Postpartum University® Podcast

Holistic Postpartum Nutrition Support: The Next Big Trend EP 177

• Maranda Bower, Postpartum Nutrition Specialist

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"Did you know that postpartum healing could be the key to mental health, energy, and long-term wellness for moms—and it starts with nutrition?"

Dive into the next big trend in postpartum care: nutrition support. Maranda Bower, founder of Postpartum University, reveals why postpartum nutrition is transforming the field and becoming essential for healing, mental health, and long-term wellness. This episode guides postpartum professionals on how to elevate their support by integrating holistic, functional nutrition. 

Discover how empowering moms with nutritional knowledge—not just prepped meals—can make all the difference in their postpartum recovery and family health. Whether you're a doula, lactation consultant, or healthcare provider, tune in to learn about the future of postpartum support.


Check out the episode on the blog: https://postpartumu.com/postpartum-nutrition-support-the-next-big-trend-ep-177/

KEY TIME STAMPS:

00:00: Introduction to the growing interest in postpartum nutrition support and Miranda’s 15-year journey in the field.

02:12: Exploring how the postpartum care industry is set to become a billion-dollar field by 2030, led by mothers who seek more comprehensive, holistic support.

05:33: The difference between meal delivery and true nutritional education that empowers mothers for lifelong health.

10:24: The limitations in current doula certification programs, focusing on chores over holistic mother care.

17:15: How providers can make nutritional support accessible and valuable to mothers across socio-economic backgrounds.

Exciting Announcement

Stay tuned until the end for an exclusive introduction to Postpartum University’s upcoming Postpartum Nutrition Certification Program. Developed from over a decade of dedicated study and hands-on experience, this program is designed to meet the growing demand for comprehensive nutritional guidance. Whether you’re a practitioner or a mother, this certification will equip you with the knowledge to make a meaningful impact on postpartum health. If you find this episode valuable, we’d be grateful if you could leave a review and share your thoughts.

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🍲Get Your Postpartum Nutrition Plan- Retiring Dec. 31, 2024!

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🎒FREE Provider's Postpartum Nutrition Toolkit

🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training & Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals

Speaker 1:

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 Miranda Bauer, 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, welcome to today's episode, postpartum Nutrition Support, which is the next big trend, and I'm so excited to dive into this topic because it's something that has been gaining incredible momentum in recent years.

Speaker 1:

I have been doing this work in the postpartum field for 15 years now, and in the beginning there was not a single soul talking about postpartum right, like it was not even a conversation, let alone postpartum nutrition, like that. It was non-existent at that time here in the US. And now, today, I'm gonna tell you. Now, today, I have certified hundreds of providers and postpartum nutrition. There's postpartum meal kitchens popping up, there's classes everywhere. I'm seeing new cookbooks everywhere, doulas adding it to their services. It has been so incredible to witness the growth of what we're doing, not just in postpartum nutrition, which is like my thing y'all, y'all know that but also, above and beyond, like we're talking about postpartum in our world. Moms are talking about how do I heal? And this is just. It's such a beautiful thing to witness. The field of postpartum nutrition is expanding rapidly. There was a study that was recently done it was like a market watch and I think I've shared this before where the field of postpartum care is about to explode by 2030. It is going to exponentially grow into billions and billions of dollar industry. And it's funny because I see that it's not providers who are just like, necessarily providing better info or getting out there, it's women. It's women who are saying I need better, I need more.

Speaker 1:

And we're moving beyond this traditional care model and I hate using that word traditional care because what we're doing and what we've been doing in the last 200 years is not traditional. It is this new age way of healing at quote unquote, and it's not working right. It's clearly not a healing method. It is a very patriarchal method of doing. You know, medical, systematized. You know I can't say healing or healthcare, because it's not true. That's not what it is and I think so many people are recognizing just that. That that's not what it is, and they're seeking holistic approaches. And they're wanting not just holistic approaches, but that that's not what it is. And they're seeking holistic approaches. And they're wanting not just holistic approaches, but something that's going to cater to their individual needs.

Speaker 1:

So more and more women are recognizing the importance of their journey and postpartum and their healing and the nutrition right. We're getting back to recognizing that this is something to be had here, that we need nourishment, that it comes from inside, that we are what we eat. Remember that saying Like that was a thing when I was a teen, and now it's not. Even we don't say those words anymore, but it's so true and on such a very deep level that I think we're just now starting to remember. And it's not just about having gourmet meals prepared for them, right?

Speaker 1:

I think this is a really important distinction. Yes, there's a growing field of I want my meals delivered or I want my meals made in my home and I want to do all of this and that's great. There's also a growing desire for the education behind it, like understanding how do they nourish themselves and their families during this critical time. It's not just trending among the elite looking for chefs to prepare meals. Okay, I really want to stress that, because oftentimes that's where a lot of professionals in this field tend to want to focus their time and attention and really market to, because that's where the money is Right and and I know that's we all have to make a living. There's no shame in that. But at the same time, there is a world of others who are looking for this information, looking for these services.

Speaker 1:

Women everywhere are having babies. It's not just first class, it's not just the elite who are having babies right, middle class, low class we're all having babies here, and everyone in all classes are incredibly eager eager to learn how to prepare nourishing meals for themselves. Right, it's not just do it for you services or done for you services. It's also how do I learn this stuff so that I can do it myself, which is education services and really people wanting to understand this profound impact of nourishment on their recovery and their well-being. And this is just.

Speaker 1:

It's such a beautiful thing, and I really believe what's driving this shift is that many women are turning away from the standard practices and they're seeking this more holistic approach. They're wanting meals that are not only delicious but also packed with those nutrients that they know are so necessary for healing and energy, and breastfeeding and all the things. And they're asking for more than just food. They want the knowledge, they want to create the meals themselves. They want to change their lives, because they know that it's not just about I'm going to eat better for myself. They're going to better their lives or their kids. And once they feel the difference this is the thing Once they feel the difference, their lives are forever going to be changed. The way they eat, the way they connect with food, the way they feed their children is going to be different. Hey, I'm going to be 100% straight with you.

Speaker 1:

The postpartum world is changing right now and I know you feel it. It's in the politics, our community spaces. There is an urgent need to implement a different approach to postpartum health. If you're an alternative provider or postpartum advocate, you need to be with us in the Postpartum University. Pro Membership Get the method, the tools, the handouts, the advanced trainings and so much more to not only help your clients and your business grow, but to help you grow too. Help your clients and your business grow, but to help you grow too. Marketwatch says that the afterbirth services and nutrition and support is set for extraordinary growth by 2030. Don't miss your opportunity to help women and families who desperately need your holistic support. Go to wwwpostpartumucom. Slash membership. We're accepting registrations right now and we can't wait to see you there.

Speaker 1:

I was talking with a colleague just yesterday and we were kind of going back and forth about the lack of postpartum care for women. She's been in the field for over 20 years and she's been working mainly as an NCS and has really gotten into postpartum care and healing and she has done a multitude of different trainings and she's she was talking to me about how incredibly frustrated she is because every training that she has encountered as of as of today or yesterday as when we were talking it was more about household duties like postpartum care and and the the. You know trainings that are being provided right now by the certification companies are all about. You know trainings that are being provided right now by the certification companies are all about, you know, making sure you're doing the dishes and here's just make a sandwich and watching the other children. And nightcare right, postpartum doula care there's much of that is night shift and that's only baby care. Right, because the mom is hopefully sleeping. And that's only baby care, right, because the mom is hopefully sleeping.

Speaker 1:

And that's not caring for the mom, that is not postpartum care in the least bit. That is just being. You know again, this is household duties and that's not okay. And that's not to say that you know and I've done this too you go in as a doula and whatever mom needs you're gonna do it. You're gonna fold that laundry while you're having a conversation with her. You're gonna do the dishes if that's what you see that she needs. You know you're gonna tidy up. You're gonna help. You know the children get something down from the closet or whatever. You know the other kids, you're gonna do all of those things.

Speaker 1:

But what's lacking is the understanding that of there's so much more to that, that we need to be supporting the mental, emotional, nutritional needs of a mother. And that's not going to come from doing the dishes and the laundry. That's going to come from holding space for her, for drawing an herbal sits bath to making herbal teas, to making sure that she's eating nutritious foods and helping her process different things and having her feel loved and nourished and like a freaking queen in her home, in her space, giving her the confidence to help her raise that baby in the way that she wants to, the way that she feels good, and that's a whole nother level of training that we are not providing. She was telling me that she has to go elsewhere for what it is that she wants to provide. But here's the kicker, here's the downfall. We have this healthcare program called CARAT. A lot of families are signing up for this and it's super, super great, right? This is an opportunity CARAT provides.

Speaker 1:

Basically, insurance is covering doula care and some other things related to pregnancy and postpartum and even labor and birth, and that's amazing, like it's so exciting to see that that insurance and the medical world is starting to understand the significance of a doula, however big. However, here it is really not doing the service that it's supposed to as it's so limiting. Uh, I have another friend who works specifically with malaysian postpartum care and carrot refuses to cover her programs because it's eastern and that's exactly what they said. It's Eastern care and they refuse to acknowledge that in any way, and so her services cannot be covered. She has to be certified by. There's only I think it's like three or four, and I could be wrong on the number here, but it's basically the big certification companies that focus on certifications for doulas that are recognized by Carrot. So if you do not hold a certification under one of those you know giant corporate that's what they are organizations, then you don't qualify.

Speaker 1:

And I think that what this is doing you know those, those big companies who are creating the certifications, that are supporting this household duty role, rather than this actual traditional doula who's coming in to support you, is not helpful in the least bit and a lot of people are very frustrated about this. And I've I was talking with somebody recently about the certification program, the postpartum nutrition certification that's coming up here very soon and she's like it's not gonna be covered by CARAT. And I said you're right, but most everything is not covered by CARAT. You have three options really for to be covered. You have to be certified under these individuals and if you want to have insurance cover you, then you need to be a dietician or you need to be a nutritionist or you need to work as a medical provider in the field. That is it, like that's your options right now in this world and that's gonna continue. Y'all. It's gonna get more stringent, there's gonna to be more red tape and it's going to be harder soon.

Speaker 1:

I'm I would not be surprised if doulas become a regulated field where you're going to have to become licensed in order to work in your state and you're going to have to submit paperwork and be approved by a board and that's going to with legal fees and you're gonna have to have insurance to cover you and oftentimes and this is exactly what happened to midwives, it has. We've seen it over and over and over again with midwives it creates so much red tape and there's so many fees involved that it becomes too expensive to hold that that your profession and the way you get paid, even as a full-time midwife, cannot cover the expenses of your licensing and insurance required in the state, whatever state that you're in. It's so unfortunate and this is exactly what's happening to Duluth. So I want to say you know if you're a parent listening in and you're looking for care, that's great. You know if you're in that space where you need that, but if you don't, I'm telling you, don't limit yourself to that kind of care, because there is so much more out there available that you're going to benefit from.

Speaker 1:

And I will tell you, not a single person in the world has regretted hiring postpartum care. It just it's not a thing right, you will regret not having it. You will regret not having the right care, but you will never regret having the right care. Like it's just not a thing. I can go on and on, but this is, this is the changing field, right? This is what we're. We're seeing and shifting.

Speaker 1:

And again, it's not just the elite who are having babies. It's moving and the middle class is wanting information too. Right, all of the classes are wanting education. They want the teaching, they want the knowledge so that they can do this themselves. And this is really where education comes into play. The demand for postpartum nutrition education is higher than ever. Women want to know the why behind the what, why certain foods are beneficial, how they're going to support their body, how to integrate this knowledge into their daily lives. And it's not just some fleeting trend, but a significant shift towards informed and empowered care shift towards informed and empowered care.

Speaker 1:

And our upcoming postpartum nutrition certification program is designed to meet this exact need. It's the only functional nutrition certification program on the planet specific to postpartum right, and it's offering this comprehensive education that's rooted in over 15 years of real study, real world experience and passion for holistic health. And this program equips practitioners, and not just practitioners. So we have nutritionists, we have lactation consultants, doctors, midwives, doulas, but also moms who are wanting to get into this field, who are wanting to learn more and wanting to teach this information, wanting to, you know, provide courses and classes and meal services and all of that. And this is the place where you gain that knowledge and gain the tools to provide that exceptional support for new mothers, whether it's, you know that direct nutritional guidance and coaching or educating them to make those best choices for themselves. So people who are looking to start a career in this field or people who are already established and wanting to add this because they're recognizing like their clients are asking for nutrition support, then this certification provides just that. It is perfect for postpartum professionals, health coaches, doulas and anyone who's passionate about making a difference in maternal health. So by completing this program, you're going to be able to offer those invaluable services in your local area, help foster healthier families, all of the things.

Speaker 1:

And again, it's not open just yet. This is starting in October. We are opening for enrollment in September. If you're on the wait list. If you're on the wait list, this opens up to you in August and you get an early bird discount, so I'm going to drop that link in the show notes. It's postpartumu the letter ucom slash waitlist, and I tell you it's more than a certification program.

Speaker 1:

Right, this is a movement. It's a movement towards better postpartum care, where nutrition plays a central role and this is so incredibly important. It is one of the most missing components to maternal mental health, to overall healing and wellbeing in the years postpartum. But really, let's be honest here, it's not just postpartum, it's pregnancy, it's when you are trying for a baby, it's while you're growing. Nutrition is so massively important for infants, babies, you know, children, like. There's not a time in our life when nutrition doesn't play some sort of significant role, right, and I'm so grateful that we're getting back into that, when we're understanding that and we're legit changing lives for the better.

Speaker 1:

I will tell you, when I, when I first started doing this work and uh, you know, on myself first off, with nutrition and healing and understanding the power of it, because I was doing it and I started working with my clients as a doula and a childbirth educator, I was like, oh, this is incredible, let's start helping others do this as well. They would come back to me and say how did you know this? How did you learn this? And when I started coaching, it was a whole new ballgame. It was a whole new ballgame. I was working with women across the US and across the world. I had a lot of clients in Australia and and Europe and it was, it was amazing. We even had clients in Africa. It was just absolutely incredible. The people that I was meeting and I would have legit doctors call me and say, what are you doing with my client? Because now they're saying they're working with you but they're getting off their medications that they've been on for years or I've been working with them forever and like I've never seen such improvement. Like what are you doing? And how did you learn this? And that's how the certification program was born.

Speaker 1:

I actually had no intention of ever working with providers and professionals. That was kind of an oops. I of ever working with providers and professionals. That was kind of an oops. I mean, it's not like a mistake or anything, but it was like, oh, you know, people will really want to learn this and it's not being taught anywhere else. It was through my trial and error and through my own research that I've come to this conclusion. It's kind of like how I was telling you in the last episode about the healing power of potato and what happened to me on my trip with my eye infection and how potato heals.

Speaker 1:

And I was talking with my medical provider, who is a traditional doctor, who has self-studied Eastern medicine and holistic practices, and she was telling me she would never be a doctor. It does not serve her in the least bit. She never has to use that side of things. Almost rarely ever does she have to prescribe something to someone because she's so well-versed in herbs and she's so well-versed in and natural remedies like the potato, and it's just like it's absolutely amazing to me that there's nothing out there that exists and here we are talking about it for postpartum. And so I just encourage you if this is something that you're passionate about or you recognize the significance of you're in the field, don't leave this part out, because if you do, you're leaving a huge component on the table for moms.

Speaker 1:

We don't want our moms to have to need us right. We want our moms and our families that we serve to be so well off because of us that they're able to function and be the mom that they want to be and be the healthiest version of themselves because we were in their lives for a short period of time. We gave them the tools. We're not gatekeepers. We're not, you know, you know any of those kinds of things. We're simply facilitators. Here's your, here's the life-changing info that you need and the tools that you need, and then give that to them and let them. Let them live their best freaking life.

Speaker 1:

Okay, that's what I want to share with you today. Make sure that you're on that wait list. I can't wait to support you even further. This is going to be the most amazing cohort ever and I'm so excited for that. I am so grateful you turned into the Postpartum University podcast. We've hoped 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, applied 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 postpartum. You can learn more at wwwpostpartumucom. We'll see you next week.

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Maranda Bower

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