Postpartum Nutrition

In traditional cultures around the world, strong traditions of postpartum food prevail: warm, easy-to-digest food is prepared for new parents as they recover from giving birth.

In modern U.S. culture, we've unfortunately stepped away from the wisdom of many of these traditions. While some attention is given to prenatal nutrition, many new parents aren't given a word of counsel about how to feed and nourish themselves during the weeks following birth. (The textbook I consulted while writing this post had 12 pages of information about prenatal nutrition, and only 5 pages about nutrition and lactation, and didn't address general postpartum nutrition at all!)

Giving birth is a whole-body process that affects every body system, including your digestive system! Being mindful about appropriate postpartum nutrition is crucial!

Let's go over some essential nutrients to include in your diet during the weeks and months after giving birth.

---

Protein

Protein plays an essential role in physical recovery postpartum. The main function of dietary protein is building and repairing tissue in your body. So if you had a perineal tear during your birth or you had a cesarean birth, it's especially important to have an adequate protein intake as you recover. Protein can also be lost from your body due to increased bleeding, inflammation, infection, and physical stress, so there's good reason to focus on prioritizing protein in your postpartum diet!

As a general guideline (for all healthy adults, not specifically postpartum), protein should make up 10-35% of your daily caloric intake. If, for example, you eat 2,000 calories each day, 200-700 of those calories should come from protein. Another recommendation is that you eat 0.8 g of protein for every kg of your body weight. For instance, if you weigh 150 lbs, that is equivalent to 68 kg. 68 x 0.8 = 54.4, so you should aim to eat at least 54.4 g of protein every day.

Protein also helps build up your immune system to keep you healthy while caring for your new baby! And protein plays essential roles in carrying nutrients throughout your body and balancing water and pH levels inside your body.

So, what are some good sources of protein? Protein sources are categorized as complete or incomplete. Complete protein sources contain all nine amino acids that your body needs to carry out its functions. Complete protein foods include eggs, milk, cheese, meat, poultry, fish, and soy (which is the only plant-based complete protein source.)

Incomplete provide some of the amino acids your body needs, but not all. Incomplete protein sources include grains, legumes (beans, lentils, and peas), nuts, and seeds. These protein sources need to be paired with a complementary protein source in order to meet all of your body's protein needs. For example, if you eat legumes and grains (think beans and rice) together, these two incomplete protein sources form a complete protein.

Other protein combos that result in a complete protein include legumes and seeds (e.g. eating chickpeas and sunflower seeds in the same meal) and grains and dairy (e.g. whole-grain cereal and milk, or yogurt and granola).

What's your favorite protein source? Do you prefer eggs, poultry, seafood, beans, or chickpeas? Are there other protein sources you love? Pick out a few favorites and keep them well-stocked!

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is also an important nutrient that promotes healing and supports immunity. As you recover from giving birth and care for your baby, make sure to load up your diet with good sources of vitamin C! Some options include brussels sprouts, broccoli, bell peppers, kale, cantaloupe, mustard spinach, strawberries, oranges, and kiwi.

Zinc

Like Vitamin C, zinc boosts your immune system and helps your body heal damaged tissue. As you recover from giving birth, be sure to include sources of zinc in your diet. Oysters are the best dietary source of zinc, so if you love seafood, enjoy some oysters! If oysters aren't your thing, all meats are high in zinc. For non-meat sources, nibble on some pepitas, almonds, or peanuts. Legumes like chickpeas and beans also provide zinc, and all of these foods are great sources of protein as well!

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Preliminary studies show that having sufficient amounts of omega-3 fatty acids (specifically DHA) is protective against postpartum depression. Omega-3s also increase mental focus and decrease inflammation. As a bonus, if you're lactating, high Omega-3 concentration in your milk will help your baby's brain and vision to develop! So, what are some good sources of omega 3 fatty acids? The most common source is fish (and fish oil supplements), including mackeral, salmon, herring, oysters, sardines, anchovies, and caviar. Not a fan of seafood? Flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts, are also good sources of omega-3s. You can also opt for omega-3 fortified eggs or dairy products or swallow a high-quality fish-oil supplement.

Iron

Iron stores can become depleted during pregnancy and birth, so the postpartum time is an important time to replenish your iron stores. It's estimated that 10-30% of postpartum women experience iron-deficiency anemia during the postpartum period. If you have symptoms of iron deficiency, such as fatigue, depression, and altered cognition (memory loss, trouble concentrating or understanding), be sure to see your medical care provider to monitor your iron levels.

​As a guideline, though, everyone should prioritize iron during the first months postpartum. Iron-rich foods can be found in most food groups: most meats are good sources of heme iron (beef, ham, turkey, chicken, pork, etc.), as are eggs. Many seafoods provide iron, including shrimp, tuna, oysters, clams, and mackerel. Vegetables and fruits can provide non-heme iron, too! Non-heme iron isn't absorbed by your body as easily, so you need to eat more of these plant-based iron sources. Load up on spinach, sweet potatoes, peas, broccoli, strawberries, watermelon, prunes, dried apricots, and more! Whole-wheat and enriched grains also provide iron, and tofu, beans, lentils, and blackstrap molasses are other sources.  And cooking in a cast-iron skillet boosts your iron intake as well!

Wrapping it Up

After you give birth, there are so many demands that pull on your time and energy, primarily your sweet new baby! But remember, that you, too, are being reborn. Take time to care for yourself and your physical body as you recover and adjust during the postpartum period. Fuel up on foods that will replenish your body--it's one way to tell yourself that you matter, too!

References

Cpt, M. G. M. R. (2022, June 24). Postpartum nutrition: A guide to healthy eating after giving birth. Nutrisense Journal. https://www.nutrisense.io/blog/postpartum-nutrition-eat-healthy-after-giving-birth

Leung, B., & Kaplan, B. (2009). Perinatal Depression: Prevalence, Risks, and the Nutrition Link—A Review of the literature. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109(9), 1566–1575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2009.06.368

Lindberg, S. (2020, July 31). Postpartum diet plan: Tips for healthy eating after giving birth. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/postpartum-diet#guidelines

Reinagel, N. D. M. (2024, February 20). Top 5 nutrients for Postpartum recovery. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/top-5-nutrients-for-postpartum-recovery/

World Health Organization (2016). Iron Supplementation in postpartum women. [PDF]. In WHO
Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.  https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/249242/9789241549585-eng.pdf?sequence=1

Yahya, N., Teng, N. I. M. F., Das, S., & Juliana, N. (2021). Nutrition and physical activity interventions to ameliorate postpartum depression: A scoping review. PubMed, 30(4), 662–674. https://doi.org/10.6133/apjcn.202112_30(4).0013