EP 138 The Healing Power of Warmth in Postpartum Recovery

Warmth in postpartum is slowly but surely starting to get the recognition it deserves as a healing practice. 

Let’s talk about what it means in the realm of postpartum and why it’s a powerful physical and emotional practice mothers and care providers should be using. 

In this episode, we're talking about:

• The common misconceptions around using warmth as a postpartum healing practice and the cultural background of this ancient tradition. 
• The physiological benefits as far as physical recovery after childbirth. 
• What science tells us about why heat therapy should be a postpartum necessity. 
• Different types of warmth practices and the ways you can implement them. 

Listen in to learn how heat therapy, rooted in ancient traditions and supported by science holds immense promise for enhancing postpartum well-being.

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Chapters

• 0:02 Healing With Warmth in Postpartum Care
• 17:45 Heat Therapy in Postpartum Care

Transcript

Depression, anxiety, and autoimmune symptoms after birth is not how it's supposed to be. There is a much better way, and I'm here to show you how to do just that. Hey, my friend, I'm Maranda Bower, a mother to four kids and a biology student turned scientist obsessed with changing the world through postpartum care. Join us as we talk to mothers and the providers who serve them and getting evidence-based information that actually supports the mind, body, and soul in the years after birth.

Hey, hey, everyone. Maranda Bower here with Postpartum University and I just got done doing a 90-minute training for our professional members on the topic of warmth as medicine for postpartum healing, and this is one of the questions that I get so frequently asked, especially on social media.

It causes quite a bit of controversy because what we understand to be true in terms of healthcare and what we see in the traditional practices and cultural practices doesn't necessarily translate to modern science, and I am going to bust that myth right here and right now in this podcast episode.

Normally when I do a training for my professional members, I'll take a little snippet of our training and I will share that with you on the podcast.

I want to tell you that training was so adept and there were so many different components that I just don't think it would be doing the conversation justice, and so I am going to share with you a couple of pieces that were in the training that I think is relevant here and it's going to bust some of those myths for you and really kind of open the conversation for further investigation, really not only just give you some key pointers of why healing with warmth and postpartum is a necessity, but also some strategies on how you can do it.

If you want to take that even further, I highly, highly, highly recommend you do so, because this conversation goes real deep.

I did this training to help us understand warming practices in the postpartum period from a cultural and scientific point of view and really to learn ways in which we can use warming practices to support healing for ourselves and for our clients.

The concept of warmth as medicine revolves around the idea that heat and warmth have this innate capacity to heal.

When we discuss warmth and postpartum care, we're not only referring to the physical feeling of warmth, whether it be through the foods that we're ingesting, through a warm blanket that just got out of the dryer from a heat pack, or a warm bath, but also the emotional aspects of healing the way that it changes serotonin levels, the way that it supports oxytocin.

Also, the way that we just feel within our bodies when we have a feeling of warmth not too warm, but just warmth within our bodies.

In the realm of postpartum care, warmth is more than just that sensation of comfort. 
It's truly a powerful healing tool that encompasses physical, emotional, and cultural dimensions. 

And it recognizes this capacity of warmth, whether internal or external within our body, is a tool to aid us in this journey through recovery.

Cultural Perceptions Of Warmth and Traditional Practices

I noticed that multiple controversies revolve around using warmth in the postpartum period.

We have this cultural perception and relevance that's really important in this controversy. It's that warming practices and postpartum are a global phenomenon. They are deeply rooted in diverse cultural traditions.

However, the debate revolves around this perceived relevance of some of these age-old customs in the modern context.

They were derived in practices that are no longer necessary because we have the technology in today's world because we have warm water that comes from clean faucets and we have air conditioners or we have heating units and we have clothes and all of these things and we don't necessarily need that anymore.

We don't need warming practices that were maybe necessary long ago and why they were developed in the cultural sense.

This challenge to their relevance highlights the need to critically assess and adapt to warming practices to align with these unique periods of the postpartum woman in the present day, and I think that speaks volumes in and of itself.

Also, this recognition that there is a thread that we've through this human experience within the postpartum period that has connected women from every corner of the world and sharing a basic understanding that warmth holds the power to heal and nurture, no matter what it was that was developed or why these, these healing practices emerged.

There is a truth here that we can't just negate or throw off to the side because we think it's no longer relevant.

The point is that it still holds relevancy, even though it might be easier for us to obtain in our modern world. There's this wisdom and understanding that warmth in postpartum is so important and it's been passed down through the generations, and to not pay attention is to truly underscore a fundamental truth that warmth is a vital component of recovery and well being during this delicate phase of a woman's life and even if we have the technology now to address that doesn't mean that we should therefore ignore it or pre you know it doesn't. It's not a necessity anymore, it still is.

It's still an important part of the postpartum experience and healing overall. So that's a huge controversy.

Scientific Evidence of Warmth as a Healing Tool

And the other is of course, that the healing power of warmth doesn't have any scientific validation whatsoever.

So we have this wealth of anecdotal evidence and cultural practices, but scientific research on the direct effects of warmth on postpartum healing is nonexistent.

Here's where I'm going to come in and just rip that to shreds.

We understand, especially in the medical complex. In the medical world we apply heat therapy all the time, but we never apply it to postpartum because apparently postpartum is just a different thing and nobody wants to talk about it or address it or use common sense to apply it.

We already understand this in terms of human physiology, particularly our unique endothermic nature. We are endothermic beings.

We have the ability to regulate our internal body temperature. It's a hallmark of mammals. This is like Bio 101. It really sets us apart from creatures whose temperature depends on the external environment. It's a biological necessity for optimal cell processes, physiological functions and all of these things.

For our bodies to work very well as humans, we need a consistent body temperature, which hovers right around 98.6. It varies slightly, but that is the average temperature.

During the postpartum period, the body is in a state of recovery and high energy expenditure. It is exerting a lot of energy to heal our body and the nervous system and the metabolic rate slow so it can focus on healing and that all of the changes that are taking place stop the blood flow, hormone release, breastfeeding there's so much happening. 

When you are providing warmth, you are essentially helping the postpartum mom not have to put so much energy toward keeping her body warm so her body can focus on the critical healing that's necessary. Heat therapy in postpartum is truly a physiological necessity. 

We are helping preserve our body's energy, what it's going to use, what it's going to do to continue keeping our body at a consistent temperature. If we're able to provide that for our body, our bodies don't have to work so hard. 

That energy that is so necessary in the postpartum period can go into healing so that you can heal faster. 

Become a postpartum university professional. Our evidence-based trainings, guides, downloads, tools and community membership is now open for applications. Join us as we learn, connect and implement better care practices for ourselves and for our clients we serve. You can learn more at postpartumU, the letter U dot com slash membership.

Physiological Benefits of Warmth in Postpartum

And then there's this topic of blood flow, the body's natural transportation system.

It is central to postpartum recovery and it includes the healing of the uterus, the perineum and all of that, and for cesarean moms it's extensively more. And that warmth induces what we call vasodilation. It's the expanding of blood vessels that leads to increased circulation that efficiently delivers essential components needed for tissue regeneration and recovery so that improved blood flow supports the body's defense against infections.

It acts as a natural pain reliever, and all of that is contributing to better healing. As a matter of fact, vasodilation is crucial to stop bleeding. Not only with uterine contractions, but in general wound healing and inflammatory processes. It is a necessary component. You cannot heal without it.

So if you don't have vasodilation, if you have vasoconstriction, you're going to take a lot longer to heal, if at all. Actually, you just continue to bleed.

You need blood flow, significant blood flow, to stop bleeding.

So the idea that we're just going to bleed out more if we apply heat because we're opening up the blood vessels is so far from the truth. It's actually the opposite. Unless you're hemorrhaging which this is not applicable to because that becomes a medical emergency.

Healing with vasodilation, ie heat therapy that helps expand the veins within your body to help bring more blood flow, to bring clotting properties, to help with inflammation and fighting bacteria and delivering nutrients and oxygen.

All of those things are the necessary components to heal the body and stop bleeding.

So when we provide warmth, we support a faster healing process as well as help the body conserve energy or use that energy to support additional healing.

We all know the one thing postpartum mamas need more of is energy, and you certainly don't want to waste energy trying to keep your body warm or even trying to digest foods, which is why warming foods and spices and teas are also provided in postpartum because they keep the core temperature of your body up to a healthy range and it supports digestion, which in turn helps with getting mamas more nutrients in our body, which translates to you guessed it more energy.

So there's so much more that I could cover and I do cover in the special training called Warmth as Medicine for Postpartum Healing in my professional membership.

If this is something that you want to cover even more deeply. We get into inflammation, we get into hormone release, breastfeeding what supports this we get into pain reduction and the overall feeling good and so many different other components.

If you'd like to do that, I highly recommend come join us in the postpartum university pro membership.

Not only do you get this training, you get a wealth of trainings veganism and vegetarianism in postpartum. 
Learn about eczema and maternal health and how that infects our infants, skin and microbiome. There's so many other conversations that we are having in there. Highly recommend you come join us for that.

Anyway, I want to talk about really quickly a couple of things in summary.

Postpartum care, postpartum warming practices, heat therapy is firmly grounded in scientific principle and the dynamics of human physiology. 

It enhances blood flow, it promotes nutrient delivery, mitigates inflammation, and relaxes muscles and these physiological effects synergistically support the body's natural mechanisms for tissue repair, and overall recuperation, making warmth a fundamental aspect of postpartum healing and an integral part of modern medical practices. 

We see it being used all the time in hospital settings for wound care and for reduction of pain and pain management. Yet we somehow believe, because a study doesn't explicitly say that postpartum it is not beneficial, it's just absolutely crazy talk. Of course there's no studies on postpartum.

It's really hard to do for one to create a study around postpartum because it involves a lot of ethical concerns with mom and baby and breastfeeding and all of those intricacies and there's just no money behind it.

There's no money behind telling a mama to have a heat pack or warm a blanket in the dryer. It doesn't come in pill form. Why in the world would somebody invest so much money on creating a solid, amazing study that says warming practices and postpartum are really good for you? It's not going to happen.

It's not going to happen in our lifetime at least.

So we really need to rely on the other information that we have readily available at our fingertips that we see consistently being used throughout modern world.

As well as cultural practices, this is one of the few, if I didn't mention this earlier, postpartum warming practices are one of the few universal practices that are absolutely practiced across the world, universally, right?

I think that needs to speak volumes for itself, just in itself, and then the recognition of that. There is a lot of modernness in here as well.

I also see some other controversial issues coming up that there are safety concerns, that we can't use heat therapy because what if it harms us? And maybe if there's an electric blanket that's being used on mom and baby and mom and baby fall asleep and that heat just keeps generating and causing problems? Yeah, that could be a big deal.

If there's hemorrhaging, obviously we shouldn't use it. If it's 100 degrees outside and there's no AC and mom is struggling with keeping her temperature in a decent spot, providing heat is not going to be beneficial in the least bit. So of course common sense is to be used here.

But to say that it's harmful in any way is just hogwash.

The other controversy that I hear so many people say well, it's like I can't even fathom using heat therapy and postpartum because it is 100 degrees Fahrenheit where I live or some other crazy intense number that is really big, because here in Alaska we don't get that.

And what I say to that is that you already live with a built-in heating system. There's no reason whatsoever to apply a ton of heating therapies. If you are already in a heat-driven space, you're already given heat therapy whether you like it or not. So, okay, I'm getting off topic here.

We've covered a lot of the why this is beneficial and we have so much research and support on this topic. So this seriousness of modern medicine using heat therapy for so many circumstances and applying this to postpartum and recognizing some of the controversies at play and that those are just not based in logical science anymore, like we have the proof here and I'm showing that.

Now that we have that now you have some of the basics I want to give you a little bit on the application of this as a provider or as a mom. 

How to Use Warmth in Postpartum as a Care Practice

We have both internal and external heat therapies. They have been used complimentary throughout cultures and traditions around the world and it's really a choice between them depending on the individual's needs and preferences.

The internal heat is derived from warm foods and beverages and that helps raise the core body temperature, which can be especially comforting and nourishing and aids in digestion. It supports the body and maintaining that natural warmth.

External heat practices, such as warm rooms or heat packs, baths, localized comfort, relaxation kind of pieces. They help alleviate muscle tension, they prevent sleep better sleep, relieve discomfort in specific areas like the low back or the perineum, and so those are some techniques that you could use.

Some other ones that are just amazing are massage oils, steam inhalation, infrared heat therapy.

Moxibustion is a really common practice.

There are so many different things that one can do to incorporate heat on the regular, and this isn't something that you have to do just in postpartum although I talk about postpartum here and that this is like the whole you know bringing this into postpartum care.

What we also know is that it is so healing outside of postpartum care, and I use heat therapy all the time. I have an infrared heat therapy lamp.

I use a heat pack compress all the time. I absolutely love it, and my kids do too. They all have their own little heat packs. That helps them go to sleep at night. They always put it on their little tummies or they put it on their upper back next to their neck and they just they love it.

It helps them fall asleep, it helps them relax, and I use the same they take after me. What can I say?

What we need to realize is that there is such comfort in here and in itself speaks so much volume, and another important conversation to be had here is that this is not about increasing body temperature, which is something I often hear about in postpartum.

This is about maintaining optimal temperature for energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency, warming practices can help maintain that stable and comfortable temperature, even in warmer climates, and help with overall feeling of well-being and recovery.

So, in closing, postpartum care, we know, is the sacred time of healing and transformation for mothers, and the utilization of heat therapy, which is rooted in ancient traditions and supported by science, physiology, metabolism and healing, it holds an immense promise to enhancing postpartum well-being. 

Embrace warmth as medicine. Not only does it align with these cultural practices that have transcended centuries, but also it truly does draw from the depths of scientific understanding of the human body and its remarkable capacity to heal, conserve energy and to nurture itself.

I know science does not always have the immediate answers for every aspect of these practices, but it does offer insights into the underlying principles that support the effectiveness of heat and postpartum, and I think that in and of itself is significant.

Everything that I've shared with you here there truly is a synergy between tradition and science and postpartum care.

It is a testament to the power of holistic wellness that we could use both and support our bodies immensely.

I would love to hear your stories.

How has heat therapy supported you and your, or maybe even your clients in healing?

Come to us on Instagram, if you're not already following us there, and let's have a conversation there.

We're going to have a post and I want to hear your stories of what has supported you.

Have you noticed the difference in heat therapy, or maybe you've noticed it in your clients? 

We'd love to hear from you.

I am so grateful you turned into the Postpartum University podcast. We hope you enjoyed this episode enough to leave us a quick review and, more importantly, I hope more than ever that you take what you've learned here, apply it to your own life, and consider joining us in the Postpartum University membership. It's a private space where mothers and providers learn the real truth and the real tools needed to heal in the years to come and the real tools needed to heal in the years Postpartum. You can learn more at www.postpartumu. That's the letter U.com. We'll see you next week.