325: Beyond Bouncing Back: Redefining Postpartum Health with Alison Boden
Mar 18, 2024
auto_awesome
Alison Boden, a functional dietitian, discusses hormonal changes postpartum, importance of nutrition, supplements, managing postpartum and perimenopause, addressing hormonal imbalances and nutrient deficiencies for overall well-being. The episode sheds light on debunking harmful narratives and practical strategies for hormonal balance amidst motherhood.
Nutritional needs are crucial in postpartum recovery, emphasizing balanced meals and essential nutrients.
Optimizing sleep schedules and stress reduction techniques are vital for mothers in overcoming sleep deprivation.
Monitoring thyroid function and addressing hormonal imbalances is essential for postpartum well-being.
Deep dives
Exploring Postpartum Health with Functional Dietitian Alison Bowden
Alison Bowden, a functional dietitian specializing in postpartum health, discusses the hormonal changes after childbirth, highlighting symptoms like mood swings, hair loss, and night sweats. She emphasizes the importance of nutritional needs in the postpartum period, debunking harmful weight loss narratives and addressing challenges faced by women in postpartum and perimenopause. Alison offers practical strategies for hormonal balance and emphasizes the gap in postpartum nutrition discussions, providing real-world solutions for mothers to replenish their bodies and balance hormones.
Navigating Postpartum Nutrition and Recovery
Alison emphasizes the significance of nutritional needs in postpartum recovery, particularly focusing on healing nutrients, increased calorie requirements, and essential vitamins and minerals. She recommends consuming three balanced meals with equal parts protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates, aiming for 100 grams of protein daily. Alison underlines the importance of adequate nutrition for healing, supporting blood sugar control, and offering real-world strategies to empower mothers in postpartum nutrition.
Addressing Sleep and Stress in Postpartum Women
Alison discusses strategies to support sleep-deprived mothers, emphasizing the importance of uninterrupted sleep periods to enhance recovery. She suggests optimizing meal schedules for longer sleep stretches, promoting blood sugar stability, and nurturing the nervous system with restorative practices. Additionally, she advocates for stress reduction techniques and proper nutrition to navigate the overwhelming challenges of sleep deprivation during the postpartum phase.
Recognizing Thyroid Health in Postpartum Period
Alison sheds light on postpartum thyroiditis and its impact on common symptoms like hair loss, low energy, and mood changes. She highlights the prevalence of hypothyroidism post-delivery, emphasizing the significance of monitoring thyroid function and detecting potential hormonal imbalances. Alison stresses the importance of adequate testing and interventions for thyroid issues often overshadowed or dismissed, promoting a holistic approach to address underlying physiological changes.
Empowering Mothers in Hormonal Health
Alison encourages mothers to prioritize physical well-being alongside emotional support, underscoring the role of nutrition and hormone balance in overall health. She emphasizes the need for biological considerations in addressing hormonal symptoms postpartum, highlighting the impact of nutrient deficiencies, blood sugar stability, and stress reduction. Alison's parting words reflect the transformative power of simple nutritional strategies, advocating for a holistic approach to supporting mothers in navigating the complexities of hormonal health.
Conclusion and Call to Action
Alison's valuable insights on postpartum health and hormonal balance provide a refreshing perspective on the often overlooked aspects of maternal care. Through her practical recommendations, Alison empowers mothers to prioritize their well-being by addressing nutritional needs, sleep challenges, and thyroid health postpartum. Her holistic approach underscores the significance of understanding hormonal changes, advocating for individualized support and biological interventions to enhance postpartum recovery and overall health.
Alison Boden is a functional dietitian specializing in hormonal health for moms - from postpartum to perimenopause and everything in between. She is the founder of Motherwell Nutrition, where she helps moms replenish their bodies, balance hormones, and feel good again after kids. Alison is on a mission to show moms that feeling like crap after giving birth does not have to be the norm.
In this episode, we discuss the hormonal changes women face after childbirth, the duration of the postpartum period, the importance of nutrition for recovery, Alison’s experience with postpartum challenges, the role of supplements, how to manage the overlap between postpartum and perimenopause, the importance of addressing hormonal imbalances and nutrient deficiencies for overall well-being, and more. Enjoy the episode!
Are you ready to transform your menstrual health? Get started with the Fix Your Period Collective by taking my new and improved period quiz, which will translate your responses into a personalized period dashboard that gives you all the answers and solutions you've ever wanted for your cycle and hormone problems. Get started at https://fixyourperiod.com/quiz/.