What to eat after delivery? – Healthy Diet for New Moms

By Sneha D

Healthy Food for Healthy Pampering

There is a plethora of things that should be considered by new moms. Caring for a newborn is not an easy task. After delivery, every minute should be taken care of. But sometimes new mothers get a little overwhelmed and make personal care a last priority. The little one and his mom should be given equal importance. After all, you just had a baby! Do not forget that your body demands mental and physical health.

The female body undergoes a huge transformation before and after childbirth. Most of the changes are temporary and should diminish over time. You should return back to your pre-baby shape in a couple of months.

Breastfeeding is the best way to lose weight post-delivery. Do exercise and maintain a healthy living. In order to take care of your baby, you should remain healthy. Following a balanced diet is very important because you are eating not just for yourself, you have a little version of you to feed! What to eat after delivery is a common question in the mind of a new mom.

Here are some of the foods that a new mom should include in her post-natal diet.

What to eat? Get a proper diet plan

*Include leafy vegetables (Moringa leaves as suggested by your Grandma), salads, fruits, carbs and proteins in your daily diet. Have seasonal fruits, which have got high water content.

* Include food items rich in fibre, which helps to prevent constipation. Make sure that you have lots of veggies and fruits.

*Reduce the amount of meat and junk foods.

*PRO-TIP: Always keep a water bottle at easy to grab places. It shoots up breast milk production and regulates hormonal changes. You should always be well-hydrated.

*Salmon, loaded with a type of fat called DHA is crucial for the development of the baby’s nervous system.

*Dark coloured beans rich in iron is a great source of non-animal protein.

*Eat blueberries rich in vitamins and minerals.

*Add brown rice into your diet.

*Wheat bread gives you a healthy dose of fibre and iron. You can also try ragi dosas.

* Have spinach which is rich in folic acid.

*Drink fennel water, it helps indigestion. It also boosts the quantity of your breast milk. Sesame seeds, almonds, fenugreek seeds, garlic etc are also recommended for breastfeeding moms.

*Get your protein content from milk, boiled egg, meat and pulses, beans and legumes.

*Eat small and frequent meals. Opt the right kind of fats such as omega 3 fatty acid and switch to healthy oils like olive oil.

*The other food items that provide you optimum nutrition are turmeric, oats, dry ginger powder, almonds, cashews, sprouted grains, dry raisins, avocados, dates etc. Soak almonds overnight and have it with warm Milk.

*Have traditional lehyams (semi-solid Ayurvedic medicines) to avoid postpartum complications like bleeding and back pain. * Always consult your doctor before introducing lehyams in your diet.

*Drink tender coconut water, it reduces heat.

* Have cooked sweet potatoes. It is a major source of potassium. Tapioca is also good.

*You should also add foods which you probably don’t like but are rich in nutrition. Either you can cut it into fine pieces and mix them with other foods so that you don’t need to chew as much.

The good nutrition that you give to your body will come out as breast milk. The quality of the breastmilk remains almost the same regardless of the intake of food by a new mom. Although, DHA rich food can increase the level of DHA in your breastmilk thus strengthening the baby’s nervous system. A balanced diet will keep you energetic and healthy as a new mom. Do not worry about those extra calories now, breastfeeding requires it.

But Newborn Essentials here.

What not to eat?

What not to eat is as important as what to eat for a new mom. It is advisable to completely avoid junk food and alcohol.

*Another important thing that should be kept in mind is that the colour of the food that you eat, the food dyes added to the food may change the colour of your milk.

*Avoid self-medications and always follow diet charts provided by your nutritionists.

*Avoid spicy and cold food. It can cause stomach disturbance.

*Strongly flavoured vegetables like garlic, onion etc and things that produce gases must be avoided. Learn to eat in moderation. Your food habits should appease your body as well as your mind. Your eating pattern directly affects your mood and actions.

In some cases, the baby may develop a food allergy while breastfeeding. You can keep a food diary so that you can easily find out which food item should be excluded in case of symptoms after consulting with your doctor.