RECLAIM THE POSTPARTUM

Day 2:

MOROCCO & HER MEDICINE

by LAYLA B. Hello soul sister! Welcome to day 2 of Reclaim the Postpartum Challenge.

I hope you enjoyed #day1 and started to think about how we need to reclaim the postpartum.

Today we are going to be looking at the first 40 day traditions in Morocco for new mothers.

Let’s jump right in.

WHAT IS THE FIRST 40 DAYS?

The first 40 days in this case refers to the first 40 days that a woman experiences when becoming a new mother...by giving birth and the 40 days that follow it. It is important to mention that some women may have and stillborn babies and they are new mothers too, so we should acknowledge that with the women we work with and treat them with love and compassion.

In the West the first 40 days is also known as the fourth trimester.

On my online certification training, TNPS, we are studying traditional and indigenous Moroccan postpartum medicine that is offered to the new mother for the first forty days.

This medicine is indigenous as it originates from the Amazigh people of Morocco, who are the indigenous people. Of course there may be a few influences from the Arabs, since Morocco went through an Arabization period and also influences from the religion, Islam.

In Morocco the first 40 days is known as the l’aarbeen dyal nfissa. So basically: Forty Days of the New Mother

Marhalato) مرحلة النفاس :In Classical Arabic this stage is known as the Nifaas). This means the .

In the Arabic world there is also the postpartum tradition of forty days for the new mother and we know this is also common in many cultures around the world. WHO CARES FOR THE NEW MOTHER?

Generally, the new mother is taken care of by her own mother, or mother-in-law, sister, aunty, grandmother or any other female relative, or a few of them. Sometimes the new mother will stay at her house, or generally move in to her mother’s home.

Traditionally, the new mother would not do anything apart from feed her baby, rest, recover and absorb the traditions and rituals provided to her. When all the women used to birth at home before hospitals, just like my grandmother’s did, there would usually be a traditional who would attend the birth and then assist the new mother for the first week with rituals such as the hamam and closing the bones. These traditions were done involving other women in the family and with their support, which is why these traditions have managed to stay alive and keep being passed down from generation to generation.

I love the fact that many women still do hold onto these traditions and almost all the Arabic postpartum women who I have helped, always have family supporting them. Even though they are expats in the UAE and their families are far away, they make the effort to travel miles away and support their daughters, or daughters in law. I have never witnessed/ or been told about postpartum among the women I visit (although motherhood is still hard), however they do not have to lift a finger, which in itself is a huge support.

THE QABLAS

Qabla comes from the Arabic word: qobool, which means to receive. Qablas are traditional in Morocco, who used to be present in all cities and towns. They serve women in their homes and community and assist them in , labour, birth and the postpartum for about the first week. During that time other female family members will be supporting the new mother too and after the qabla finishes her duties too. They use traditional methods, techniques and rituals to support women, even for and issues. THE FIRST 40 DAYS IN MOROCCO

The nfissa (new mother) and the first 40 days is extremely important in Morocco. Morocco as you have seen is a country that is very cultural, has a lot of history, folklore, storytelling and the traditions are passed down orally and through experiential participation and learning in families throughout the country. They have been passed down by qablas (traditional midwives), healers, women who got support from qablas as new mothers, women caring for their daughters and it kept on going for centuries.

In Morocco, the new mother is known as the NFISSA. This comes from the Arabic word Nafsa and the word only relates to a new mother and that is the specific word she gets and is known as, for at least 40 days and also up to a year. That is why I named this program The Nafsa Project School, as it is all about new mothers, and us of course.

Traditionally, there was no question about how a new mother should be treated, what would be expected of the community and family and what traditions would unfold. This was all expected and accepted by new mothers. It was not because the new mother was over reactive, or exaggerating, but it was because the wise women and elders knew exactly what new mothers went through, what they needed to heal and why they needed it.

The forty day rest period, also known as confinement or the lying-in period in English was an absolute must and all new mothers were provided with this opportunity with no guilt or shame.

In Morocco, nafsas (new mothers) used to be referred to as new brides. In many cultures, brides have high significance and importance. Preparations for the wedding begin many months and sometimes years in advance. In Morocco, a bride is such a big deal and the wedding is as equally important, even for people with low income.

Moroccan weddings usually last a few days, with numerous traditional outfit changes, traditional music, traditional food, traditional rituals such as henna adorning, beautification and hamam parties. This still happens to this day which is an amazing preservation of culture and traditions. WHY 40 DAYS?

In many cultures around the world the postpartum rest period is ideally a minimum of 40 days too. The ‘cuarrentina’ in Mexico and Latin American refers to the forty day postpartum confinement traditions, the Arab world also focuses on 40 days (such as other North African countries, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, the UAE, etc), in China they have ‘doing the month’, Malaysia focuses on forty four days and other Asian countries also have similar traditions and the list goes on from other countries in Africa, to Korea, Indonesia and in many corners of the globe. Even in Croatia and Greece the mother was supported with rest for forty days. In England, where it is hard to find traditional postpartum traditions, you are advised to get a six week postpartum check to make sure everything is alright with the new mother and baby.

We created a video showing the traditional rituals of the six stages a Moroccan new mother would experience… this video went viral. Since it reached millions of people, the amazing thing is that, we also got to learn from other cultures. Many women shared that they also have an approximate forty day rest period in their countries, they had people to care and cook for them, warm food was provided and rituals could involve herbs, massage, steams and different variations.

Some of the countries I listed from the comments are: Guatemala, China, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Gambia, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Greece, Croatia, Japan, Somalia and many more.

On the contrary, women from the UK, USA and other western cultures complained that new mothers had no support, no traditional care and they were meant to fend for themselves. A few women also highlighted that they had friends who had given birth in these countries and sadly died by suicide.

Even though this traditional medicine does not have much scientific evidence to back it up, we can see that women around the world crave it, it has been working for centuries and generations and the women who receive it feel better and love it. However saying that, there is research now which does support a lot of this type of traditional medicine, but to be honest I do not care much about the scientific research since I believe in this medicine, but it is good to have if you are working with clients. So why did wise women around the globe come up with this set of days for new mothers?

Here are some of the reasons:

LOCHIA: This is the vaginal bleeding a new mother experiences after she becomes a new mother. The can take about 40 days to stop and in many cultures, certainly the Moroccan one, that is when the new mother can begin having intercourse if she wants to. In Morocco women do not have intercourse when they are bleeding as new mothers and even when menstruating. This is cultural but also Islamic.

BREASTFEEDING: For women it is usually established and becomes ‘easier’ (for those who may be struggling), after the first 40 days, about 6 weeks.

WOMB: Due to pregnancy, the woman’s womb () grows about ten times in size to accommodate the baby. After the birth, the uterus contracts to go back to its original size. It is normally back to its size by the first forty days.

VULVA: By the first forty days the may be healed if there have been any tears, mainly natural ones, as can take much longer for some women. Any swelling, soreness and bruising will have subsided.

STRENGTH: With these postpartum traditions, rituals, rest and the nourishing food a new mother usually feels that she has regained a lot of her strength by the forty days; especially as her bleeding has most likely stopped, her womb is not contracting and causing after pains, breastfeeding may be established and her body is recovering.

CULTURAL: In Morocco forty days also has cultural significance in different aspects of life. These are cultural and not religious. For example after someone dies, a ‘sadaqa’ (charitable dinner) may take place to remember the deceased and donate food to the poor. Sometimes widows wear white clothes for forty days after their husband dies and new mothers get forty days postpartum rest and support as a minimum.

EMOTIONAL: By the end of the forty days if the new mother has been provided with the space for rest and received the healing rituals (this refers to other traditions too), the woman will be more emotionally ready to take on her new role. Being a mother is not easy and there are always challenges along the way and stressful moments, however the foundation of a good first forty days will support the mother on her journey. If the journey starts off with trauma, a lack of support, stress and , the journey for the mother and baby may be much rougher.

RITE-OF-PASSAGE & BARAKA

In lesson one I spoke about baraka, but I wanted to repeat this part in order to highlight it again. I got this particular information from an article online, however the author did not present their name. In any case, what is said is true, as being Moroccan I have heard about all these traditions too.

Baraka has many meanings in Morocco, but it is principally the positive power of the saints or the blessings from Allah (God) when looking at it from an Islamic perspective. It is a source of inspiration among most Moroccan artisans. Baraka permeates all things to varying degrees; not only can it exist in jewelry, talismans and other manufactured objects, such as ceramics and textiles, it is also thought to suffuse plants, such as henna and oleander, and incenses, such as sandalwood and myrrh.

Henna is a very important herb in Morocco and is used throughout the life of a girl and woman.

The baraka power is transferred to objects and textiles by the use of a particular artistic vocabulary of symbols, designs, motifs, colors and techniques that protect the object, creator and consumer. Baraka is sought and used to deal with the darker forces of life, curing illnesses and protecting oneself against the evil jnoun (spirits--the source of the English word “genie”) and the evil eye.

Substances containing baraka, such as saffron, henna, incense and other natural healing elements are believed to infuse the body with positive healing energy and are applied during rite-of-passage ceremonies that typically include blood flow. This would relate to girls starting their menstruation, brides losing their virginity and new mothers after birth. These indigenous rite-of-passage ceremonies for new mothers are what we learn at The Nafsa Project School and they are an integral part of the Moroccan culture and history.

Can you imagine that you could be part of reviving, reclaiming, restoring and re-membering these traditions which may date back to 3,000 BC when the Amazigh apparently were in Morocco and North Africa?

I am even more excited than ever!

THE 6 STAGES OF HEALING

Now we move onto the six stages of healing of indigenous and traditional Moroccan postpartum medicine. I have come up with these stages myself from observing the traditions and my life as a new mother and Moroccan woman.

The stages are: Welcome Her, Honour Her, Nourish Her, Nurture Her, Close Her and Celebrate Her.

These stages are done together and not independent to one another. When a woman is reaching the end of her pregnancy she is being welcomed and honoured by getting support and this continues upon her becoming a new mother. Nourishing her also starts from pregnancy and continues throughout the first forty days. Nurturing is done through the hamam and steams after about two days postpartum as with the closing. Celebrating her is continuously done. CLOSING

This is the end to the lesson for today and I hope you got an insight into the importance of the first forty days, why we need to educate women about it and start offering this type of support which follows the 6 stages.

For your challenge today, please come to the Facebook group, make a new post starting with #day2 and share:

Your thoughts on this mini workshop? Why do you think we NEED to reclaim the first forty days? Which changes can you start making today to reclaim the the first forty days?

With much love, blessings and kindness,

Layla B. Xoxo RECLAIM THE POSTPARTUM

© LAYLA B. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.