The incision for a cesarean section is now mostly a transverse one. This way, the Ren Meridian, Foot Shaoyin Kidney Meridian, Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian, Foot Taiyin Spleen Meridian, and Foot Jueyin Liver Meridian, which run vertically through the abdomen, will be damaged. The functions of the corresponding organs will be affected to varying degrees. For most people, the skin at the incision site still feels numb after a year, which indicates that the local blood circulation is still not smooth.
Milk is part of the mother's blood. When the breasts develop normally, as long as the mother's Qi and blood are sufficient, milk secretion will also be sufficient. However, blood loss during a cesarean section can easily lead to a deficiency of both Qi and blood in the mother, which in turn can reduce milk secretion or cause lactation failure, leading to infants being primarily fed with formula or artificial feeding. These infants are more difficult to care for than those exclusively breastfed, which can cause greater fatigue for the mother.
Infants born through vaginal delivery have their heads and bodies squeezed and rubbed by uterine contractions, which provides a final reinforcement for their physical and psychological development, achieving their first self-adaptation in life. Therefore, they have strong adaptability to the external environment, stable vital signs, and good psychological development. In contrast, infants born by cesarean section, lacking the influence and training of the labor process, have weaker adaptability to the external environment and their psychological development is not as good as those born vaginally. They are also more prone to neonatal respiratory distress syndrome or cesarean section syndrome and often require more care and training. In addition to the above reasons, there is another very important point: a cesarean section severely damages the mother's body, causing a deficiency of both Qi and blood. If nutrition is not replenished and rest is not taken in time, the breastfed baby may also show symptoms of Qi deficiency, such as being easily startled, excessive sweating, poor appetite, constipation, and weak immune function.
Therefore, the birth of a fetus should follow the natural course of events as much as possible, and a cesarean section should never be requested lightly. For mothers who must have a cesarean section due to difficult labor, they should pay attention to rest after the surgery and eat more foods that nourish Qi and blood and strengthen the kidneys to recover their health as soon as possible, while also providing high-quality milk for the baby to ensure normal growth and development. Below are some dietary therapy recipes that can be consumed by mothers who have had a cesarean section or a natural delivery.
1. Take 5 grams of Angelica sinensis (Dang Gui), 3 grams of Astragalus root (Huang Qi), and 5 grams of Taro vine (Tong Cao). Boil these three Chinese herbs into one bowl of medicinal juice each day and add a spoonful of it to all kinds of food for the mother. This way, the medicinal taste is not strong, but it can play a role in nourishing Qi and blood and promoting lactation. At the same time, the amount of the three herbs is small, suitable for people with weak health to slowly nourish, and it will not cause "heatiness" (a concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine).
2. Wash the red dates, then stir-fry them in an iron wok until the skin turns black. Store them in a bottle for later use. Take 4-6 fried red dates and 4-6 longans daily, and brew them in hot water like tea to drink frequently. For those with excessive internal "fire", 6-10 goji berries can be added. Red dates stir-fried in an iron wok have a warming effect on the stomach. At the same time, the fried red dates are easier to steep, allowing for full utilization of their nutritional components. Therefore, drinking this tea daily can nourish Qi and blood, regulate the spleen and stomach, treat insomnia, and stop night sweats.
3. Take 1 jin (500g) of eel and 0.5 jin (250g) of lean pork. Add 5-8 slices of ginger, 2-3 green onions, and 10 cloves of garlic. Then add seasonings and cook it in a braised style. Regular consumption can strengthen the kidneys, remove kidney cold, and nourish the blood. It can also treat body aches, soreness in the lower back and knees, and limb weakness.
In addition, eat more high-protein foods such as lamb, beef, sea fish, sea shrimp, and sea cucumber, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits. Try to avoid out-of-season vegetables and fruits. Cold and raw foods can reduce milk secretion, such as buckwheat, Job's tears, mung beans, crab, snails, river snails, clams, snakehead fish, persimmons, pomelo, bananas, kiwi fruit, sugarcane, watermelon, muskmelon, bitter gourd, water chestnut, arrowhead, water spinach, etc. Mothers should try to avoid or eat less of these.
For the cesarean section incision, it is best to use a physical therapy instrument for treatment 1-2 times daily. Or after the wound has healed, apply a hot water bag to the incision site twice a day. It is best to persist for 1-2 months or longer. This can promote blood circulation, help dredge the meridians, and also prevent gynecological diseases.