Given that I’m currently trapped inside by oddly-potent snowfall it seems an appropriate time to speak about the ‘Zuo Zi Yue’ or ‘Sitting Month’.

Chinese medicine views the time immediately after giving birth as extremely important for the mother. Great care and support is given to guiding her through the four weeks following labour. During this time the mother strictly rests and nurses while other family members take over all household chores. She also takes a series of Chinese herbal medicine formulas to both aid faster recovery from labour and to try to get ahead of any common postpartum issues.

The difference between this practice and what I see in my clinic is stark. The lack of support for mums postpartum is absolutely shocking, and in my experience can lead to issues that can carry forward for years. All of these things were of course exacerbated by lockdown, and the insane and very dodgy practices carried out by many hospitals.

But today I just want to speak about what can be done to support mothers. The day after International Women’s Day I’d like to offer an example of one practice which is woman-focused, honours the mother’s among us and pays them back for what they give during pregnancy and labour.