Exactly What to Eat to Recover Better Postpartum

As incredible as snuggling with a newborn feels, growing a human is HARD work!!

And both pregnancy and birth take a serious toll on your body.

So while there’s a lot of information out there about what to eat DURING pregnancy, wht to eat AFTER is almost more important.

Eating a well balanced diet that is low in sugar and high in healthy fats, proteins and lots of colorful plant foods will help your body recover faster, support healthy hormones and help you to create and maintain milk supply (if you are breastfeeding).

Breastfeeding hunger is no joke! and it makes sense. Your body is working HARD!

Most women require an extra 500 calories a day to maintain milk supply, that’s even more than you needed during pregnancy!

After delivery, your body not only requires additional calories, you also have depleted levels of micronutrients that help support recovery. Lower levels of folate, vitamin D, iron, zinc, and essential fatty acids can even increase your risk for postpartum depression. 

It’s important to remember that you spent over 9 MONTHS growing a baby! And you’re likely still recovering physically from labor (which is thought to take 18 months by the way).

Fortunately, eating a nutrient dense diet is one of the most powerful things you can do in the first six months postpartum and beyond. Focus less on how much you eat and more on the quality of what you are eating. 

Here are 9 specific nutrients to pay attention to:

Eat the rainbow!

Phytonutrients, aka: plant chemicals that give fruits and veggies their vibrant colors help to decrease inflammation, improve your mood and not only do you get a serious antioxidant boost, eating a variety of colorful plants is one of the easiest (and best ways) to ensure that you’re getting enough vitamins, minerals and other essential micronutrients too!

Protein

Adequate protein intake is super important to regulate the release of the hormones that tell you when you’re hungry and when you’ve had enough.

Foods like wild-caught fish, grass-fed meats, poultry and eggs are all excellent sources of protein. But don’t forget about plant-based proteins too!

Tempeh, tofu, beans and quality protein powder help to stabilize your blood sugar, keep your gut microbiome happy and healthy and tend to be less inflammatory. Supplementation with Collagen can aid recovery as well. 

Omega 3 Fatty acids

Omega-3 fats are important for everything from decreasing inflammation and supporting cardiovascular health, to supporting a healthy mood and help promote healthy brain function for you and baby, (and they do wonders for your skin, hair and immune system too.)

Omega 3’s consist of 2 important fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and can be found in oily fish such as, mackerel, sardines, salmon, and anchovies, but most of us would benefit from adding in a supplement.

If you’re plant-based you can use an algae based DHA, but it’s not as easily converted to EPA so you’ll need a higher dose.

Zinc

Zinc is an essential trace mineral that helps with over 100 different cellular reactions in the body. It helps to manufacture collagen thus helping you maintain beautiful hair, skin, and nails.

It also helps to stabilize blood sugars and digestion, tissue repair and wound healing and is essential for boosting immunity, optimizing fertility and metabolism.

Pumpkin seeds and cocoa powder are my favorite zinc rich foods but lamb, chickpeas, oysters, mushrooms and grass-fed beef are also great sources. 

Iron

Your iron needs are higher postpartum. Especially if you are breastfeeding or lost a significant amount of blood during delivery.

Low iron levels can contribute to fatigue, mood changes and brittle hair and nails. Vitamin C does help increase absorption which is why foods like spinach are helpful. nature is so smart!

As with most micronutrients it’s best to obtain through foods such as lentils, nuts, leafy greens and grass-fed beef or bison. Be mindful with supplements as some can increase constipation and that’s definitely not what you want postpartum. 

Vitamin D

Moderate levels of vitamin D do occur naturally and are supplemented in some foods. Cod liver oil, egg yolks, fatty fish, and fortified milk and orange juice are some of the most potent dietary sources, but getting enough from your diet alone can be difficult.

The majority of vitamin D is actually generated by the body through sun exposure, but since alot of us aren’t being exposed to enough sunlight, this can also be challenging.

And in many areas of the world, no matter how sunny the day, it’s tough for your body to make adequate vitamin D from the sun alone. As a result, supplements can be a great option to support optimal levels.

Calcium

During pregnancy and breastfeeding the body draws calcium from mom’s bones to support the growth of the baby.

So making sure your calcium stores are up helps to prevent long-term bone loss and osteoporosis down the road. And despite what you’ve heard, you don’t have to eat dairy to get it! Sesame seeds or tahini, canned salmon, tofu, and fortified non-dairy milks are all excellent sources as well. 

B vitamins

B vitamins like folate, biotin, B6 and B12 are involved in so many important processes in your body!

Eating foods rich in B vitamins can help boost your energy and ward off low mood and postpartum depression. Hormonal birth control can deplete B vitamin levels, so if you are re-starting the pill now is a good time to think about boosting these vitamins.

B vitamins can be found in nutritional yeast, whole grains, macadamia nuts, almonds, pistachios, black and pinto beans, lentils, pastured eggs, avocado, yogurt, or a quality B complex supplement. 

Water!

Ok fine, so water is not a food, but it does help with everything from digestion and elimination to mental clarity and by eating foods that are water-rich like cucumbers, melons, and fresh berries you’re also getting the benefits of phytonutrients and fiber so you’ll stay hydrated even longer.

Caring for a new baby is a lot of work, and the idea here is to make things EASIER for you, not harder. So try not to stress too much about specific nutrients and foods and instead focus on eating a variety of nutrient dense foods and indulge in some treats now and again.

And if all else fails remember you’re doing a great job! Even when it doesn’t feel like it. . . you really are. Promise.