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Thriving Postpartum

Embracing the Indigenous Wisdom of La Cuarentena

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

From ancestral healing expert Pānquetzani comes traditional Indigenous wisdom for helping women thrive in, rather than merely survive, the postpartum experience.
Though we now have more resources for ancestral birthing and self-care practices than ever, postpartum care is still largely stuck in an outdated, patriarchal paradigm that fails to serve mothers and newborns. "Slowing down, recovering fully, and giving your baby the best start isn't a privilege—it's a basic human need," says Pānquetzani, a leading expert in Indigenous health care for women. In Thriving Postpartum, she shares the sacred ritual of la cuarentena (or quarantine) that honors, nurtures, and empowers a birthing person's transition into their new life. Here, you'll find guidance on:

  • Herbal recipes and 25 yerbas for postpartum healing
  • Newborn and immediate postpartum care
  • Sacred foods in la cuarentena
  • Bodywork
  • Your emotional body in la cuarentena
  • Sex, pleasure, and intimacy postpartum
    Pānquetzani teaches this 40-day journey as a spiritual rite of passage, one that has endured colonization and supported women in Mesoamerican, Mexican, and Central American communities. She shares everything you'll need—from ancestral recipes for lactation and replenishing, to prayers and somatic practices for physical, emotional, and sexual recovery. Through traditional stories and practical guidance, she also helps you engage your support network, become your own best advocate, and lay a healthy foundation for the years to come.
    "This wisdom has come from my familia and is a direct inheritance from our collective body of knowledge," says Pānquetzani. Imparted with love, tenderness, and respect, here is an invitation to participate in a rich tradition that celebrates birth and motherhood as sacred acts of creation.

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      • Publisher's Weekly

        August 19, 2024
        This illuminating primer by herbalist Pānquetzani (Learn the Pinche Internet) outlines Indigenous strategies for healing after giving birth. The guidance is based around observing la cuarentena, a 40-day postpartum period during which the mother rests and bonds with her baby. Pānquetzani breaks down how to spend some of that time, suggesting readers start taking vaginal steam baths as muscle soreness sets in three days after giving birth, and devote portions of the last few weeks to mourning “the old you.” Detailing the healing benefits of various herbs, she suggests that yarrow relieves inflammation and recommends including it in tea alongside chamomile, honey, and peppercorns. Elsewhere, she includes recipes for such easily digestible dishes as chocolate atole, bone broth, and fermented vegetables. A chapter devoted to working through emotions brings a welcome prioritization of mental health (to deal with feeling overwhelmed, she recommends listing one’s responsibilities and figuring out what can be cut or covered by someone else). Throughout, Pānquetzani provides detailed background on the Indigenous knowledge systems undergirding the advice, explaining that la cuarentena’s focus on rest stems from the belief that mothers need time to regain the tonalli (heat, roughly) they lost after giving birth. It’s a soulful ode to the wisdom of tradition. Agent: Steven Harris, CSG Literary Partners.

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    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

    Languages

    • English

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