1. Body weakness after labour
One traditional chinese books states that "women after labour have not only five organs weaker (heart, spleen, kidney, lung and liver) but also the Qi and blood, yin and yang weakness as well". During labour women use excessive amounts of energy, loose large amounts of fluid through perspiration and bleeding. It is a common notion that for a woman’s first birth, it is long lasting, using large amounts of energy making the body exhausted. Most women after labour, will need to breast feed straight away. This will use further nutrition and blood, as Chinese medicine considers that the formation of breast milk originates from blood. Due to all these events during labour, it will result in Qi and blood, yin and yang deficiency.

Many women after labour may experience the following symptoms: easily to perspire, aversion to cold and wind, lethargy, hair loss, dry skin, constipation, haemorrhoids or prolapse of anus, lack of breast milk or postnatal depression. All of these conditions are associated with a ying and yang disorder (Western medicine also considers that after labour there is a great drop in hormones during this stage).

Traditional Chinese medicine diet therapy and Chinese culture provides greater care about the diet of the woman after labour so it can quickly bring the body back to the normal state and avoid or reduce the symptoms mentioned above.

We suggest that if you suffer from any of the above symptoms, that you eat more food that tonify's the blood and Qi (energy), and balance organs, such as: meat (lamb, beef, chicken, fish), eggs, tofu, chinese red dates, goji berries, vegetables and fruit, It is best to eat these at room temperature or warmer. We also suggest that from the first day after labour and throughout the time of breast feeding that you drink more soup enriched with nutrients, such as: beef/chicken/lamb/fish bone soup.

2. Blood stagnation (clots and toxins) in the first two weeks after labour
Generally, two weeks after labour, the uterus will need to continue to clear the remains of blood from the pregnancy. During the cleansing and ridding of old stagnant blood the uterus can return to normal (pre-pregnancy state) size and blood circulation. To ensure the removal of the old blood, diet is very important to support the uterus and abdomen areas circulation so that it can help the process of returning the body back to normal.

We suggest that one should avoid eating or drinking frozen or cold foods, rather eat room temperature or warmer foods. If you eat foods from the fridge, it is best to leave them at room temperature for approximately 20 – 30 minutes before eating. Any cold or frozen foods will cool the abdomen area and will affect circulation as it causes the blood vessels to constrict. If stagnate blood is unable to be cleared completely, it may cause some disease in the future, such as: irregular periods, dark blood and clots present in menstruate, period pains, endometriosis, joint pain, lower back and stomach pain/discomfort.