Sitting the Month

A nourishing and restorative guide to eating well after childbirth, with recipes informed by traditional Chinese medicine.

When Clarissa Wei gave birth to her first child, she was living in Taiwan, where the postpartum period lasts four weeks and is considered one of the most important periods of a woman’s life. The practice of “sitting the month” includes therapeutic herbs and warming meals—stir-fried pork liver, chicken simmered with rice wine and sesame oil, or steamed cod with goji berries—believed to help repair the womb and reenergize the new mom. There isn’t a lot of information in the English-speaking world about this practice, or its cuisine, and she set out to learn more.

In Sitting the Month, through gorgeous photography, stories, and recipes, Clarissa Wei offers a holistic outlook on food specifically intended to nurture new mothers back to health. Any partner or relative (or a very tired mom) can navigate these 88 recipes. With guidance from Stella Wang, a second-generation owner of a Chinese medicine shop, she introduces three stages of recovery. Start with light, herbal soups such as Salmon Miso Soup and Egg Drop Seaweed Soup to detox the body. Advance to collagen and protein-rich dishes such as Scallion Oil Chicken and Black Vinegar Pork Knuckle Stew to support tissue repair, and build up to Ten Tonic Supreme Soup, packed with fiery herbs intended to combat deep fatigue and lingering weakness. Each recipe is designed for solo meals or for sharing with a partner. Freezing advice and notes on unique herbs make this ancient tradition accessible and doable for modern moms in the United States. There’s an old folk saying that sums up the East Asian attitude toward postpartum care: During pregnancy, nurture the baby. After pregnancy, nurture your body.