Kombu Strips

Premium whole dried kombu seaweed (Laminaria spp.) from Eastern Canada. 

For use in a wide variety of culinary uses, including broth, curing sushi, and more. 

Kombu (a type of nutrient-rich seaweed) has a long history of use in postpartum recovery, especially in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese traditions. It’s often used as a healing food to help mothers regain strength, restore nutrients, and support milk production.

Here’s how it’s typically used postpartum:

🌿 Ways Kombu is Used Postpartum

1. Broths & Soups (Most Common Use)

   • Kombu is simmered to make a mineral-rich broth (often as part of miso soup, seaweed soup, or congee).

   • It’s thought to replenish iron, iodine, calcium, magnesium, and trace minerals lost during pregnancy and childbirth.

   • Warm soups with kombu are grounding, easy to digest, and promote circulation.

2. Digestive Support

   • Kombu contains natural glutamic acid, which helps break down beans and grains, making postpartum foods easier to digest.

   • Traditionally, it’s added to bean soups or stews to reduce gas and bloating.

3. Lactation Support

   • Seaweeds like kombu are considered galactagogues in some traditions — helping enrich breast milk with minerals and support milk flow.

   • The iodine and trace minerals support thyroid health, which is key for postpartum hormone balance and energy.

4. Blood-Building & Recovery

   • In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), postpartum women are considered “blood and qi deficient.” Kombu’s iron, folate, and minerals support blood building and recovery from blood loss during childbirth.

5. Postpartum Ritual Foods

   • In Korea, miyeok-guk (seaweed soup, often made with kombu or wakame) is eaten daily by new mothers for the first few weeks after birth as a healing and restorative practice.

🌿 Kombu Topical Use for Torn Vaginal Tissues (Postpartum)

1. Soothing Poultices or Compresses

   • Seaweed (including kombu) has natural mucilaginous (slippery, gel-like) properties when hydrated. This gel can act as a soothing, protective barrier on irritated or torn tissue.

   • Traditionally, strips of softened kombu have been applied directly as a cool compress to reduce inflammation and support tissue healing.

2. Wound-Healing Properties

   • Seaweeds are rich in alginate, polyphenols, iodine, and minerals that have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects.

   • Alginates from kelp are actually used in modern wound dressings to absorb exudate and promote healing — so there’s some scientific grounding to this use.

3. Postpartum Sitz Baths

   • Kombu (or powdered kelp) can be added to warm sitz baths to help:

     • Reduce swelling

     • Promote circulation and healing of perineal tears

     • Provide mild antimicrobial support

4. Moisturizing & Protective Gel

   • Hydrated kombu releases a gel that can keep tissues moist, which is important since dryness can slow wound healing.