In the weeks that followed the final, shuddery contraction that expelled my daughter's body from mine, I stared out the window for long stretches of time. I threw things and screamed. I flailed. I gasped for air.
In the silences after nursing, after laying my daughter down to nap, after falling onto the floor in a heap, I nibbled on til ladoo—a moreish treat... Their taste overwhelmed me, pleased me, grounded me at a time when everything else was darkness.
Traditional postpartum ingredients that have nourished South Asian families for generations... are believed to heal the birthing parent. To boost milk production, reduce inflammation, aid digestion, and replenish micronutrients.
What I do know is that they symbolized hope and care, at a time I was convinced that I deserved none.
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