There is a tradition in Chinese culture called zuo yue zi. Zuo yue zi, or “sitting the moon cycle” or “sitting the month”, refers to the period of 30-40 days postpartum for nurturing the new mother, supporting her recovery, and supporting family bonding. Traditionally, this 30-40 day period after birth is one of confinement: mom would stay home, indoors, and receive support from family for nourishment, healing, resting, and ultimately adapting to motherhood.
This is also a period in which herbs and nutrition can play an important role in supporting the body’s natural postpartum processes. A 2,000-year-old tradition born out of a need to care for new mothers, to promote a sense of wellness and balance in this period.
There are some wonderful aspects of zuo yue zi that can be beneficial in today’s modern postpartum time, and some elements of the tradition are not as relevant or important as they would have been 2,000 years ago.
As a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I have learned that it is essential to maintain the integrity of the theory and practice of this modality and it’s cultural compliments, but apply them in a way that is in balance with how our lives are now – which is much different than how lives were lived 2,000 years ago in China.
The Zuo Yue Zi Protocol: Begin by Avoiding Screens
Conventional practices of zuo yue zi include following a strict regimen of staying at home, avoiding electric appliances, no showering or workouts, and not allowing visitors except for cooking food or caring for the family.
There is a valid explanation and obvious reasons for this. For example, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, avoiding screens may help support eye comfort and promote relaxation during the postpartum period. Well into a postpartum state, when blood has been lost, it is important to avoid activities that would further stress this system.Zuo yue zi traditions are followed to encourage rest, nourishment, and emotional well-being after childbirth. You have just gone through such a massive life event, and to expect new mothers to return to "normal" life and function with the same obligations as before delivering a child is absurd.
You deserve rest.
You deserve to bond with your baby outside your womb. You deserve the time and space needed to rebuild, recover, and restore what you used for growing and bringing a new human earthside. Most of us are not at risk of significant illness or infection due to taking a shower or brushing our teeth, but in a vulnerable state, those tasks could have created huge problems 2,000 years ago.
Zuo yue zi is traditionally outlined by a set of rules, but most American women would feel overwhelmed by this set of rules, unable to practice them all due to their unique set of circumstances and our cultural expectations of new mom’s so they may resist zuo yue zi altogether. This is why a modern adaptation of traditional practice is so important.
Respecting and honoring the traditional concept but adapting it to modern society truly optimizes the benefit to new moms. Even practicing some elements of sitting for a month will benefit you and your family.
Zuo Yue Zi Today: As Relevant as Ever
In the contemporary world, there are principles of zuo yue zi that may seem difficult or sturdy, but there are ways to make the most out of this period while also being realistic about your lifestyle and health needs. Honestly, you deserve to be pampered in postpartum… see how far you have come!
During childbirth, you lose a significant volume of blood not only in growing a baby but also in bringing them to earth, you lose your stores of Qi (energy) and Jing (essence). This period is considered by many to be a time when the body may benefit from additional nourishment and rest to support overall well-being.
Zuo yue zi traditions are believed to help support energy and a sense of balance during the postpartum period. Let’s break down a few principles of resting the month so you can easily incorporate them into your postpartum journey.
Nutrition – Labor can be physically demanding and may leave the body in a depleted state, particularly affecting digestion. Nourishing the body with proper nutrition is essential during postpartum recovery. The focus is on supporting the natural flow of Qi and blood, encouraging healthy lactation, and promoting overall well-being after childbirth.
Start with simple, hot, and digestible foods, and consume warm soups and stews. You should avoid cold and raw foods, which can further strain digestion or slow down blood flow to the uterus. Warm, nourishing soups and stews are a comforting part of postpartum care in many traditional cultures.
Supporting your wellness can begin early by sipping nourishing bone broth during labor and postpartum. It may help maintain energy and hydration during the birthing process. Below are some key points to consider for postpartum nutrition:
- New mom doesn’t cook – your partner, mom, family, friends, or neighbors can all chip in to help. You can even do some of the meal prep ahead of time so that things are ready when it’s time for you to rest. I deliver packets of herb broth to expecting mothers at around 36 weeks so that they can prepare broths at home.
- High protein, easy to digest healthy fats, simple nutritional carbs such as rice
- Don’t diet – now is not the time to worry about your post-partum body, honor the incredible work you have done. You need calories to recover, sleep, and if breastfeeding, to help support healthy lactation.
- Examples of herbs and foods traditionally used to support wellness during the postpartum period include ginger (lots of ginger), red date, longan fruit, bone broth, eggs, coconut milk soups/curries, rice congees (porridges), goji berries, avocado, cooked greens, and shredded chicken
Exercise – Don’t, for a few weeks, and then start gradually. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body is considered "open" after delivery, and allowing time for rest is important to support the body’s natural process of recovery. Moving too quickly may challenge pelvic stability or create strain if the body hasn’t had sufficient time to rest and adjust. When you think about the physiologic process of giving birth, this totally makes sense, your pelvis literally opens up to allow for passage through the birth canal. Taking time to rest before resuming physical activity is a common postpartum recommendation to support overall recovery.
Give yourself a few weeks of ease
I promise you can wait for those high-intensity activities, and you will do so much better not being short-sighted on this. Start slow, first with short walks, post-natal yoga, and kegals. Give yourself a few weeks of ease. This sensitive period does not call for weight reduction or exercise; it is about nurturing, healing, restoring, and getting some rest.
Rest – Obviously, this means proper rest- fall asleep when possible, take short naps, make bond and snuggle with the baby that is your arms. But, rest here is also about care. Care for you and your amazing body that just went through a huge transition.
Rest is just as essential as your intuition tells you. After childbirth, your body and organs undergo significant changes, and proper rest is key to supporting your body’s natural return to balance. Your uterus gradually begins to shrink, and your organs realign as part of the postpartum recovery process. In addition to physical rest and nutrition, there are practices that can enhance relaxation. Sitz baths and herbal steams are traditionally used in many cultures as a soothing ritual during the postpartum experience.
According to traditional zuo yue zi principles, there should be no showering, bathing, or brushing your teeth; however, I suggest taking warm showers and baths only, avoiding wet hair, using warm water to brush teeth, and after the bath, make sure to quickly cover yourself with warm and comfortable clothes.
Outsiders and Visitors: You deserve all kinds of help, and there should be no shame in accepting help from family and friends you trust, while keeping healthy boundaries at the same time. If you have too many guests or cooks at home, you may get annoyed or exhausted because the rest time that you need with your little one might get disturbed. This is why boundaries are important, and only you can define them. Here are some boundaries that you need to define before embarking on your postpartum journey. You can enjoy company with guest and stay social by maintaining boundaries and feeling confident at the same time- you need time for yourself and your family.
-
Do you only want a certain number of visitors per day
-
Do you only want visitors during a certain time window each day
-
Do you want entire days with no visitors
-
Do you want just a few go-to visitors that are helping with your zuo yue zi – preparing meals or caring for the baby while you rest?
-
Do you want to set a date for when visitors will be allowed to enter your home -keeping it to just your family and those helping in the home until that date?
-
Do you want a gatekeeper or advocate who helps you maintain these boundaries? A spouse, parent, or doula can be excellent for this
-
Consider setting these guidelines as a family so that everyone is on the same page
As I’m sure you have realized through pre-conception, pregnancy, and for some of you delivery, things don’t always go as planned and this may be the case for your postpartum scenario too, but you can make a plan for your postpartum journey which is filled with recovery, nourishment, and association with your baby, and embracing that there may be some moments that you need to spare, move with a flow and accept the change.
Care Consideration: Just a reminder that the above information is not a substitute for medical care and is not a substitute for medical advice or recommendations from a healthcare provider. This information is not intended to treat, mitigate, or cure any disease. That said, we encourage you to connect with an Acupuncturist in your community to learn more about this and other Traditional Chinese Medicine options. If you’ve got questions about Chinese herbal medicine or getting started with an Acupuncturist, feel free to connect with us at hello@mydaolabs.com.
Amy Malone is a licensed acupuncturist and registered nurse with national certificaiton in Oriental Medicine. She brings balance into her life professionally by integrating her nursing background with her practice as an acupuncturist, and privately by making times for the things she loves outside the clinic. Amy is an avid skiier, hiker, backpacker, reader, and traveler together with her partner, Ryan. You can learn more about Amy at balancedstonewellness.com.
