Post Partum Nutrition

Post Partum Nutrition

Post Partum Nutrtion is such an important topic. It wasn't so long ago that I was postpartum...Little Ruby is going on 18 months. It is certainly a tough period and us Mums need to look after ourselves so we can look after our little ones. Nutrition is particularly important at this stage, as we heal and get by on limited sleep as well as nourish our babies with breastmilk.

Post Natal Women want to feel energised, well-nourished, mentally capable, comfortable in her clothes, feeling hormonally balanced, healing well from the inside-out, fit and able to enjoy the baby.

Nutrition has a major role to play for women postnatally,  Particularly at a time when many women are restricting their food intake and missing vital nutrients in a bid to ‘lose their baby weight’. Here are some tips to make sure new mums are getting the nutrition they need during the busy newborn period.

So here goes A postpartum nutrition plan:

1.Bone Broth! This is one of the most nutritious, healing foods since it offers a wide variety of nutrients including protein, good fats, calcium, magnesium, and collagen in a very absorbable form. Some people like to sip bone broth like tea, others prefer to cook their vegetables in it, or use it as stock for soup. Regardless of how you consume it, it’s a great postpartum food.

2.High Fibre foods - It is important to eat high-fiber foods to make elimination as easy as possible — pumpkin, sweet potato, leafy greens and crucifers (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts), chia seeds, dates, prunes, and kiwifruit are great for this.

3.   Good fats and protein are also crucial to ensure that you have both the energy you need to survive on limited sleep AND to feed your little one. Don’t forget — breastmilk is mostly fat and protein, so you need to eat lots of these to be a good producer!

Breastfeeding Help -  Along with eating foods that are rich in good fats and protein, breastfeeding mamas can eat certain foods to increase milk production.

1. Oats, which are great lactation boosters. Papaya,  asparagus, apricots, and salmon are know galactagogues (milk enhancers) Milk tea, and fenugreek tea are also great options. However, these supplements are only necessary if mama is truly struggling to produce.

All breastfeeding women should make sure to stay SUPER HYDRATED as well, since this will both help with milk production, and also ensure that mama doesn’t get dehydrated as a result.

Lots of mums struggle with excess weight gain during pregnancy, and/or difficulty losing the weight afterward. It’s important to eat a well-balanced diet of foods rich in protein and good fats, plus a wide variety of fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds.It’s crucial not to cut calories at this time. While healing from childbirth and possibly breastfeeding. I do encourage both pregnant and postpartum women to stay as active as possible, even if it’s just regular walking and/or light yoga. Obviously, post partum movement might be limited depending on the delivery, but when physically able, I recommend some physical activity each day to help with postpartum weight loss.

There are some essential nutrients during the post part period for babies and mums, these are vital for growth, brain function, nervous system, bone and muscle strength. These are :

Folate

Iron

Iodine

B12

Vitamin D

Calcium

Probiotics can also be added from the first few days after birth to increase beneficial bacteria, particularly for caesarean babies. Please note they must be prescribed by a health professional.