A Mother's Guide to a Calmer Nervous System and Healthier Gut
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Lauren grew up doing rhythmic gymnastics and dancing for 12 years this was an essential aspect of her journey, a creative use of her energy through movement. Water sports also played an important role as well in learning to challenge herself and appreciate her body and mind and how you far you can apply yourself physically and mentally at a competitive level.
Your nervous system drives your gut health, and your gut health influences your mental health. So creating a healthy nervous system will support your gut and brain and influence your postpartum time. A healthy nervous system is one that can adapt through daily stressors and find regulation.
Your autonomic nervous system is made up of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Your vagus nerve provides primary pathways for your parasympathetic nervous system, which then has two branches, dorsal and ventral. All these pathways have different types of responses.
This is important because when we are aware of how our body works, we are connected to the important information our nervous system is telling us. The way we have responded in any moment can stay within our body, and the ventral branch of the parasympathetic nervous system is the key to connecting your emotions with safety, focusing on connection, and acknowledging distress.
If you have been able to process what has been going on in that moment and feel safe, you will respond to other future situations in a calmer manner.
How your nervous system is functioning post birth will depend on many factors, from how the pregnancy went, how the labour and birth went, and what support you have had during this time. It is how you have responded to these situations physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, not what the experience was, so this is different for everyone.
Preparation
If you didn't have a traumatic birth and don't need further specialised support, there are steps to focus on right away to create habits for your nervous system to rely on in the busyness of your postpartum time.
Preparation is key, and in the early days, suggesting family and friends help so you can have all the time you need to create that fourth trimester for baby and for you will support both your nervous systems. An important suggestion is to have warm, nourishing meals made for you that include high-quality protein, some complex carbohydrates, and vegetables. Balanced nutrients will support your nervous system, including B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and calcium.
Taking time to sit down and relax while eating is important. Your body wants to be in a state of rest and digest so you can absorb the nutrients your body needs. If you are breastfeeding, ideally, you would have a gap by yourself, but that's not often the case, so a meal that is manageable while you breastfeed is great. If the baby is formula-fed, family or friends could help feed the baby so you can relax and eat.
Your body absorbs food best in an ideal environment, which depends on the state of your gut and the levels of stress and inflammation in your body. You will be doing your best in the overwhelming moments, so be kind to yourself and take what quiet times you can get.
When it gets busier with less help, creating time to prep for meals will make days smoother and more manageable.
Food choices
Reducing inflammation. The goal post birth is to get on top of any inflammation and pain in your body. The level of inflammation will contribute to overall stress and your gut health.
Foods that lower inflammation and support your gut microbiome are foods high in antioxidants, omega 3s, and amino acids, such as blueberries, salmon, eggs, olive oil, avocado, walnuts, almonds, turmeric, quinoa, bone broth, and sauerkraut.
Glutamine is a specific amino acid that performs a wide variety of functions to help support digestive functioning and the immune system. It has been studied for its role in supporting the intestinal wall and gut barrier function. It promotes the health of the digestive tract by regulating cell division in the intestinal lining. It is also a critical fuel source for immune cells, including white blood cells and certain intestinal cells.
Supportive foods include liver, animal protein, sauerkraut, beetroot, eggs, seafood, and kefir.
A balance of minerals supports your digestive system, stress levels, and energy. They help by producing HCl to digest food. When your digestive enzymes are working well, you can digest and absorb all your nutrients.
These minerals are sodium and potassium. They will not only support digestion, but also support your adrenal glands, which respond to stress.
Resiliency
Our adaptability to stress is based on the resiliency of our nervous system. Chronic stress can deplete nutrients, especially magnesium. Food is less utilised in a stressed state.
Your gut health is the foundation for your immune system, which plays a part in your response to certain foods digested, and the connection to your brain through your vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve is your 10th cranial nerve, which originates in your brainstem. It is a bundle of nerves, and some of its many functions include controlling your digestive system, breathing, and speech. It influences insulin signaling and emotional stress responses. It has a huge influence on how you feel day to day, and when you activate it, it can support all these factors to feel balanced.
Steps to create this balance
Use your breath. The 4 to 6 breathing technique is a simple method to calm your nervous system. By inhaling for 4 seconds through your nose, exhaling for 6 seconds through your nose, and pausing for 2 seconds, the longer exhale signals safety to your brain, lowering your heart rate and easing tension. You can do this anytime in the day or night. Aim for 10 cycles.
Humming and singing to your baby is great for relaxing and bonding, and it also activates your vagus nerve.
Specific treatment to look after your nervous system
Go to a chiropractor if you can. Why? A review by Haas et al. suggests that chiropractic care and specific adjustments relevant to your needs may positively affect the nervous system and may influence cortisol levels and inflammatory markers. Your endocrine and immune systems adapt to support your capacity. We are supporting many systems in your body, not just reducing pain and helping your body move better.
From your 5th thoracic vertebra down to your 2nd lumbar vertebra, the nerves exiting at these levels go on to innervate your digestive system, so if these areas are not moving well, they may contribute to symptoms of poor digestion.
The way your nervous system responds in a situation can hold the memory in your body. Particularly after a cesarean section, or if you had a traumatic birth, addressing emotions and reducing pain and inflammation is the first step in healing. When you can process what you went through, this signals safety and releases stored tension and stress.
As mothers, we need to create moments in the day to reset our nervous systems. These habits will carry us through every stage and not only support ourselves, but our children too.
Putting things in perspective by focusing on small moments throughout the day to check our posture, breath, and thoughts contributes to regulating our nervous system and gut.
If you want any support on your journey through motherhood, reach out today. Let's work together to create a balanced, supported experience.
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Read more from Lauren Bainbridge
Lauren Bainbridge, Holistic Health Chiropractor
Lauren is the owner of Holistic Health and Chiropractic. A Mum of three young girls, living in North Canterbury, New Zealand. She has always had a passion for healthy living and inspiring others to approach their health in a holistic way. Lauren is very passionate about putting more energy into postpartum care. The transition that occurs on all levels for women, from leading up to conception to the pregnancy and birth, and following the birth, their postpartum journey, is a huge transformation and should be an enjoyable one.
References:
Bostock, Richie. 2020. Exhale: How to Use Breathwork to Find Calm, Supercharge Your Health and Perform at Your Best. Penguin Life.
Dana, D. 2021. Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory. Sounds True.
Haas et al. 2024. Vertebral Subluxation and Systems Biology: An Integrative Review Exploring the Salutogenic Influence of Chiropractic Care on the Neuroendocrine Immune System. Cureus.
