Oct 9, 2022
The food we eat is essential, especially in postpartum. Dr. Jennifer Roelands, OB-GYN, dives into just how important nutrition is and how it relates to postpartum depression, anxiety, gut health, and more. She also touches on the importance of self-advocacy and finding the proper care provider for your needs.
As a former sufferer of PCOS and hypothyroidism, Jen has been on the hormone roller coaster. From digestion issues to fatigue, to hair loss, to brain fog and infertility.
Even as a doctor, she was blown off by doctors who said my labs were normal. But she knew something was wrong, it had been 18 months and no baby.
Jen spent countless hours diving into nutrition and mind-body medicine. She learned how the gut is connected to hormone health. And medications like the birth control pill can wreak havoc on our bodies by depleting our bodies of nutrients and masking our symptoms but not actually treating the condition.
She found out the CAUSE of her symptoms and used that information to focus on gut health, stress reduction, and the right exercise for my body. She was able to lose weight, clear skin, wake up rested, have more energy, and ultimately get pregnant.
Nutrients and food are keys in postpartum recovery. The benefits extend beyond the health of the mother, but to the child. Supporting the mother in breastfeeding, anxiety and depression, hormonal health, and gut health. All these things are intricately linked in our recovery and the development of your baby, as well as nurturing healthy relationships with those supporting you.
Jen explains how there is very little nutritional training for doctors. So much is linked to our diet and gut health. The gut is coined as the second brain, and after pregnancy, can become unbalanced due to all the hormonal changes our bodies have endured.
There isn't just one way to eat or support our gut. Depending on what ailments you are experiencing, adopting a holistic healing approach calls for personalized care. Whether you are looking to support a healthy cycle, skin, or digestion, there are different approaches you can take without needing to resort to a doctor's prescription.
Holistic healing is not a pill. It is a process of trial and error. There are no quick fixes when it comes to your health. But adopting these changes into your every day life will have long term effects. You will know what you need to support your health and your child's health.
You can't control the changes pregnancy can do to your body, but you can control what you put into your body. Balancing your plate will give you a better understanding of what your body needs and how you can support it in a natural way.
How healing is food? (2:06)
Integrating nutrition into your work as an OB/GYN (6:32)
The timeline of holistic healing (9:48)
Supporting a healthy cycle postpartum (13:43)
Advocating for more postpartum support in the medical community
(19:56)
Advice if you feel you are not being heard by your doctor
(24:17)
Nutrition & food is key to postpartum (30:51)
Final question (39:48)