Mother's Milk

I went back to 100% the day Sebastian was born. It just sort of happened in a way that felt incredibly right for both of us. I had been craving cherries and peaches and wanted them available to eat the day of his birth, I even included it in my birth plan. I'd been waiting for them to appear at the farmer's markets and I knew they would be there by the time he arrived in early summer. So, I started nourishing both of us with the most luscious of cherries.

Having lived in Maui, I've had a thing for coconuts for a while now. But, I was pretty spoiled by that experience (that is, eating fresh, green, just off the palm coconuts that I open with my own machete every morning) and I haven't been able to stomach the shaved, white imported Thai cocos that most of us are so familiar with. Nonetheless, in my ecstasy/delirium, I started asking for coconut water at some point that first week postpartum.

A few days after drinking coconut water (and inexplicably loving it - again, didn't used to be able to stand the Thai coconut water straight) I discovered something totally amazing. In the morning, after my first glass of coco water, it doesn't sting when I peed. I'd had a small tear that my midwife said was not neccesary to stitch - so it had been stinging pretty bad whenever I'd have to pee, and I was doing so with the aid of a removable shower head to dilute it and ease the pain. I sort of experimented with this and realized that, yes, the coconut water did affect the pain associated with urinating. Enrique says it is the alkalizing nature of the coconut. I'm sure there is a scientific explanation, but I think of it as the pure magic of the coco. So, needless to say, we've been buying ALOT of coconuts. Now, I am healed of that particular challenge, but I haven't stopped drinking coconut water every single day.

I'd always known about the connection between the coconut and mother's milk, but never really paid much attention. I just loooooved coconuts. Now, as I watch my son thrive on the milk that is powered by this miraculous fruit; I am so in awe of the perfection of nature. He's only one month old, but after doing my google research on the benefits of eating coconuts while breastfeeding, I know that he is going to be able to fight off dis-ease and be supremely healthy. This has been an amazing gift and I am so grateful to my body for intuiting it.

Next on the plan is getting down to Mexico to find some fruiting coconut palms and a good machete.