Our Postpartum Nutrition Guide this guide was created to help you navigate your nutrition and habits during the postpartum period. This is a time where a lot of changes are occurring, and it is our goal with this guide to give you some information about how to make this adjustment a bit easier! Nutrition and habits will help support your overall health - we hope you find this guide valuable!
WELCOME TO MOTHERHOOD!
There is a TON of contradicting information out there about how to nourish yourself postpartum... Let's keep it simple so that you and your infant can get off to the healthiest start!
A few things to remember...
If you are a new mom we'd encourage you not to strive for perfection in your eating habits. This is a time of adjustment: grace and compassion are needed in this journey! Rather, focus on eating in a way that nourishes your body, and leaves you feeling good and satisfied after every meal.
Common Challenges You May Face as a New Mom:
Remembering to eat, or eating enough to support recovery and breastfeeding (if able to).
Preparing foods that are high in nutrients, while still being quick and easy.
Making time for yourself
Navigating a new role - new routines, mental load of motherhood, both mental and physical health adjustments
Let's Look at our Top Tips for New Moms!
1. Support Recovery
Let's take a minute to pause and remember that you GAVE BIRTH! This is a MAJOR physiological event... and you need to recover from this! Nutrition can play a large part in recovery.
Early Post-Partum is NOT the time to restrict calories, but rather focus on high quality choices and eating food to nourish your body - your body is in a HEALING state postpartum!
Calorie intake will depend on activity level, body statistics (height, age, weight), and energy demands (for example if you are breastfeeding).
Other ways to support recovery include:
Walking
Gentle exercise (talk to healthcare provider- each woman’s recommendations will vary based on their physical postpartum status)
Support Mental and Emotional Well-being (more on this below!)
Sleep & Rest as much as you are able
BREASTFEEDING …
If you are able and choosing to breastfeed... there are some special things to be aware of to establish and support milk supply!
Vitamin D: 6000-7000 IU/day
Choline 500-1000mg/day
Continuing Prenatal Vitamin Supplementation
Omega 3 fatty acids 3g/day
4L water/day using thirst as a guide beyond this
Additional 300-500+ calories/day
Enough dietary fat- we recommend 75g+/day
A focus on sleep to the best of your ability
Stress management- generally and before feeds - for example, doing deep breathing before breastfeeding can help with let-down.
Frequent skin-to-skin contact
Electrolyte supplementation (optional)
Utilize resources (like lactation consultant)
***please discuss all supplementation with your healthcare provider
RESUMING EXERCISE….
As you add back in formal exercise, like strength training, you may need to increase calories or amount of food eaten to support this transition, especially if you are breastfeeding.
Things to assess when adding in training…
How is my recovery?
Do I feel energized during my workouts? (as much as we can on little sleep that is!)
Am I able to increase my lifts over time while honoring recovery process?
Have their been any changes to my milk supply?
There are SO many benefits to moving your body, specifically strength training!
Strength training postpartum can increase muscle tone and strength, improve posture, strengthen pelvic floor and core, and improve mental health!
When returning to exercise, movement safety for YOUR unique body is our number 1 priority! We highly recommend working with a pelvic floor physiotherapist prior to and when beginning strength training to provide you with individualized movement/exericise guidance. Please keep in mind, your body is healing for 6-8 weeks after delivery regardless if you had a vaginal birth or Cesarean Section Again, every woman’s postpartum journey is different, so if you know someone who was able to resume their usual training schedule earlier than you, that is OK! Focus on what is best for YOU where your body is in its healing journey!
2. FIBER & POSTPARTUM
It is essential we are getting enough fiber postpartum to help with digestive health.
Common issues postpartum include hemorrhoids and constipation, which can make postpartum very uncomfortable on top of an already healing body! By having adequate fiber, we can support digestive health and alleivate some of these common issues!
4. Eat 3 Cups of Veggies Daily
Veggies are full of micronutrients that help you recover and feel your best! If you are breastfeeding, a diet that has a variety of micronutrients will help support your milk supply and baby’s health!
We get it, everything feels hard, so let’s talk about tips to make getting in your veggies EASIER!
Easy ways to get in Veggies!
Prep ahead of time: as soon as you buy your veggies, chop and package into bags that you can grab out of the fridge- you can munch on these while feeding babe!
Prioritize “S” Meals (see below)
Utilize Convenient Options: Veggie trays, bagged salads, and frozen veggies are amazing and easy!
Aim for 1 Fist Sized Amount at Each Meal: breaking your goal up into each meal helps make this goal more attainable!
5. Aim for "80/20" When Making Food Choices
When we are tired (aka sleep deprived) or stressed (#newmomlife), we tend to crave more “comfort foods”.
We encourage you to honor cravings in moderation while making the foundation of your diet whole food focused!
Focusing on 80% whole foods with a sprinkling of treats is a great way to make choices!
6. Do One Self-Care/ Fill Your Cup Activity Each day
A little human has become your everything. Maybe you have multiple children, and the thought of putting yourself first feels like “another thing to do”. We are here to remind you that you CANNOT pour from an empty cup.
Remember the oxygen mask reference?
If the plane is crashing, put your oxygen mask on first? The same applies in motherhood.
Fill your Cup Activities:
Go for a short walk
Take a warm bath
Do 3 cycles of box breathing
Listen to an audiobook while pacing with babe
Connect with friends
Listen to Music
Journal about your feelings
Go to the gym
In our experience, taking 5 minutes to brush our teeth, comb our hair, get dressed, and put on deordarant can be the best thing for mental health. It does NOT need to be complicated. And if you have to put baby down in order to do that, and they cry the entire time, that is ok!
Dont Be Afraid to Ask for Help!!!
Ask visitors to complete one helpful task if they’d like to visit: bring meals, groceries, do laundry, empty dishwasher, etc.
Communicate openly with your partner- can he fill your water? Bring you a snack? Hold baby while you shower?
Create a support network- there are many FREE mom & baby groups! Meet with individuals in the same stage of life as you to get extra support and comfort.
Utilize professionals- postpartum doulas, mental health therapists
Utilize grocery drop off services such as instacart
Consider a cleaning service if able to afford-could ask for a “gift card” to this during baby shower!
Hire a coach to support you with your nutrition and recovery post partum (HINT- we specialize in this!)
Do a social media cleanse- if you follow people that make you feel judged or stressed, UNFOLLOW them!
Practice saying “NO”. Maybe you don’t want visitors today- that is ok! Do what YOU need to feel your best. You do not owe anyone an explanation for this.
Common Questions we are Asked:
Can I do a fat loss phase postpartum?
In the immediate post partum period, this is NOT recommended- our focus is recovery! When it is appropriate to start a fat loss phase is very individual and depends on how recovery has progressed. Instead of focusing on fat loss postpartum, we recommend focusing on the healthy habits outlined in this guide. Over time, this naturally can lead to fat loss and body recomposition as muscle is gained/regained postpartum. If someone really wants to do a fat loss phase, we typically recommend waiting until 6 months postpartum - however, doing a structured plan at maintenance can get you far, so that is always where we recommend you begin! During a fat loss phase we always optimize all areas of health to support fat loss and well-being, specifically stress management, sleep hygiene, and recovery.
Will fat loss affect my milk supply?
It can with the wrong approach:
If someone begins a fat loss phase before milk supply/breastfeeding is well established they likely will experience a drop in milk supply. If someone begins a fat loss phase and is too aggressive, milk supply may also drop. That being said, we have worked with many mothers who are breastfeeding with the goal of fat loss who have been able to acheive this goal while continuing to breastfeed. If you are breastfeeding and would like to achieve fat loss, we recommend working with a coach during this process.
Will my body ever look the exact same as pre-pregnancy?
No. BUT this isn’t a bad thing. Your body will forever be changed by childbirth- you created a whole new human! With that being said, we have worked with many women who are able to be in BETTER shape postpartum and be healthier postpartum. Instead of focusing on “Bouncing back” focus FORWARD. You can be in incredible shape with your body NOW rather than focusing on how it used to look.
We hope you found this guide helpful and are able to utilize it in your postpartum period!
Motherhood changes EVERYTHING
But this can be an extremely positive change with the right approach and support! We have been there, and we know that sometimes the challenges feel endless and the tasks overwhelming, but we want to remind you that you are CAPABLE & STRONG, and that you can utilize these tips to make life easier during this transition!
Here is the link to download the full guide WITH recipes: DOWNLOAD GUIDE HERE
Do You Need Help Hitting your Goals Postpartum?
Book a call with us to chat about how we can help!
Authors: Robyn Stewart & Megen Reger
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