Dr. Danielle Watson, ND
442 Holland St West, Unit 12 L3Z 0G1 Bradford, ON, Canada

What else ‘bounces back’ postpartum? Your hormones! . So if you read up on almost any symptom that you have after having a baby, I guarantee something is gonna blame your hormones. And while there’s a lot going on, I want you to remember that your hormones don’t operate in isolation, and they are often doing their job perfectlyand of course any change can naturally come with symptoms. I try on this page to talk a lot about what’s normaland when it’s notso you know when to ...seek help. And on that note, if someone tells you that you’re ‘estrogen dominant’ (not a diagnosis btwcheck out @nataliecrawfordmd podcast on this topic) in the PPthat’s just plain incorrect. . What really happens is that in the first few days after giving birth, or rather, after our placenta is delivered, we see our estrogen & progesterone drop significantly from the very high levels of pregnancy. At the same time, prolactin & oxytocin rise, and continue to rise/fall as we breastfeed (if you are). I’ll share to my stories & postpartum highlight some posts that detail this! . Interestingly, because of course our body is connected (!) the rise in progesterone in early pregnancy is what causes the shift in our immune system to a more Th2 response over Th1. The rapid drop PP is what snaps it back! . Pretty cool right? So if someone comments on ‘bouncing back’ you can educate them on a way cooler topic than weight loss . Stay tuned for what happens with your brain & thyroid! . I talk about this in detail on @the.mom.room podcast! . Tag another mom! See more

Betcha you haven’t read about this before!. . Let’s talk about what ACTUALLY bounces back postpartum. . I just know someone isn’t going to read the caption, so let’s clear it up: this isn’t about weight loss. This is about some cool changes you probably haven’t heard of .... . While you’re pregnant, 4 very critical things make some serious changes, then these ‘bounce back’ almost immediately postpartum. Your immune system, brain, thyroid & your hormones. These are inextricably linked & there’s an interplay between these ‘neuro ()-immune ()-endocrine’ factors. . I’m going to make 4 posts about this since it’s so cool (or at least I think so...). . During pregnancy, your immune system makes a switch so that your body doesn’t attack the growing baby. Otherwise, our bodies would react to the fetus as though it was a foreign invader. In pregnancy, your body down-regulates the Th1 (pro-inflammatory/fighter ) response & has a stronger Th2 & Th3 responses (that support pregnancy). This is why pregnant mommas are more susceptible to illnesses. Interestingly, our hormones, namely progesterone, cortisol, norepinephrine & vitamin D, support this change. . Then postpartum, your body makes a rapid pendulum swing to the Th1 response. This is a pretty dramatic ‘bounce back’ & can influence all the other changes we’re gonna talk about. It also is why so many moms report their autoimmune symptoms get better in pregnancy & why some autoimmune conditions worsen or show up postpartum!. . Interested in learning more? If you’re a clinician, link in the bio for my postpartum continuing education course that goes over this (and how to help patients!). . To be continued! Did you learn something new? Tag a mom friend! See more

Just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean it’s safe for you. Let’s talk essential oils during pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding & infancy. . Now I’m not against essential oil use, but I do want you to use them safely. There is NO and I mean no safety data on EO in the Perinatal time (pregnancy, bf-ing, postpartum, infancy). There is limited data on using them at all tbh. That said, I know if you google it, you’ll find thousands on thousands of recipes for various pregnancy, ...postpartum & infancy issues. . I’m a naturopathic doctor, I LOVE natural health. It’s literally my job . But after studying the pharmacology & pharmacognosy of plants for 4 years after undergrad, I can tell you that you need to treat essential oils with caution. Although they can be effective, they are POTENT. . For an example, most essential oils are sold in 1/2 ounce bottlesto make the one tiny bottle, you’d need about 3.5 whole lavender plants. That’s considerably more plant matter than it’d take to make any other herbal preparation (infusion, tincture, tea etc). . This brings me to some of my concerns with the safety of EO during the Perinatal time: 1) they’re very potent & safety for dosages has not been established 2) they’re not very sustainable, it’s a lot of plant matter for 1 drop 3) most effect the microbiome (strong anti-microbial action etc)we just don’t know how much. . My suggestions: only use with the supervision of a licensed healthcare provider. Never consume orally (at all! Please stop putting it on teething baby gums ) or put on sensitive genitals (don’t use on your vulva/vagina/penis esp postpartum when tissue is healing). Prioritize safer methods of deliver of herbal medicines (tinctures/teas) & once again, ask your healthcare provider first. Use a diffuser for the right sized room & use only for a short period of time with good ventilation (no all night diffusing of lavender in baby’s room). Avoid unsafe oils (in comments) during pregnancy. . Remember, just because it’s ‘natural’ doesn’t mean it’s always safe for you. Essential oils are powerful & we need to use them safely during the Perinatal period. Tag a mom that needs to read this! See more

Officially on Maternity Leave!. . Getting ready to meet our baby boy! Been a busy few weeks but I think we’re almost prepped . . So happy that during this time @dr.natacha.nd will be available to see patients online & in-person at @bewellchiro_bradford . Check out her page for tons of incredible info! The link to book with her is in my bio .... . I’ll be sharing how I’m prepping for labour & postpartum lots in the next few weeks! Love feeling more prepared this time around (mostly knowing how hard it is to actually be prepared ). . Any tips for moving from 1 to 2? See more

Just put the finishing touches on a paper I’m writing about how the COVID pandemic has affected mothers’ mental healthand since I’m so excited (relieved) to click submit, that I had to share this with you! . Research is still emerging but the preliminary studies of how we’ve been feeling show this: an almost DOUBLING in the amount of mothers reporting mood issues during pregnancy & postpartum. . It’s no wonder, with the financial stressors, relationship stress, fears of the ...virus, added work load, decision on going back to school, childcare changes, lack of access to our perinatal appointments ........I could keep going . . But, there are a few things the research is identifying as being helpful: sleep, support & exercise. . These basics are critical right now. Poor sleep in pregnancy has long been associated with worse mood postpartum. Check out my ‘pregnancy’ story highlight for a nighttime routine to promote restful sleep. . Canadian guidelines recommend 150 minutes of exercise weekly, over at least 3 daysincluding resistance (strength), aerobic & pelvic floor exercises. . Support may be different to come by these daysin the link in my bio, there’s a free 10-page guide for creating a Postpartum Care Plan for yourself . . At 35 weeks, with a 2-year old & a small business, I totally get how you’re feeling . We got this mommas . . Tag & share with a momma that needs to hear this! See more

Betcha never got told about this!. . Our nutrient needs are higher postpartum than even during pregnancyand this is even MORE so if you are breastfeeding. . During pregnancy, we’ve all likely heard about the needs to nourish ourselves. Plus it’s easy to think of while there’s a tiny human inside you. But postpartum, a mother’s nutrition & her needs often fall by the wayside.... . There’s even advice out there that will say that what you eat doesn’t really matterto the baby that is . And while yes, your breast milk will be nourishing for baby no matter what you eat, the nutritional content of it will vary based on your own stores. As well, that advice is pretty anti-mom, since if you don’t have enough coming in, your body will find somegreat sources are things like your bones! . . Despite Canadian mothers only having 1 visit postpartum, I’m working to change this & encourage you to see your naturopathic doctor for a nutritional evaluation postpartum. You’ve just grown a new human from scratch & this has taken a lot of your nutrients. You’ll also need to heal from laboureven more so if there was tearing or a c-section. Your losing blood for about 6 weeks (lochia), which will require nutrients to replete, and your uterus is shrinking back to the non-pregnant position, which requires nutrients to support the connective tissues. And if you’re breastfeeding, that also requires a lot of nutrients to supply you & baby!. . This isn’t talked about enough & even amongst practitioners there’s a huge gap in care. If you’re interested in learning more, I’ve created a Continuing Education course on Postpartumlink in the bio!. . Tag a new mom that needs to hear this! See more

Thanks to BradfordToday.ca for highlighting our government’s response to the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative petition! We need to take action to encourage our government to develop a national perinatal mental health strategy. Please #emailyourMP & ask them to bring attention to this! There is a sample letter for you at CPMHC.ca

Seriously though. Why doesn’t this get more attention?! As a mom myself & advocate for other mothers, I couldn’t be more disappointed in our government right now. . In May, the petition started by the CPMHC that THOUSANDS of mothers signed was brought to the House of Commons. We were asking for something Canada should already have a national perinatal mental health strategy. . Our government just tabled the petition & their response shows the EXACT reasons we need this chan...ge. Instead of a strategy, they cited a total mess of resources that are neither focused in perinatal health or always accessible. Canada needs a strategy that includes universal screening and access to treatment. With PMADs being the number one complication of the perinatal timethis shouldn’t have happened. . Will you join me in letting our government know that mothers NEED this change? Especially given the more than doubling of perinatal mental health issues in light of the COVID pandemic, support for new mothers is necessary. Please, tag & share with other moms or your fav news outlet so we can get this message out there. . It’s time for a change! See more

Matrescence: the process of birthing the mother. . This cool word, that’s not very well known, pretty much sums up what I help women with. . Matrescence is the physical, psychological & emotional changes that a woman goes through after birthing her child. .... Anthropologists use this word to describe the transition into motherhoodsimilar to how our brain & body change so much during adolescence. . If you scroll through my feed, you’ll see that in the days after we give birth, our hormones have the most profound shift that any human experiences across the lifetime (yes, including menopause & puberty!). At the same time, you’re recovering from the most physically demanding event of a human’s lifepregnancy & childbirth. Your brain changes significantly during pregnancy & the first 2 years postpartum& although research is still emerging, it’d seem it’s some of the most substantial changes that occur across the lifespanincluding puberty! Oh & you’re sleep deprived, learning to care for a newborn & adding a new member to your family. . Matrescence hasn’t been explored much in medical literature but it is one of the most significant life events. Almost 85% of women will have a baby at some point in their life. If you’re a woman you need to know about this. If you’re a clinician that works with womenyou work with pregnant & postpartum women & need to be informed about this time. . Tag someone to teach them a new word! See more

I’m going to bet that almost all of us reading this needed to pause & unclench our jaw. We often hold a lot of tension in that area of our body & this events of this year have likely increased that. . I’m 8 months pregnant & starting to prepare for my labour. Did you know that our jaw tension can be reflected in tension in the pelvic floor? The famous midwife Ina May Gaskin called this the ‘sphincter law’ or ‘open mouth-open cervix phenomenon’. Anatomically your jaw & your pe...lvis are connected by the deep front line of fascia. There are various myofascial lines that run throughout our bodies & tension in one area can contribute to tension in another area. This link of muscles & connective tissue runs form your calf, to your pelvic floor, up through your thoracic cavity all the way to your jaw & bottom of your skull. . When we feel stress, anxiety, fear, pain or anger, you’ll notice that you clench your jaw, buttocks & pelvic floor. When we have fear around labour, we naturally clench: which can give rise to pain, then more fear, then... In labour, because we’re often feeling fear & anxiety, this clenching can start. This can cause the circular muscles of the uterus & around you cervix to constrict, while the longitudinal muscles continue to contract. Our muscles start working against each other. . We can relax our jaws through tongue positioning (rest it lightly behind your upper front teeth), diaphragmatic breathing (scroll down a few posts for info on this), sing, sigh or hum & yoga poses. I’ve also created a course for you & your partner on labour coping techniques & what to expect. This course is meant to be done together, so your support person can help you through this! Link in the bio! . Tag a mom that needs to hear this! See more

Breastmilk changes to adapt to what your baby needs. After growing & making a new human over 9 months, your body intelligently nourishes this little life . . Colostrum comes first: it’s often referred to as ‘liquid gold’ because it’s so amazing for baby’s health. Your breasts actually start making it in weeks 16-22 of your pregnancy! Colostrum is packed with immune components, called secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) that will line the digestive, respiratory & reproducti...ve tracts to stop pathogens . Remember, breastfeeding doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Breastfeeding is hard af, and sometimes colostrum is all we can provide for our babies. This alone imparts amazing benefits for baby’s immune system. . Next comes transitional milk for about 3-7 days. It has higher levels of fat & water-soluble vitamins than colostrum & is more filling for your grow babe. Finally comes mature milk!. . If you nurse until your baby is a toddler (the WHO & Canadian Pediatric Society recommend until 2 years), the milk will again change, with more antibodies & higher fat content. . And you may have heard your milk changes too if you or baby is sick, when your baby hits a growth spurt & from day to night. You & baby are SO connected & your body knows just what to do See more

Just breathe, momma. . When I first heard about diaphragmatic breathing, I was taking vocal lessons as a child. Fun fact about me: I started my undergraduate degree as a music majorpianist right here! Knowing how to breathe properly was critical for any course that required singing. I definitely never thought to apply it to my core exercises that I was doing at the Laurier gym toobut probably should have! . And now, as a naturopathic doctor that works with pregnant & postpa...rtum moms, I talk to moms about it almost every day. ‘Diaphragmatic breathing’ is the word for this. If you want a quick lesson, take a look at your little one. Notice their tiny tummy rising & falling (*squeal at how cute & tiny it is*). Now take a peak at how you breathe. Most adults inhale, while expanding their chest & raise their shoulders, then exhale & expand their bellies. We actually want to breathe in & expand our bellies, then exhale & bring our belly back in to our spine. . Technically speaking, when we’re inhaling like this, we activate our lungs, diaphragm while lengthening our transverse abdominis muscle & pelvic floor. When we exhale, our transverse abdominis & pelvic floor can return to their neutral state. . Just breathing will help you activate & heal your core, helping to heal diastasis recti & prevent organ prolapse. (I LOVE @thebellemethod for her cues & videos on this). It’s also a good mantra for those postpartum days. This also helps bring us into a ‘parasympathetic state’, which helps us feel more relaxed. I also love this breathing technique for moms in early labourin the link in my bio, there’s a course for you & your partner that details different ways of breathing for different stages of labour. . Had you heard to do this after having a baby? Tag a momma that needs to know! See more

How you give birth & recover from birth matters. . Mommas, I want you to feel safe & supported for your motherhood journey. I’ve created a course for you & your partner on Labour Support (link in my bio). . I’ve also made you a free Postpartum Care plana 10-page download!.... . How did you feel at your birth? See more