In Today's Issue:
- Why traditional research methods fail postpartum mothers
- How we're building evidence beyond what journals will publish
- The uncomfortable truth about what actually drives postpartum studies
"Where's the study?"
I hear this constantly when I present comprehensive approaches to postpartum care. And I understand the frustration. We're trained to look for peer-reviewed validation before we believe something works.
But here's the uncomfortable truth: most postpartum studies aren't studying what matters.
Listen: Why We Had to Go Beyond Traditional Research →
The majority of postpartum studies focus on socioeconomic factors, breastfeeding rates, or depression screening tools—not because these are the most important variables, but because they're easy to quantify and measure.
Meanwhile, the complex interplay between nutritional biochemistry, nervous system regulation, cultural practices, and chronobiology? Nearly impossible to study using traditional research methods.
You can't randomize mothers to different cultural support systems. You can't control for the dozens of variables affecting nutrient absorption. You can't isolate the impact of warming foods from the ritual of being cared for.
At Postpartum University®, we've moved beyond waiting for studies that confirm what traditional cultures have known for millennia.
Instead, we're researching across disciplines that rarely talk to each other:
- Anthropological studies on traditional postpartum practices
- Neuroscience research on maternal brain changes
- Chronobiology findings on female biological rhythms
- Nutritional biochemistry on absorption and metabolism
- Trauma research on nervous system regulation
When you synthesize findings across these fields, patterns emerge that no single postpartum study could capture.
The most comprehensive evidence comes from connecting dots across multiple fields of study—exactly what we do in our certification programs. Our reference lists span hundreds of sources because true understanding requires this interdisciplinary approach.
Get the Full Framework: Why 5 Sciences Matter More Than 1 Study →
We're not collecting studies that confirm what we already know. We're taking what we already know from established sciences and applying it to the unique physiological state of postpartum recovery.
That's how we create real, lasting change for mothers.
PNC Update: Cohort Full + Alternative Training
The Postpartum Nutrition Certification Program is now closed, and we're thrilled about this incredible Fall 2025 cohort.
Didn't get in? The Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training is still available and represents one of the most crucial foundations for postpartum care.
This training addresses the neurological component we discussed today—understanding how the postpartum brain actually works, why anxiety and depression manifest, and how to support nervous system regulation alongside any other care you provide.
Every provider working with postpartum women needs this foundation, regardless of their primary specialty.
Learn More About PMH Certificate Training →
Stay fierce, stay rooted,
Maranda Bower
CEO & Founder of Postpartum University®
www.PostpartumU.com
