Q I heard a postpartum tonic isn't taken all at once but comes in stages. In what order does it proceed?
A It starts with a stage that resolves blood stasis in the uterus and aids the discharge of lochia, then moves to a tonifying stage that replenishes the depleted qi and blood once the blood stasis is cleared. The order and duration are adjusted to your delivery method and recovery condition.
Detailed Answer
Postpartum recovery is not a matter of taking one medicine for a long time; the prescription changes according to the recovery stage. In the early postpartum period, the priority is to expel the waste (lochia) remaining in the uterus and to help the uterus return to its proper size; once this process has settled to some extent, tonification follows to refill the body depleted by bleeding and physical exertion. If there are accompanying symptoms such as postpartum wind illness, treatment tailored to them is added.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
Dongjedang guides this as two stages of \"emptying out and refilling.\" In the early stage, we clear the uterus with Saenghwa-tang (Saenghwa decoction) formulas that resolve blood stasis and aid the discharge of lochia, and once the blood stasis has been sufficiently cleared, we refill qi and blood with modified Boheo-tang (Boheo decoction) and Sipjeon-daebo-tang formulas to boost metabolism and recovery capacity. The weight and duration of each stage are designed differently for each patient according to delivery method, stamina, and symptoms.
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