things on how to heal their body. They're searching for things on how do I help my milk come in for my baby? How do I make sure that my body is losing weight or I'm getting back on track so that I can look my best for someone else? It's never about us. And we need to have that conversation. We need to shift that.
So if you're here, and you are wanting to know how do I take control over my health and my needs, i.e., how to take control over your health and your needs, you're in the right place. And we're going to do that while simultaneously taking care of your mental health, your physical health, all of those components, and your baby's health. Because I will tell you, when you take care of yourself, you are simultaneously taking care of your baby's needs as well. It's not the other way around. We can do all of the research and take care of our babies in the best way possible. But many of those ways in which we are taking care of our babies are pulling from our own health and well-being. And it's time to reverse this and focus on mom's health so that we not only get our needs met, but we also meet the needs of our baby and our family.
So here's my five-step recommendation on how to begin when you start not feeling well in the postpartum period. The first is to take a deep breath. We got you. You are not alone. I cannot tell you how many women go through this and it's a silent epidemic. So many of us don't say anything. So many of us see what's going on on Instagram or Facebook and we see those amazing posts and we think the world must be a great place for so many. I will tell you that many of those accounts are some of my personal clients where they are really fit but their mental health is falling apart. Or they are someone who is an advocate for child development but really in reality they feel like they are a loose cannon and are completely out of control in front of their children. There is two sides to every story. Everyone has two stories. So I will tell you that you are not alone and sometimes those people who look like they have it all together, they truly don't. They're falling apart just like you are. I have my moments too. I am not perfect. We all have something that we are going through. So take a deep breath.
Relax. We got you. You are not alone. This is not your fault. We don't teach women about how to heal their bodies after the birth of a baby and we don't talk about these things. It's like some secret club that you were not invited to until you are already in the throes of it and the only thing left is to complain and share your woes within other groups who only add to that. It's not really healing. That's just commiserating and that serves a purpose. Don't get me wrong but there is another side of this. So take a deep breath.
The second component is to really assess where you are. Take a step back for a second and look at where am I and what exactly am I feeling. I want you to take into account all of the emotional, spiritual, mental and physical needs that you currently have right now. And that can be really overwhelming. I totally get it. And so if you are in that place where you're feeling overwhelmed and you're like, "Oh my gosh, I don't even know where to begin. What kind of questions do I even ask myself?" Go to postpartum you the letter you dot com slash quiz.
And there is a two minute quiz on there. It has 30 questions, super simple. You just check yes, no, maybe, and go down the list. And it will tell you exactly what you need to know about what's happening in your body. And here's the reasons why we want to know, because it will help us, one, better understand where we are so we can get from point A, where we are, to point B, which is where we want to be.
If you're a birth and postpartum professional who wants to give the families you serve some solid holistic evidence-based information regarding nutrition, repletion, and nourishing your body after baby, this is for you. I have 18 beautiful pages in a handout form that is completely free, free full guide to nutrition completion, common misconceptions, supplement support, favorite recipes, 30 healthy and quick snacks, so many more. You can download your free collection with handouts at postpartum you that's the letter you dot com slash handouts.
And the other key component is understanding where we are and answering these questions and really taking notice is that so we can paint a bigger picture of okay what's really happening in our bodies because if we're only talking about the mental health and we're leaving out how we are feeling physically, maybe your tummy is always upset in the mornings, maybe you feel really gassy and bloated at night, or maybe you feel like you are beginning to increase in your incontinence, right? All of those play a massive role in your mental health. And so if we're not looking at all of these components, we're missing part of the story. And we don't want to miss part of the story. We want whole body healing.
And so to help you with that, we need to understand all of these components. And the other thing that's really important about this is that when you have a long list of questions and you understand what's going on within your body, you are better able to advocate for your own needs. So when you go seek a provider, when you go seek some sort of help and support systems to be able to take in a sheet of paper in which I am giving you that says, here's what I'm feeling mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and all of these components, there is nothing left out. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to my provider and I have all of these long lists. I got to tell them about this and I got to tell them about that. And then I get into the office and I'm like, and I walk away, think, I know I should have told them something. And then as soon as we're done with the appointment, it all comes rushing in, I forgot to tell them about all of these other things. And they never asked.
So I want you to take a moment to really assess where you are, write it down, go to my website if you need to print off that quiz so that you have this for yourself. So you can take assessment and you can use this constantly to reassess where you are. So you can understand, "Hey, am I making progress?" Because I will tell you so often, we forget where we are in our own journey, we don't give ourselves credit for the healing that has taken place within us already.
And so I always recommend every couple of months, every three to six months, you reassess yourself, and you reassess yourself and celebrate your wins and take note of how far you have come, especially if you're applying this information. So take a deep breath, assess where you are. And then the third is take my free course. I'm going to drop the link in the show notes here for you. But I have a step-by-step plan for using nutrition, getting better sleep, vitamins and supplements, hormone balance and how you can bring all of that together in your life.
One of the key missing components to everything that I'm sharing and I mentioned it in the very beginning is information. We are overloaded with tons of information, many of which is not helpful and not supportive and not something that's even applicable to our modern life. We have young ones, we're chasing lots of little kids around the house, many of us work full-time jobs on top of dealing with home life and family life and all of the things in between. We need realistic, helpful, supportive, actionable items that we can do in our own lives to really support healing. What's going to help you the most? What's going to help you find the root and address the root of your physiological and psychological changes? Again, those normal changes that occur in postpartum that have not been supported. How do we get to the root of those things and support them in the way in which they need? So we make the biggest shift, the biggest change. So if you're looking for information that's going to be helpful to you, I have that. It's completely free. It's an entirely free course. It's called the postpartum recovery course and that link is going to be provided to you in the show notes. So take a look at that. Okay, information is key. So listen in, get the information that you need and then here's the fourth step. Find your support team and start doing the work.
This is the hardest part, I will tell you, it is the absolute hardest part. Because we are busy, we are inundated, and we are overwhelmed with all of the things that we have to do. And then we're going to add in healing our own body on top of it, it feels ridiculously out of reach. And I will tell you that, again, being the hardest part, this is why support team comes in. I don't care if your support team is your doctor, and your counselor, and your best friend. That's, that's an, that's a beautiful support team, whatever it is, find people, and, and professionals that can support you and your healing goals. What is it that you want to accomplish? What do you need to do? Get the information and then find the people who are going to help you through that process. Okay, I will tell you, you can create all of the excuses as to why you can't do this. Your kids need you, you can't show up for a shower or a solo bathroom trip. Because your kids need you every two seconds. And that might be true, but it's time to shift that and you absolutely can do that because it's no longer okay. It's no longer acceptable for you to be in a position where this is your reality. I will tell you, I see this so often that a mama will tell me, you know what, I meant to message you, but I couldn't even step away for five minutes. And I asked them, well, I bet you your partner had an opportunity to go use the bathroom for 20 minutes. Was that not accurate? And they would be like, oh my gosh, every day. Well, guess what, mama, you can do the exact same thing. There is absolutely no reason why you can't go take a 20 minute dump and actually just take a second for yourself while you're sitting there, right? Take a lesson from your partner. They know what it means to get the mental break and they take it for themselves. We don't need to resent them for it. We need to emulate it and do exactly what it is that they're doing. And I understand sometimes that's not feasible. I was a single mom. I get it. But again, whatever it is that you need to do, it is possible for you. Believe it is and make those adjustments. Train your kids. You can do that. And I say train your kids because I have made it a mission in my life that my kids understand my needs for my privacy time. I have four children right now. They are 13, 8, 6, and 3. And when I need time away, my kids absolutely know that it's mom's time.
If I have to step away from the room for 20 minutes to collect myself, they understand what that means and they give that to me because I have taught them about that importance for myself and also for them. So take what you need from that. And I hope that maybe sparks some ideas for you. And again, there's more in the postpartum recovery course for you, but find your support team. Figure out those people who are going to give you that time and that space so that you can do this. And remember, this is hard because you're not just healing yourself. You're healing the generations before you and the generations in front of you. That's hard work. Here's another extra bonus. Connect into the postpartum circle Facebook group for more. If you've got questions, if you want to dive deep into something, let us know. We are totally here for you and I am happy to do little trainings. Again, I get emails in my inbox all of the time asking for information, and I'm happy to give that for you as best as I can.
I hope this was helpful for you, and I can't wait to see your questions and responses in the Postpartum Circle group. We'll see you there. Love this episode. Let us know by leaving an amazing review. Your support is everything. Want more? Head over to postpartumu.com. That's postpartum, the letter u .com, and explore how we support moms like you in holistic, whole-body healing that's specific for the unique needs of mamas in the years postpartum. See you there.