True tradition in ancestral civilizations, the golden month is little practiced in the West. However, it is a crucial issue for the mental and physical health of young mothers. But what is it exactly? Is this a really achievable goal in our current society? Decryption.
Baby blues, lack of sleep, fatigue, pain… If the first month after childbirth is magical, it can also be stressful. This period is unique and every woman should be able to enjoy her baby without neglecting her own needs for rest and attention. This is the principle of the golden month, a tradition in many civilizations, especially in Japan and China. But can we really respect it and how? Answers and advice from Marie Mahé-Poulin, clinical psychologist, trainer for postpartum professionals and co-author of book The Golden Month – Living well the first month after childbirth (ed. Presses du Châtelet).
What is the golden month?
The golden month designates the period which begins at the time of childbirth and which extends over 40 days.. It is a timeless phase, punctuated by specific issues for the young mother, both from a psychological and identity point of view, but also physiological and gynecological. Practiced in many countries in ancestral traditions, the golden month consists of taking very specific care of the woman who has just given birth. “In addition to bodily practices, care for the mother is provided, everything is done to help her in her daily life so that she can rest and recover from childbirth because there is a time of “degestation”, we do not get out of pregnancy in three days. This period aims to allow the body to regain balance, to prevent the mother from making efforts so that she can recover and bond with her baby.“, develops Marie Mahé-Poulin.
“Everything is done to help her in her daily life so that she can rest and recover from childbirth because there is a time of degestation”
Marie Mahé-Poulin and Céline Chadelat studied the different practices of the golden month in many countries, from China to India via Africa and South America as well as among the Inuit and have extracted the best from it to make it accessible to today’s world. A community stands around mothers and families to support them through this time (preparing meals, caring for seniors, logistics), and provide advice without judgement.
“In our Western societies, there is a lot of attention paid to the mother during pregnancy, but as soon as she gives birth, all eyes turn to the baby”.
Hence the importance of taking care of the latter. The golden month helps to promote the emotional balance of the mother, because it is known that postpartum depression affects at least 1 in 5 women and is often caused by isolation. In other words, the golden month will allow the woman to rest as much as possibleeven if it is difficult with a baby.
In Japan, moms pampered, but isolated
The idea is not to confine oneself or not to set foot on the ground for 40 days as is the case in Japan, because it is not feasible. We have to choose who we let into our bubble, and allow oneself to live in a window out of time while preserving the desire for mothering without falling into an isolation which increases the risk of postpartum depression.
What diet to favor during the golden month?
The idea is to bring warmth to the woman to support her at the hormonal and bodily level. We therefore rely on the fact of eat hot, but also to consume warming foods such as spices (turmeric, ginger, cinnamon), taking care to favor digestible foods because the digestive system is disturbed after childbirth, it needs to be made easier. On the menu : fruits, vegetables, proteins (eggs, meat, fish, tofu, seeds, nuts), omega 3 (nuts, rapeseed, salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines), whole grains.
Thanks to Marie Mahé-Poulin, clinical psychologist, trainer and co-author of the book Le mois d’or – Living well the first month after childbirth (ed. Presses du Châtelet) and the Workbook to prepare as a couple postpartum (ed. Presses du Châtelet)