How to eat properly for mom after childbirth? What foods should you eat and what should you avoid? As well as a slimming menu. We will discuss these issues in our article. After the birth of a baby, the only food for him is mother's breast milk. Therefore, mommy needs to take care of her nutrition so as not to harm the child. Not only the health of the baby, but also the well-being of the mother depends on proper nutrition after childbirth. Since after giving birth, I really want to try something, but, alas, you need to restrain yourself. Today, many women know about proper nutrition after childbirth from their mothers, grandmothers, girlfriends, nutritionists, and information sources. After all, the correct diet helps to improve lactation and the quality of breast milk. Thus, it does not cause any allergic or other reactions, but rather satisfies the needs of the baby. How to properly organize the diet after childbirth? We will try to consider this in detail in our article.
Correct diet in the first month after childbirth
First of all, a woman should take a responsible and conscious attitude to the issue of feeding a baby. After all, nutrition after childbirth should be properly composed and thought out. Because all the food that mommy takes has a direct impact on the quality of breast milk, and, therefore, on the baby itself.
The first month after giving birth is very serious and responsible. Allergens (chocolate, pastries) are strictly prohibited in the diet. Do not rush to eat fruits and vegetables. Correct nutrition of the mother will contribute to the smooth functioning of the child's gastrointestinal tract. This will significantly reduce the risk that the baby will suffer from colic or gas build-up.
A specially designed postpartum nutrition program will ensure optimal and quality milk production. It is worth for the first time days after giving birth to use sweet tea, cranberry juice, herbal decoction (nettle, dill, from the millennium). If a woman received a rupture or damage during childbirth, it is recommended to drink chicken broth (1 liter per day). Thanks to the composition of the broth, wound healing is faster.
On about the fifth or sixth day, a young mother can eat porridge, but only boiled in water. It is best to eat oatmeal, buckwheat and millet. It is also allowed to eat soup with vegetables, baked apples. It is not advisable to eat potatoes and cabbage immediately after childbirth. Since these foods can cause bloating in your baby. You also need to limit yourself in drinking fluids (it is recommended to drink 1 liter per day).
After a week, you can increase your fluid intake to 2 liters. in a day. Over time, postpartum nutrition during the first month becomes varied. You can already eat fish, nuts, cheese, beef. Gradually consume fruits, legumes, eggs. Further, the diet expands according to the tastes and requirements of the mother.
What is a strict postpartum diet?
Almost all women adhere to such a diet. But mommy should have strict nutrition, whose baby has unpleasant manifestations due to a reaction to breast milk. For this reason, the baby may have constipation, diathesis, and a swollen tummy. Certain foods can alter the taste of milk, thereby making the baby averse to lactation.
In some cases of proper nutrition after childbirth, it is necessary to exclude allergic foods from your diet. These can be coffee, chocolate, sausage, canned food, citrus fruits, strawberries. If suddenly, when consuming these products, you observe an allergic reaction in a child, then they should be excluded immediately. Abstinence from the listed products should be no more than six months.
Nutritionists strongly recommend that you give up baking, sweets for the period of feeding. Eat cabbage, liver, beans in small portions. But this does not mean at all that mom is forbidden to eat everything, there are also many other different products. Oatmeal, vegetable soup, boiled vegetables, beets, fish (not smoked) are allowed. You can use seaweed, as it is safe and does not harm the baby's health.
Care should be taken to consume raw vegetables and fruits. It is worth starting with beets and onions. After taking these vegetables, it is advisable to observe the baby to see if they are causing an allergic reaction. In order to avoid harsh and serious reactions of the child, you need to add one product to your diet every day. It is recommended that you expand your menu slowly and gradually.
First six-month menu after childbirth
- This nutrition for a nursing mother provides complete and nutritious breast milk with which she feeds her baby. A woman who has given birth should eat often, but in small portions (5 times a day). Introduce a new product every day when taking food, which will diversify the compiled menu. It can be cottage cheese, kefir, vegetables, yogurt, fruits, eggs, bread. It is worth combining products optimally. It is useful to eat foods high in calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins.
- Eat chicken, beef every day, because meat contains a lot of iron and protein. Fried is categorically impossible, but boiled is possible. Since fish contains fatty acid and protein, you should opt for cod, hake or pike perch. You can eat boiled or baked fish. With regard to seafood, they can cause allergies in the baby, so they do not need to be eaten for a while.
- It is very useful to drink kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk. They have a positive effect on the health of the baby and are easily absorbed by the mother's body. To provide the body with calcium, it is worth eating pure cottage cheese, without fruit additives or glaze.
- Vegetables are also very rich in vitamins. They promote digestion and have a positive effect on body functions. They can be eaten raw or cooked. Pumpkin, beets, zucchini, carrots are suitable for a nursing mother. From fruits - apples, pears, bananas. It is useful to drink not only tea, juice, but also dried fruit compote, because it is very fortified. Instead of regular wheat bread, it is better to use rye or grain bread.
- There are cases when a nursing mother needs to take multivitamins. To avoid constipation in your baby, you need to drink plenty of fluids. Adhere to a drinking regimen. After a while, a woman can start drinking dairy products.
- The correct daily routine is the key to the success of uninterrupted feeding of the baby. Mom needs to get enough sleep and rest. And most importantly, to lead a healthy lifestyle, this means in no case to consume alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.
Nutritional advice after childbirth
- A breastfeeding woman should not be hungry or dieting. Therefore, experts recommend that the mother eat with her baby every 3-4 hours. In the process of feeding the baby, you can use kefir, cheese, boiled vegetables.
- Since mommy has very little time to prepare food for herself, it is allowed to use frozen vegetables. It is necessary to monitor meals so as not to miss them, despite busyness or other household chores.
- When consuming products, a woman should monitor her reaction to them. If before there was an allergy not a specific product, then it must be immediately excluded from the diet.
Diet after childbirth to normalize weight
- When a woman carries a baby under her heart, whether she wants it or not, she gains extra pounds. And in order to return the former slender figure, you need to make a lot of effort. It is worth taking care of your figure even during the period of bearing a baby. The most important thing is not to overdo it with food during pregnancy, eat small amounts of food and not eat starchy foods. Adhering to these rules, excess weight will quickly go away after the birth of a baby.
- In the postpartum period, hormonal changes occur. Therefore, it is forbidden to go on a diet, both a nursing mother and a woman who does not feed a child. A woman can limit herself in nutrition after the third month after childbirth. It is necessary to carefully organize postpartum nutrition so that the child receives adequate nutrition. A nursing mother spends a lot of effort and energy on caring for a baby for the first days after giving birth. Therefore, it is worth eating well to cover the expended energy. Mom should eat more than 3,000 calories a day. If there is a lack of calories, then this can lead to a decrease in the quality of lactation. But if the calorie rate increases, then this threatens to be overweight.
- In order not to gain a lot of excess weight during pregnancy, it is necessary to exclude high-calorie foods. Make your nutrition balanced and correct. Sugar, sweets, mayonnaise, potatoes - all this contributes to extra pounds. It will eat optimally at a certain time. You should not constantly snack on the go, it is better to eat in small portions during the feeding process. It is not recommended to gorge yourself at night, you can satisfy your hunger with kefir, a glass of milk or citrus fruits.
- It is worth remembering about separate meals. It will help you not to gain excess weight after childbirth. One meal does not fit all foods that contain proteins and fats and carbohydrates. Therefore, this type of food is safe and will not harm your child. A little physical activity will also be beneficial. But do not tire yourself with heavy loads, they should be moderate and increase gradually. A woman should understand that she will not be able to lose weight in one day. This process will take a lot of time and effort, and most importantly, you must adhere to proper nutrition. A consistent, sensible and fluid dietary approach will provide good and consistent results.
According to the recommendations of experts, a woman can adhere to a weight loss diet after childbirth after 9 months. But it would be more correct to draw up a separate food menu and follow it for a certain period of time.
For more information on how to eat after childbirth, see this story: