Adequate dietary intake during the lactation period is important for breast milk components, postpartum recovery, and physical and mental health. This study aimed to clarify the psychosocial experiences related to dietary behavior around one month postpartum among Japanese lactating women. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 women between February and June 2022 in Osaka, Japan. The data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive approaches. Four core categories were identified. All participants had a [desire to have healthy meals for themselves or their families] to improve their postpartum health, regain their pre-pregnancy body shape, produce sufficient and good-quality breast milk, and keep their families healthy. Some participants, who had [subjective difficulties in getting information on diet and preparing meals] due to insufficient or complicated information and viewing meal preparation as a burden, used [services and support regarding their postpartum diet] to alleviate these difficulties. They had [postpartum-specific appetite and dietary views], including an increased appetite triggered by breastfeeding and postpartum stress and the effects of the dietary changes during pregnancy. Some of these psychosocial experiences were influenced by Japanese traditional customs in the postpartum period and familiar food preferences in the Japanese. Healthcare professionals should consider these experiences when providing tailored dietary guidance.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected outings associated with work, shopping, eating out, exercising, and entertainment. Reportedly, COVID-19 induced restrictions in social activities and outings are associated with physical and mental health issues. However, adjustments in outings during pregnancy remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the adjustment strategies adopted by Japanese primiparas for outings during the COVID-19 pandemic and women's attitudes toward these adjustments during pregnancy. MethodsA qualitative descriptive study involving semi-structured interviews with 11 Japanese primiparas 2-3 months postpartum was conducted between July and November 2021. The participants were recruited from a prospective cohort study performed at a university hospital in Tokyo. Data were analyzed inductively, using a qualitative descriptive approach. The study protocol was approved by the

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is characterized by mental and physical symptoms during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. In Japan, 70-90% of women experience some symptoms related to PMS. This review aimed to assess the effects of aromatherapy on PMS symptoms and autonomic nerve system among women with PMS. MethodsA search was performed through six databases (Ichushi-Web, CiNii, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO) using keywords such as "aromatherapy" and "premenstrual syndrome" for identifying relevant articles that were published in Japanese and English until March 2021. The study design consisted of only randomized controlled trials. These articles were screened based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. We used inverse variance methods to integrate the results of articles included in the review. ResultsFive articles were included in this review. Essential oils used in these articles were lavender, clary sage, rosa damascene, citrus aurantium, and geranium. Two articles assessed the immediate effects of aromatherapy while three articles assessed its longitudinal effects. Aromatherapy significantly reduced the mental symptoms related to PMS, such as irritability, anxiety, and depression in four out of four articles, and significantly reduced the physical symptoms such as edema, fatigue, and hypersomnia in three out of three articles. Two articles examined the effects of aromatherapy on the autonomous nervous system and found that it increased the high frequency power, an indicator of the parasympathetic nervous system activity. Meta-analyses showed that aromatherapy significantly reduced mental and physical symptoms of PMS, and significantly increased the high frequency power. However, heterogeneity was found in these analyses. ConclusionThe findings of this review suggest that aromatherapy reduces the mental and physical symptoms and positively affects the autonomic nervous system among the PMS patients. Further studies are required to identify the most effective essential oils and implementation methods for reducing PMS symptoms.