Combining Western Herbs with TCM Formulas for Postpartum Care (Online)

Blend Western herbs with TCM for postpartum care, aiding lactation, mood, and digestion while enhancing outcomes and continuity.
About this Event

TCM practitioners have many reasons to explore the synergies between traditional Chinese formulas and the many Western herbs that, in partnership, can enhance desired therapeutic outcomes. Many patients are already taking herbs when they come to us, and it is responsible to counsel them in their health choices and understand where there may be risks, incompatibilities, or desirable compounded effects from taking Western herbs in conjunction with TCM formulas.

The postpartum period offers a wide variety of health challenges to navigate for new parents and babies. This class will help practitioners broaden and refine their skills with Western and Chinese herbs as well as food therapy and dietary supplements to support newborns and their families.

We commonly hear from fertility focused practitioners that their relationships with patients often dissipate once they’ve ‘achieved their goal’ of getting pregnant and/or carrying a healthy baby to term. In this course, we provide tools to support the continuity of care in the postpartum period and beyond. Both Thomas and Ben’s early herbal education included guidance and training by midwives that employed TCM and Western herbs and they’ve both continued learning and practicing these valuable traditions in their decades of experience including with their own children.

For non-TCM practitioners, this class will provide orientation to TCM formulas and core competencies as well as many Western herbs for postpartum and infant support.

Conditions and topics to include:

Lactation support
Postpartum depression
Tissue injury from birthing
Gestational diabetes
Vaginal discharge
Digestive support for infants
Mood and sleep
Jaundice
Umbilical cord care

2 CEUs NCCAOM Provider # 1104 and California CEP 538

Benjamin Zappin, LAc

Benjamin has been practicing herbal medicine and acupuncture, dietary therapy, and martial arts for over 25 years. Ben brings a passion for Western and East Asian herbal medicine to clinical practice and teaching and loves inspiring others to experience the healing power of wild and garden plants. He has worked extensively with mental health professionals and enjoys educating about developing collaborative integrative health practice. He is the CEO and founder of Five Flavors Herbs, an herbal extract manufacturer and distributor.