Magnesium’s Role in Postpartum Wellness

Magnesium is an important mineral our body needs and the fact that 80-90% of pregnant women are deficient is a huge issue!  Why, you ask?  (Tip:  It’s not just about the leg cramps).

If you’re pregnant and deficient then your baby could be also.  

Your body can only give to the baby what your body has.

Luckily there are ways to help this.   But first, why is Magnesium important?  

It has many functions in the body including supporting muscle and nerve function, regulating blood sugar levels, and promotes a healthy immune system.   It also helps with:

• Transmission of nerve signals
• Regulating blood sugar
• Regulating Blood pressure and heart health
• the building of protein and strong bones
• Digestive function

How do you know you’re lacking?

As a general guide only (of course, many other things could be a contributor also) some signs could be:

• Anxiety and/or panic attacks 
• Depression
• Headaches / Migraines
• Muscle cramping / spasms
• Constipation
• Indigestion / acid reflux
• Hormone imbalance
• Heart palpitations

As postpartum depression and anxiety are becoming increasingly common, always chat with your health care provider and ask for blood tests to check your vitamin/mineral levels.  Personally, I take my results to a qualified naturopath as they look at the results and low markers through a different lens.

What can help?

Soaking in a magnesium bath or foot bath for 20-30 mins – either magnesium chloride flakes or Epsom salts (aka magnesium sulphate) or a mixture of both is ideal if you’re pregnant or after childbirth.  

Tip: 

If you’ve got a new baby, ask someone to get a foot tub ready and while you’re breastfeeding (or bottle feeding, holding baby) have your feet soaking in it. 

Of course, it’s easier if you have someone to help you with this so they can take the tub away and dry your feet when your done.  Aaaah, a bit of pampering, how lovely – and it’s just what you need. :)

Soaking every day for 2 weeks is ideal to begin with. Then possibly 2-3 x a week after that. Listen to your body. 

Magnesium’s Buddy

B Vitamins, particularly Vit B6 support the absorption and utilisation of magnesium, and of course nature creates perfect food that contains both Vit B6 and magnesium. 

Eating for postpartum recovery and wellbeing:

If you’re in early postpartum, eating easy to digest foods is really important.  This is a sort list of foods, and most contain both Magnesium and B6.  Ensure the nuts, seeds and grains are soaked before eating to help with absorption of nutrients.

• potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• leafy greens like kale & spinach
• sunflower seeds
• pumpkin seeds
• pistachios
• salmon, and fatty fish
• lentils
• chickpeas
• black beans
• bananas
• avocados
• prunes
• brown rice
• quinoa
• quality dark chocolate (without all the sugar)

Transdermal V’s Internal:

When you take the magnesium transdermally (via the skin) your body will absorb what it needs. If taking a supplement, there’s a chance of having too much which can result in diarrhea, or stomach cramping.

Supplements are not created equal, and with a postpartum body, can not digest or absorb that well.

There’s many varieties and they vary in quality. Another good thing to know is that 50% of magnesium is actually stored in our bones, while 49% is stored in the cells and tissues, leaving only 1% in the blood! So getting a blood test is not a very reliable way of knowing where your levels are at.

It’s a complex issue, and to be honest, not much satisfactory research has been done on magnesium and the body to really give concrete answers.

If you’ve had a baby recently or even in the past few years, and feeling all over the place – digestion is out, hair is thinning, thrush has set in, depression or anxiety and you would like to know more about eating the right foods for hormone balance, having the essential vitamins & minerals a mama needs for optimum health, recovery, and breastfeeding then enquire about the Mamas Nutrition & Wellbeing plan.  

Book in for a no-obligation, free call with me.   I’m here to help you thrive, not just cope.  Enquire here

Blessings 

Tara