Your due date is fast approaching, or maybe you have just given birth to a toddler? Wondering what you can eat and what is better to avoid? In the following article we explain everything to you. Here’s what you need to know about diet in the postpartum period!
Pregnancy ending in natural childbirth or cesarean section is a huge challenge for a woman – and this is true both physically and mentally. It doesn’t end there, however, because after the baby is born, the postpartum period begins. This is a six-week period of intense recovery. At that time, the uterus shrinks and regenerates, which involves postpartum feces, on top of which the breasts are swollen, produce milk, and hormones go wild, causing once laughter and once crying. The new role can also be a bit overwhelming.
The first days in particular are the most difficult, so let’s make sure we are as comfortable as possible. Let’s rest whenever possible, maintain full hygiene and… eat healthy.
Speaking of healthy eating, it has been known for a long time that what we eat affects our body, skin, hair, mood and overall vitality. Immediately after a cesarean section, you can’t actually eat anything. Only after a few hours is it permissible to eat kisel, gruel or rusks.
And so, in the first few days, highly processed foods are inadvisable, which will not provide the necessary nutritional value, strengthen the body or help you get back to full strength. This includes fast food, French fries, chips, sausages or canned goods. So do products overflowing with thickeners, preservatives, artificial colors and enhancers, salt and sugar. Of course, the list of forbidden products also includes alcohol.
For your own comfort, it is better to skip foods that are hard to digest and bloating. We may then feel worse after them, and we need a lot of energy to care for the newborn.
It is important to remember that the diet of a breastfeeding mother is a myth and you can safely eat – in reasonable quantities – fried pork chops, citrus, dairy, nuts or fish. Milk is not formed from stomach contents, but from blood. Avoiding allergens just in case will not magically make the baby allergy-free.
We already know what to avoid, now it’s time to briefly discuss the recommended foods. Meals should be varied and valuable, rich in proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins. So, lean meat, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, nuts, almonds and sunflower seeds, oils, whole grain bread, spinach, kale, dried fruit, salmon, milk, yogurt and cream cheese will work best.
You also need regular hydration – with non-carbonated water and herbal teas. Allowed are infusions of lemon balm, nettle, dandelion, common marigold and raspberry proper.
As you can see, the diet of a nursing mother is not an elimination diet, but a healthy and balanced diet. This gives us more strength and makes it easier for us to get back on track and take the best care of the little one.
main photo: unsplash.com/Zach Lucero
