What is a Mother Roaster

Whenever I encounter someone who is unfamiliar with the term Mother Roasting I seem to get the same questions. Men are the first ones to envision turning some poor woman on a spit over and open fire, and are even more perplexed when I respond with "yes, it's sort of like that." It's not of course, but it certainly gets their attention.

Mother Roasting is the simple act of keeping the postpartum Mother warm. Primarily practiced in Asian and Indian cultures, it is believed that the process of childbirth is cooling to the body and by warming the Mother during the postpartum period aids in healing and restoring homeostasis.

In many cultures, after a woman gives birth, the other women in the family or tribe gather together to take care of the Mother and infant. Modern life has disregarded or forgotten this nurturing custom. The 4th Trimester is a vital time in the emotional, physical, and spiritual "closing" of the birth journey.

Often, women are left feeling overwhelmed and alone after the birth of a child. Post Partum Doulas/Mother Roasters have reclaimed the tradition of caring for new Mothers, providing services to aid in the transition after birth. Women "mothering" women can help prevent "baby blues" and postpartum depression thru emotional support, nourishing foods, and herbal treatments.

"When looking at birth from anthropological perspective, it seems that women in traditional societies commonly not only had relatively easy births, but also enjoyed rapid and complete recoveries with minimal complications, especially in regard to postpartum blood loss. Also, rarely were there problems with breast-milk production (Lang 1987)." - Natural Health after Birth: Complete Guide to Postpartum Wellness by Aviva Jill Romm

"Worldwide, women in all cultures are encouraged to lie-in during the weeks following birth, allowing other women in their community to take care of them, nourishing, massaging, binding, bathing, and loving on them. They treat the mother with reverence and respect, giving her a safe space to focus solely on her own bodies needs and her babies needs. This alone, without any pomp and ritual, will help a woman to 'come back to' society quicker, by giving her grace and understanding to take a moment to claim and process the recent events and new life she is entrusted with."

-http://wonderfullymadebelliesandbabies.blogspot.com/2013/10/mother-roasting.html

www.SacredWomanRising.com