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Monday 8am - 7pm Tuesday 11am - 7pm Friday 8am - 1pm Saturday 8am - 1pm

https://bloomacuwellness.com.au/

Kiah McGowan TCM, 2A Elm Street, Northcote (2026)

17/02/2026

You are not “bad at postpartum”, you are just depleted. Yes, this is expected, but TCM understands that nourishment is the way through.

In clinic, I see Qi deficiency. Blood depletion. Yin collapse. Nervous systems in survival mode.

Birth is physiologically demanding.
Sleep loss is demanding.
Breastfeeding is demanding.
Holding everyone else together is demanding.
And most new parents are told to “bounce back”?!

Here’s what I commonly see:

• Bone-deep fatigue → Qi deficiency
• Dizziness, anxiety, insomnia → Blood deficiency
• Night sweats, irritability → Yin depletion
• Cold, flat mood → Yang deficiency
• Rage, tension, blocked milk → Qi stagnation
• Racing thoughts, hypervigilance → Shen disturbance

Most people are experiencing more than one.

This is exactly why I wrote my Fourth Trimester E-book!

Inside you’ll find:
– How to identify your pattern
– Nourishing food therapy by imbalance
– Structured recovery practices
– Nervous system repair foundations
– When to escalate care

Postpartum is a physiological event.
It deserves a physiological recovery plan.

If you’re in it right now, or supporting someone who is, this guide was written for you.

Launching soon for downloads! Link in bio to sign up to my newsletter to know when it releases 📖

16/02/2026

Your period is your monthly report card, and your symptoms tell us how you’ve been feeling! ⬇️

In Chinese Medicine, the same label: PMS, can fall into completely different patterns.
😡Irritable, bloated, snappy? → often Qi stagnation
😢 Teary, flat, exhausted? → often Blood deficiency 🥵 Headaches, acne, heavy bright bleeding? → often Heat

Same time of the month. Different root cause. Different treatment approach.
This is why some women feel like they’ve “tried everything” and nothing sticks- because the pattern wasn’t identified properly.

Comment which pattern sounds like you 👇 Or save this for your luteal phase check-in.
If you’re ready to work on the root, bookings are open via the link in bio.

12/02/2026

🫨 Painful periods, migraines, insomnia… and then she says she hasn’t taken a lunch break in years 🫨

Your job description is sometimes more diagnostic than the symptom list you come in with. When a patient tells me she doesn’t eat, doesn’t take breaks, runs on caffeine, and can’t switch off after work…everything usually start making a lot more sense:
▪️ painful or heavy periods ▪️ PMS / breast tenderness / mood swings ▪️ temple headaches or migraines ▪️ jaw, neck & shoulder tension ▪️ insomnia or wired-but-exhausted sleep ▪️ bloating & inconsistent digestion ▪️ short cycles or worsening premenstrual symptoms
 Why this happens:
A chronically stressed nervous system = prolonged sympathetic activation.
That often leads to: → cortisol + adrenaline prioritised over digestion & hormone balance → reduced progesterone resilience, more estrogen (hello PMS + short luteal phases) → impaired ovulation signalling → increased muscle guarding/tension (jaw, traps, pelvic floor) → Liver qi constraint patterns: headaches, irritability, breast tenderness → Spleen qi impairment: bloating, fatigue, unstable energy

Your body is adapting to the environment it thinks you live in.
If your workday looks like survival mode, your cycle and your symptoms usually reflect it.

09/02/2026

💨 I’ll often get strange looks when I’ve used moxa in the clinic and the smell lingers…💨

Moxa, or moxibustion, is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that uses heat from burning mugwort to warm the body, move Qi, and support Yang energy.

It is commonly used to strengthen immunity, improve circulation, ease pain, and support digestion, especially when cold or deficiency patterns are present.

This is not “just heat,” but a targeted therapy with centuries of clinical use behind it.

08/02/2026

If you’ve landed on this page, there’s a good chance you’re navigating hormonal imbalance, nervous system overwhelm, skin concerns you want to treat naturally, or a fertility, IVF, or pregnancy journey that deserves deeper, more thoughtful support. You might be frustrated with feeling overlooked, unheard or disregarded in your health appointments until now. I want to change that.

I’m Kiah, a Chinese Medicine Doctor in Northcote, Melbourne. I work with everyone, but have a passion for helping women and AFAB people who want more than surface-level care. The people I see are often struggling to connect their body and mind or make sense of why their symptoms are even happening.

My clinic is built on structure, education, and collaboration.
That means we don’t just treat symptoms; we explore patterns, ask better questions, and work together to understand why things are happening so we can create clear, practical pathways forward.

You can expect:
• thorough, root-focused care
• nervous system–informed treatment
• support through hormones, skin, fertility & pregnancy
• honest conversations, clear education, and realistic plans
• and yes- a bit of humour and fun along the way (because healing doesn’t have to feel heavy all the time)!

If you’re looking for someone who will advocate for you, look at the full picture, and meet you wherever you’re at in your health journey- you’re in the right place.

Ready to begin?
Bookings available via the link in bio. 💚

04/02/2026

We LOVE to see Chinese Medicine and Chinese culture finally receiving the recognition it deserves! But, let’s make sure we’re posting thoughtfully and respectfully. There’s a risk in this current ‘trend’ of cultural dilution when Chinese Medicine is reduced to disconnected techniques or trendy excerpts. If you’re interested in the current conversation around this trend, I really recommend learning from creators who are speaking on it with clarity and nuance:

My hope is simply that its growth online is rooted in understanding, cultural respect, and appreciation for the system as a whole, while also being aware of the very real discrimination and racism that Asian people face each day in Western societies. Don’t profit off a culture when it is trending, and then disregard or engage in the racial prejudices that are happening each day, both in IRL and online. 
As Chinese Medicine gains visibility, we’re also seeing a rise in surface-level, AI-generated TCM content: often shared by people outside the profession and without cultural or clinical context. While the intention may be curiosity or enthusiasm, depth and lineage matter. 
As a practitioner and as someone outside Chinese culture, I believe respect looks like education, humility, and acknowledging where this medicine comes from, not reducing it to aesthetics or isolated shortcuts.

For thoughtful, well-informed TCM education, I recommend following:  .tcm

03/02/2026

Waking between 1–3am? This isn’t random. 😴

In Chinese medicine, this window belongs to the Liver.

While you sleep, the Liver is responsible for the smooth flow of energy and blood; it helps process hormones, emotions, and stress so the body can properly rest and repair.

When the Liver is under strain, we often see:
• Waking around 1–3am feeling stressed, panicked, unable to switch off your mind, clenched through the jaw and shoulders
• Feeling hot, wired, or restless at night
• Irritability, frustration, or emotional build-up
• PMS, headaches, neck and shoulder tension
• Vivid dreams or light sleep
This isn’t about your body “failing, it’s talking to you!

The Liver doesn’t like being rushed, suppressed, or ignored. It responds to rhythm, movement, emotional expression, and real rest.

More Chinese clock explanations coming soon! ⏰

01/02/2026

Cupping marks aren’t “bruises”, they are so much more, and we use them diagnostically!

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the colour (or lack of colour) tells us how your body is functioning beneath the surface.

Here’s what those marks can indicate:

🩷 Pink / pale / little to no mark
This often reflects Qi or Blood deficiency, or simply that the body doesn’t need cupping support.
You might notice: low energy, feeling run-down, slow recovery, light periods, cold hands & feet, or chronic fatigue.

🟣 Purple / dark marks
A sign of stagnation: where Qi and Blood aren’t moving freely.
Common in people with pain, old injuries, muscle tightness, emotional stress, headaches, period pain, or areas that feel “stuck” or chronically sore.

🔴 Red marks
Indicate Heat in the body.
This can show up as inflammation, redness, irritability, anxiety, poor sleep, acne, reflux, hot flushes, or feeling hot when others don’t.

🍓Red speckled marks
Classically associated with Toxic Heat, a deeper, more pathological form of heat.
Often seen alongside skin conditions (eczema, acne, psoriasis), recurrent infections, inflammation, feverish sensations, or flare-ups that worsen with stress or diet.

The goal of cupping isn’t to “get a mark”, it’s to restore circulation, regulate the nervous system, and support healing while understanding the body more deeply.

Every body tells a different story and this is just one of the ways we learn to listen

26/01/2026

Zuo Yue Zi (forgive my pronunciation 😵‍💫), or “sitting the month,” is traditional Chinese postpartum recovery practice many women engage in during the first 30-40 days postpartum.

The goal is to restore blood, protect Yang, and support long-term health after childbirth. This includes rest, warmth, specific foods, and avoiding overexertion during a critical healing window.

In TCM, how you recover postpartum can impact your health for years to come.

If you want to learn more about how you can nourish your body and optimise your recovery postpartum, sign up through the link in my bio to know when my Fourth Trimester E-Book releases! 👶

21/01/2026

If one system stood out for you: start there with gentle support. 
If none fit perfectly, that’s part of the medicine too! In Chinese medicine, patterns overlap, shift, and change with seasons and life phases. 
Your body is met in context, not categories. Holistic care always works best when it’s personalised, so take this info as a starting place- if you need deeper care, get in touch with a local practitioner.

19/01/2026

It’s about balance y’all!

Yes, an iced drink might weaken my digestive efficiency (Spleen Qi) a little, but this is definitely not an daily thing and my good habits mean that I can make some room for less-good habits every now and then.

I will never claim to be perfect, and that means I never expect my patients to be. If I’m eating warm and cooked foods 90% of the time, then I can absolutely have a cold brew every now and then- or an ice cream, or a cocktail!

Perfection creates restriction and restriction often means more stress. I opt for health that is realistic, individualised, and makes room for a little fun every now and then.

Kiah McGowan TCM

17/02/2026

16/02/2026

12/02/2026

09/02/2026

08/02/2026

04/02/2026

03/02/2026

01/02/2026

26/01/2026

21/01/2026

19/01/2026

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Monday	8am - 7pm
Tuesday	11am - 7pm
Friday	8am - 1pm
Saturday	8am - 1pm