After Delivery Food for Mother – Indian Diet
A mother needs to plan her postnatal diet with utmost care because what she eats not only matters for her postpartum recovery, but also for her baby who receives all the nutrients from their mother’s milk. This is why it’s important to know which food item can be consumed, and should be consumed as an essential part of a postnatal diet.
Benefits of a Healthy Postnatal Diet
The postnatal period, often referred to as the postpartum period, is a time when a woman’s body goes through significant physical and emotional changes. Here are some benefits of following a well-balanced, nutritious diet during this period:
Replenishes lost nutrients
Childbirth can be physically demanding, and a new mother’s body often loses essential nutrients during the process. To replenish these nutrients, it’s crucial to consume a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and other vital elements.
Promotes healing
Post-delivery food in India often includes ingredients known for their healing properties. Herbs and spices like turmeric, garlic, ginger, and fenugreek are commonly used to reduce inflammation, aid digestion, and boost immunity. These ingredients help your body recover faster.
Supports lactation
A nutritious diet is essential for maintaining a good milk supply. A nutritious diet is also known to improve the quality of breast milk, whereas unhealthy fats found in fast foods, processed foods, etc., have proven to affect the nourishment the breast milk provides the baby.
Improves mood
You must already know about baby blues and postpartum depression and how commonly they are experienced by new mothers. Eating healthy makes you feel healthier, more energetic, and overall, much happier by providing the right nutrients to your body.
Essential Post-Delivery Foods
Let’s delve into the most recommended foods after delivery for Indian mother:
Green leafy vegetables
Have you had any leafy veggies today, you must! New mothers are at an increased risk of developing iron-deficiency anaemia due to the excessive bleeding during delivery. So, mothers must make sure there’s a lot of iron in their diet.
Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, coriander, and fenugreek, are rich in Vitamin C which helps the body to improve iron absorption. Green leafy vegetables are also rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and other minerals that are crucial for overall well-being and postpartum recovery.
North India or South India, you can make all kinds of sabzi with green leafy vegetables. So, you shouldn’t have a problem including them in your diet.
Bottle gourd
Bottle gourd is a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous. It also helps keep you hydrated, lose weight, and increase breast milk supply.
You can consume bottle gourds as a sabzi or juice.
Garlic
Garlic is a common ingredient in the Indian kitchens and adding it to your dishes is one of the healthiest and tastiest choices you can make. Garlic has a number of benefits such as strengthening the immune system, treating indigestion, and also increasing breast milk supply.
Fenugreek seeds
There’s a good chance someone has already forced you to eat methi ladoos by now. Fenugreek seeds are a great energizer and can help new mothers throughout breastfeeding and postpartum recovery.
Fenugreek seeds are best eaten as sprouted seeds, which can also be stir-fried with some onions and garlic to be eaten as a quick snack. And we all know about methi ladoos.
Sesame seeds
Sesame seeds are rich in iron, copper, magnesium, and phosphorous, and they have found their way into the Indian foods to eat after delivery due to their ability to replenish the body with essential nutrients, regulate bowel movements, and aid in digestion.
You can include sesame seeds into your diet as ladoos and chikki, or add it to your sabzis, or include it in salans, or make chutni, the possibilities are endless when it comes to Indian foods and dishes!
Whole sprouted grains
As the dry grains typically can’t compete with the nutritional value of the sprouted grains, the benefits of sprouted grains have been ingrained in us since childhood. Sprouted grains such as wheat, bajra, ragi, and jowar are some widely recommended foods to eat after delivery thanks to their health benefits.
Cumin seeds
Found in almost every Indian dish, the health benefits of cumin seeds are endless as they seem to make everything they touch healthier, from the blood circulation to immune strength and digestive system. Cumin seeds can also act as an energizer and give you the much-needed energy boost.
You will find cumin seeds in your everyday cooking, or you can drink a glass of cumin water everyday.
Almonds
Nuts such as almonds are rich in iron, protein, calcium, zinc, and vitamins B, E, and K, which can help boost body functionality. Almonds can also improve the supply of your breast milk.
They’re a great snack, simply stash some in your pockets and enjoy.
Eggs
Eggs really deserve an award for their health benefits for new mothers. They are a great source of protein and are rich in a wide range of nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K, folate, choline, and omega-3 fatty acids. Eggs also contain all of the nine essential amino acids that help promote muscle growth, and recovery, while also giving you an immunity boost.
Dates
Dates make for a quick, healthy snack as they can help improve blood count. They are also packed with natural sugars which can give you an instant energy boost. Additionally, the polyphenol compounds in dates help improve digestion and brain function.
The postpartum stage is an important stage in a woman’s life where she needs to gain the lost energy and strength to meet the endless demands of the new addition to the family. To truly live in this period and cherish your little one, you must have a diet that can support the process of recovery and also nourish your baby.
Now, while we can’t help directly in your recovery journey, we have something that can lighten one of your burdens – the search for a reliable diaper. Teddyy Taped Diapers are your baby’s best friend as they understand your baby like no other diaper, making your diapering job easier. Take care!
Some of the best postpartum food choices include:
- Green leafy vegetables
- Bottle gourd
- Garlic
- Fenugreek seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Whole sprouted grains
- Cumin seeds
- Almonds
- Eggs
- Dates
The best diet for postpartum mothers is one that is balanced and nourishing. A well-rounded diet should include:
- Protein-rich foods such as chicken breast, lentils, yogurt, etc.
- Complex carbohydrates such as oats, sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc.
- Healthy fats from almonds, flaxseeds, mustard oil, etc.
- Fruits and vegetables such as oranges, carrots, spinach, etc.
- Dairy such as cheese, paneer, low-fat milk, etc.
- Iron-rich foods such as eggs, lean meats, spinach, etc.
Here are some foods that should be consumed in moderation or avoided during postpartum:
- Spicy foods
- Caffeine
- Processed and junk foods
- Excessive sugar
- Alcohol
- Fish with high mercury content
A lactating mother’s diet chart must include foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, such as:
- Green leafy vegetables
- Dairy products
- Seeds and nuts
- Beans and lentils
- Whole grains
- Citrus fruits
- Berries
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
- Sweet potatoes