Postpartum Nutrition

When you enter the postpartum period it is essential to nourish your body. Your body is healing & has new demands. Staying nourished is necessary to support your energy, breast milk production, & replenishing your depleted nutrient & mineral stores.

Here are some ideas to support & nourish your body well:

• Warming foods like soups, stews, well-cooked veggies, & oats. Also, herbal teas and spices like cinnamon & nutmeg are very warming.
• Prioritize the proper balance of protein, fats, & carbs.
• Gelatin & collagen rich proteins like bone-in, slow cooked meats.
• Add 1-2 oz of organ meat per 1 pound of ground meat. This is enough to add significant benefit while not altering the taste.
• Eggs are a quick & easy source of nourishment.
• Healthy fats like raw dairy, nuts + nut butter, avocado + avocado oil, olives + olive oil, coconut oil + coconut milk.
• Nutrient dense snacks like fat + protein bites, egg muffins, & other quick foods that you can eat quickly with one hand.
• Say “yes!” to the meal train and extra help.
• Before baby arrives, when you make a meal that would freeze well, double it and freeze one portion.
• Make bowls – like a taco bowl or teriyaki bowl. These are quick, easy & can be eaten with one hand.

If you feel like your milk supply is struggling, pay attention to how many calories you are getting in, how hydrated you are, and how efficiently your baby is nursing & emptying your breast each feed. If those three things are going well you can add in the following things to try to boost your supply:

• Herbs: moringa, chamomile, fenugreek, fennel, nettles
• Brewers yeast
• Oats
• Flax seed
• Barley
• Coconut