Nourish Yourself
Nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest, and warming food in the postpartum is a necessity.
Invest in the mother with simple, nourishing foods
At the hospital, the first food I ate after a 30+ hour labor induction and birth of my son was bland spaghetti with meat sauce.
Even to this day this fact is hard for me to swallow. I am a foodie, a farmer, a lover of all the sensations that come with food. I treat food as medicine in my normal life, BUT for some reason I hadn’t spent any time considering what I’d eat after birth. And the only foods being offered to me at the hospital were not only nutrient-poor, but they were actually detrimental to my health in the early postpartum while your digestion is coming back to normal and your body begins healing.
Understanding the Physiology of Your Digestive System After Birth
During and after birth, your digestive system is weakened. It completely slows down during labor to give precious energy to the work ahead: birthing your baby. No matter how easeful the birth, it causes physiological stress on the body. The time after birth your body is seeking homeostasis. As your body works to recover its full digestive capacity in those early weeks, it needs food that is warm, food that is soft, and food that is thoughtful. Cultures from all around the world have special meals that are served to mothers in the early weeks that are not only nutrient-dense, but also easy to digest.
It is said in Ayurvedic medicine, “the digestive fire goes out after birth and must be rekindled in the postpartum period.”
Foods that are cheesy, fried, meat heavy, and hard to digest will be quite taxing on your digestive system and may result or worsen constipation and hemorrhoids. The last thing you want to do on a taxed system is eat foods that are hard to digest. So that meaty saucy pasta dish I had after my birth…it was not that great for my body.
After birth, mothers are healing. Tissues are healing, ligaments are healing, an internal wound from the placenta is healing. And our body is starting to make breastmilk. This is not the time to skimp on the nutrients or push aside the importance it has on our overall well-being.
Food can be used in the postpartum to:
Prevent and/or alleviate common postpartum symptoms such as insomnia, constipation, anxiety, milk supply, vaginal tearing, & so much more
Balance emotional swings
Ensure proper healing of our bodies and prevent nutrient depletion
Foods to encourage:
Warm, slow-cooked meals
Bone broth & other collagen-rich foods
Healthy fats such as ghee, butter, coconut milk, etc.
Slow-cooked meats
Foods that bring a smile to your face
Foods to avoid:
Raw fruits/vegetables
Ice cold drinks
Fried foods and highly processed foods
Meat heavy dishes
Foods you know cause discomfort & constipation for you
One of the my most requested services I provide are nourishing meals, snacks, and beverages prepared in the home during the early weeks after birth. Part of my work is that I also provide my clients a list of nourishing & wholesome recipes for them to share with family and friends. This way, no matter who is cooking, they will be supported.
Want to dive deeper into the physiological needs of women in the postpartum? Learn more about my INNATE Postpartum Care: Planning for the Fourth Trimester Class!
Why has food become an afterthought to our health?
There is a bigger issue at play here that I must also address. For most people living in the United States, food has become an afterthought. The most commonly available foods are not only extremely processed, but they are devoid of much nutritional value and lead to chronic illness. “Eating healthy” has now become a fad instead of an essential aspect of our existence. Foods that are healthful to us for too many in our country are hard to access. Hospitals alone offer some of the most atrocious food choices around filled with white bread, cheeses, and french fries. Not the food you need for healing. Nutrient-dense foods are not a luxury, but our culture has made them seem like one. Don’t fall for this trap! You deserve the most nourishing and delicious foods around as a mother and sometimes this means starting to save money up before conception and during pregnancy.
Remember…for optimal health (based off of Michael Pollan’s work)…
Eat real food first. Don’t go straight to the medicine cabinet for a supplement! Our bodies were made to live in relationship to whole sources of food and we absorb and uptake the most nutrition when we get it direct from nature.
Don’t eat anything that won’t eventually rot. Food is meant to be living. Of course there are some exceptions to this like honey, but most things that don’t go bad and have an amazing shelf-life, like Skittles and canned vegetables, are not healthy for us because they are high in sugar/salt or have been highly pasteurized/processed.
Enjoy food with those you love. Food is as much about bonding as it is about calories.