In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), movement of our bodies facilitates the movement of Qi. It’s important to maintain this flow during pregnancy and in the lead up to birth. During pregnancy it’s a really lovely time to do exercise and movement that connects you to your growing baby and body. Finding an exercise practitioner that has an understanding of birth and your changing pregnancy body can be really helpful. I have loved doing The Natural Birth Co (https://www.naturalbirthco.com) classes and workshops throughout my pregnancy, Amy is not only an incredible instructor, she is also a midwife and brings all that knowledge into her practice. Her classes and workshops aim to bring balance to the ligaments that will optimise both maternal and foetal positioning. Walking and swimming are also a beautifully gentle way to optimise the movement of Qi throughout pregnancy.  

Eating well also plays a role in preparing the body, while this is not always easy during pregnancy if you are experiencing nausea and vomiting (sorry if you are! I know how horrible that is). We can nourish the body through eating a well balanced diet, foods that are particularly helpful during pregnancy in TCM include: Animal protein, leafy green vegetables, eggs, oats, beetroot, avocados, dried apricots, dates, grains, sardines, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds to name a few. Chat to your practitioner for recommendations that are suited to your specific needs. 

Our mind is possibly the most powerful tool to get you through your pregnancy, labour and birth. In TCM each organ has a particular emotion that they are affected by. The Heart is affected by Joy, the Spleen- Worry, the Lungs- Grief, and the Kidneys- Fear. All of these emotions can present themselves during your pregnancy, labour, birth and postpartum. There are many ways to prepare your mind for labour and birth, some of my favourites are: 

• reading books
• listening to podcasts
• connecting with other women who are going through pregnancy at the same time and talking about all the feelings that are coming up and listening to theirs. It really does take a village. 

Fave books: 

• Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering – Sarah Buckley 
• Why Induction Matters – Rachel Reed 
• Birth After Caesarean, Your Journey to a Better Birth – Hazel Keedle 
• Birth with Confidence – Rhea Dempsey 

Fave podcasts: 

• Australian Birth Stories 
• The Midwives Cauldron 
• The Great Birth Rebellion 
• Natural Birth Co Podcast 

TCM has a beautiful theory on the link between the Uterus and the Heart, it is known as the Bao Mai channel. It is said that when the Bao Mai is open, menstruation will be free flowing and conception can occur. The classical text, the “Simple Questions” puts it like this: “The Bao Mai pertains to the Heart and extends to the Uterus” and “When the period does not come it means the Bao Mai is obstructed.”

This also flows through to pregnancy, and finding ways to connect with your baby in utero will enable the free flow of the Bao Mai. Having regular acupuncture throughout your pregnancy is a beautiful way to connect with your baby. Babies in utero appear to love acupuncture and moxibustion. Have you noticed when you are having a treatment that your baby leaps around joyfully? 

Food, glorious food!! There are a number things that you can do to prepare for postpartum, but let’s be honest, food is at the top of the list! Having simple, nourishing, easy to digest foods stored away in the freezer are going to be a life saver. Some favourite foods to have ready to go include: Broths, slow cooked meats, congee & soups. You also want to have plenty of easy to grab snacks on hand – protein balls, dried fruit and nuts & hummus and veggie sticks. 

Hydration is also really important, make sure you are drinking plenty of water, broths and tea. Nurtur Tea (https://nurturtea.com) has a delicious nursing tea you can find in clinic to add to your tea collection and sip on during those delicious newborn moments. One of my other favourite postpartum additions is HQ Health Post Birth Vitality blend (https://hqhealth.com.au). This powerful formula is great for assisting you in recovery post birth, balancing your hormones, supporting energy and promoting breast milk production. 

I would love to hear from you and what you did to prepare for labour, birth and beyond. Or if this is your first pregnancy what have you found helpful in preparing yourself? 

About the Author:
Dr Emmy is trained in the highly effective Fertile Life Method, giving her a broad understanding of Fertility support for both Natural and Assisted Reproductive methods. Emmy has developed an interest in helping people to reach their full health potential, and offers a gentle style of treatment that focuses on the individual’s health goals.You can find out more about Dr Emmy here.

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