Hello,
I used to have good memory but since pregnancy I realised my memory has deteriorated tremendously. I’m in my 8 months pregnancy now. May I know how do I improve my memory after giving birth ? Last but not least, I will be having a caesarean birth, what are the types of herbal formulas should I consume during my 1 month confinement period?
Thank you
Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.
You should see a practitioner after delivery who can properly prescribe acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine based on your correct diagnosis (see “treating the cause and not the symptoms” and “how to choose a formula” for more on that).
In many cases, we often use a formula such as ba zhen wan, or bu zhong yi qi wan to help the body recover from childbirth and rebuild the “blood” in Chinese Medicine terms which is often related to the quality of thinking (i.e. a diagnosis such as “spleen blood deficiency”). But what would be appropriate for you wouldn’t be selected by your symptoms but by your diagnosis in Chinese Medicine terms and for that to be properly ascertained you need to see an acupuncturist in your area.
Comment by Archived User
Hello,
Thank you for your professional advice. Is there a difference in “YUAN QI”
damage when it comes to natural birth VS cesarean birth? And immediately
after childbirth women would encounter profuse menstrual bleeding. Would
taking ba zhen wan or bu zhong yi qi wan moves the blood more profusely
hence causes more menstrual bleeding?
I was told by a tcm Dr before, that i’m heart blood deficient , will this
cause affects my memory? Is it true that i should treat my blood like
tonifying it then everything will be fine?
Thanks
Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.
These are all questions for your practitioner, but, yes, if you were told you were blood deficient, as my answer already indicated, tonify the blood in Chinese Medicine terms would be appropriate. As to whether or not that will help your memory - in technical terms it should. But not knowing your medical history or other issues you have (and knowing there are many, many ways to have memory issues) these are questions only your practitioner can answer armed with more personal information than is appropriate for an online forum.
With regards to natural birth and c-section. I think your word of “damage” would be incorrect for either. Obviously with a natural child birth things follow their own progression allowing the body more time to adjust hormonally, physically, etc. A c-section is traumatic to the body, but compared to a non-productive labor that goes on for days or other complicating factors it would probably break even in some ways affects wise from a TCM perspective. It’s all relative.
What’s more important is the health you have before you go into pregnancy, the health you foster during pregnancy and the things you do to smoothly facilitate labor and these are all aspects that consistent acupuncture treatments can provide before, during, and immediately after pregnancy.
Comment by Archived User
Thank you for your reply . What about would taking ba Zhen Wan causing
menstrual bleeding more profusely since immediately after childbirth there
will be menstrual ?
Thanks
Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.
If you are asking if Ba Zhen Wan would contribute to heavier bleeding, no. It is a blood tonification formula, not a blood stasis moving formula.