The first few months after giving birth should be focused on resting, recovering and NOURISHING – both you and your baby.
As a new mother, it’s important to recognize and acknowledge the miracle you just went through; you just spent 9+ months (give or take) creating a baby inside of you, then giving birth, and that is absolutely no easy task. It’s nothing short of a miracle. And now as that miracle grows, you need to start healing and recovering your amazing body. For this postpartum recovery to be successful, it helps immensely to have a plan on what to eat.
Today I want to support you with this topic, laying out the most important factors to consider for your postpartum nutrition plan, including some key foods to incorporate in your daily diet.
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT?
Proper nutrition is KEY to help avoid postpartum depression. Studies show that inflammation, hormonal imbalances and nutrient deficiencies are all linked to depression – all of which are common post-partum. Therefore you want to eat in a way to avoid nutrient deficiencies, decrease inflammation and help stabilize hormones.
PLUS, eating a healthy postpartum diet will help you HEAL quicker, rest better, will support your milk production and lactation experience overall, and of course, contribute to healthy weight loss.
Not to mention that being a new mom is HARD enough as it is, and a healthy, balanced postpartum diet will help give you more of that much-needed energy (which we often lack) to help you power through the long days/nights with your baby.
WHERE TO START
Start by focusing on these 6 KEY POSTNATAL NUTRITION PRINCIPLES:
1) Eat grounding, nourishing, nutrient-dense (yet easy-to-digest) foods. Think foods that are comforting, that make you feel better when you’re sick, healthy home-cooked foods that your grandparents would likely make. Foods such as beef and vegetable stews, chicken vegetable soup, vegetable chickpea curry with brown rice, slow cooked lamb with roasted vegetables and quinoa. Oatmeal with seeds and coconut milk. Warm teas with almond milk. *THIS IS ESPECIALLY RELEVANT FOR YOUR FIRST 40 DAYS (I HIGHLY recommend the book “the first fourty days” for more on this topic)
2) Eat for blood sugar balance. Avoid high-carb meals without sufficient protein and healthy fats. You NEED your fats and protein for both recovery and weight loss, and of course small amounts of healthy carbs are necessary, too. But LIMIT excess carb meals like pasta with bread and dessert. Of course you can have them in small amoutns, but if/when you have pasta or sandwiches, have it with a large salad, lots of vegetables and some protein. If you want something sweet, enjoy it, but opt for a homemade healthy dessert when possible (THESE balls are perfect) and have it after a meal that had some protein/fat/fiber. HERE are more concrete tips for blood sugar balance.
3) Eat an ANTI-INFLAMMATORY diet packed with fiber (keeping in mind the above mentioned points!). Eat lots of colorful vegetables (as much as possible!), as well as fruits in small amounts. Eat omega-3 rich foods (all those that you were hopefully having during your pregnancy) and try to get as much fiber as possible. Try adding chia pudding, oats, sweet potato, hemp seeds, any and all nuts and nut butters, avocados, dark leafy greens, broccoli and cauliflower, berries…
4) Hydrate A LOT. Especially if breastfeeding! Your body needs a lot more than your usual liquid intake when breastfeeding, and in general, the more liquid you have (especially water), the faste your body can restore/rebuild.
5) Continue with your prenatal supplement (and/or supplements that your favorite doctor / health care provider suggests). You can also switch to a more specific “post-natal” multivitamin, or i LOVE Majka’s nourishing lactation powder which is a postnatal multivitamin + protein powder in one.
6) Lastly, if breastfeeding, add plenty “lactation superfoods” – foods considered galactagogues with “lactogenic” properties (oats – preferably soaked, chia - again soaked, sesame seeds, chickpeas, dark leafy greens, okra, orange/red root vegetables such as sweet potato/yams/carrots/beet, fennel, ginger, turmeric, ashwhandha, shatavari, moringa). I highly recommend adding in lactation teas (I love Earth Mama Milkmaid and Traditional Medicinals organic mothers milk tea) and high-quality lactation-boosting supplements such as all the products by Majka . I swear by their lactation booster and nourishing lactation protein powders (which are like 3-in-1: smoothie protein powder, multivitamin and lactation superfoods).
HERE IS A LIST OF MY DAILY RECOMMENDED POSTPARTUM FOODS (MUST-HAVES FOR AN IDEAL POSTPARTUM DIET):
A wide variety of fresh, colorful vegetables (especially leafy greens)
In small/moderate amounts, berries and other colorful high-fiber fruits, including plums, papaya, apples, pears, kiwis, figs,…
Healthy fats like avocados, olives, coconut, all nuts and seeds (and nut/seed butters), extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, grass-fed ghee and butter
Iron-rich proteins like grass-fed beef, liver, organic chicken and turkey, lamb, bison, and bone broths, as well as fatty, low-mercury fish like wild-caught salmon and sardines, and organic eggs.
Small amounts of nutrient-rich grains (preferably gluten-free) like quinoa, oats, wild and brown rice, millet, organic corn, etc.
Probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha (just be careful with sugar), and sauerkraut help with lowering inflammation and supporting digestion. I also suggest a probiotic supplement daily.
Collagen – can be from a powder supplement (look for grass-fed hydrolyzed collagen powder) which is so easy to add to anything including tea/coffee, smoothies, chia pudding, soups,etc. Collagen can also be from real food sources including bone broths, gelatin, and meat cooked with bones.
Organic dark chocolate (like Hu chocoalte bars) and/or lactation energy balls (or similar healthy sweet treats to help tame sweet cravings while also adding nutrition and anti-inflammatory benefits). I also love Majka’s lactation bites, chocolate overnight oats and chocolate nut butter! *this is optional of course but for me (and some of my clients) it’s been helpful to include this guilt-free!
Recommended Supplements: postnatal multivitamin (can be your same prenatal), omega-3, magnesium, collagen, probiotic (*always check with your doctor/HC professional)
While I do list these as daily foods, you don’t have to have all of them every day. Just being aware and conscious and doing your best to include these foods every week will be amazing for your postpartum health. Its all about progress not perfection.
Lastly, i’d like to add to the list these lactating “superfoods” (more on this in an upcoming blog!):
OPTIONAL IF BREASTFEEDING: Oats (I love making overnight oats, granola and energy balls), chia (i love having chia pudding on hand ALWAYS), flaxseeds (try adding 1 tablespoon to your smoothie or fruit, or using “flax eggs” instead of eggs in baking recipes), and certain herbs/plants like fennel, fennugreek, moringa and shatavari are amazing (I suggest drinking fennel and fenugreek tea, and adding 1/4 tsp moringa and 1/2 tsp shatavari to your matcha latte or smoothie).
On top of following these principles and including these foods, you’ll want to focus on resting, asking for help, spending time outdoors, minimizing your to-do lists, going for walks, taking the stairs (plus gradually adding in small workouts that feel good), getting time for YOU (back to asking for help) and quality time with your baby.
Wishing you an amazing postpartum journey.