• Fertility, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

  Postpartum Support

  Posted by mishaakhan1999 on August 13, 2023 at 11:48 pm

  Hi Bernadette and Daniel,

  Are there specific nutrients that should be consumed more during postpartum? I know that soups, broths and easily digestible foods are key (slow cooked meats, cooked vegetables). Do you have any additional suggestions?

  Are there herbs and supplements that can help support postpartum recovery?

  What are your thoughts on taking a postnatal or continuing to take prenatal supplements postpartum too?

  Thanks

  Bernadette replied 1 year, 3 months ago 3 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Daniel

  Member

  August 14, 2023 at 10:25 pm

  Hey ,

  After pregnancy, the body needs to recover from sharing nutrients with the growing foetus. Women who breastfeed are still sharing nutrients with their babies and might need to pay extra attention to their nutrient intake. This means that these women often need more minerals like iron, folate, and vitamin B12 to rebuild their red blood cells lost after delivery.  While breastfeeding these nutrients are shared with the baby as well together with other nutrients like calcium and iodine. 

  Iron
  Iron-rich foods like meat and poultry can provide these nutrients. Plant-based sources like lentils, leafy greens and other legumes. Nuts & Seeds can also provide iron in your diet. Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, cashews and pine nuts are particularly rich in iron.

  The enzymes in the stomach that free up iron from food need vitamin C to work. This is why vitamin C increases iron absorption. Citrus fruits like oranges, kiwis, lemons and grapefruit are high in vitamin C. Bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower are also good sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C does get destroyed by heat. Make sure that you don’t overcook vitamin C rich foods.

  Acerola Cherries and Rose Hips are incredibly high in vitamin C. If you like these foods, you can add them as well.

  Folate
  When you’re breastfeeding, the need for folate goes up as well. Folate is important for growth, making DNA and creating healthy red blood cells for as well the mother and her newborn child. Folate-rich food sources are for example leafy green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.

  Zinc
  A good amount of pregnant mothers use more zinc and deplete their stores during pregnancy. Especially if you’ve noticed some hair loss during your pregnancy, this can be an indication of an increased need for zinc. If you like to get zinc out of your diet, then beef, turkey and seeds (pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds and sesame seeds for example) are good food sources that contain zinc.

  Choline
  The need for Choline becomes is also increased during breastfeeding. Choline can be found in dairy and protein food groups, such as eggs, meats, beans, peas, and lentils.

  Protein
  Protein need becomes higher as well. In this study from 2020, they recommend an intake of 1.7 to 1.9 grams of protein per kg bodyweight (3–6 mo postpartum). This is higher than the current recommended the current Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) of 1.05 g protein/kg/d.

  Iodine
  Iodine is an essential mineral needed for the production of the thyroid hormone, and to ensure your baby’s brain and nervous system develop properly. If you like to know if iodine is something you’re low in, then I recommend you to watch this video. A little bit of kelp granulates can provide you with enough iodine since it’s very rich. This video contains some other foods that are high in Iodine.

  Vitamin A
  The need for vitamin A increases as well. Vitamin A is an important nutrient for growth and the immune system as well for mum and the baby. A rule of thumb is that yellow/orange vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin) usually contain more beta-carotene, the plant-based precursor for vitamin A. Leafy greens and tomatoes are also great sources of carotenoids.

  Vitamin D
  In this study, it was concluded that taking vitamin D by mothers who breastfed their babies also positively influenced the serum levels of the babies. The researchers saw the best results in the group taking 6400 IU of vitamin D daily.

  Water
  Hydration is also important. Breastmilk is around 80% water and the need for it increases when you’re breastfeeding. Make sure your urine looks light. This is a good rule of thumb.

  Omega 3 fatty acids
  For the development of the baby omega 3’s are important as well – especially for the brain development of the baby. The fatty acids that are most important are DHA and EPA which are found in marine food sources. I usually recommend a supplement when it comes to ensuring adequate intake of DHA and EPA

  Prenatal vitamins
  A prenatal multivitamin can help you to ensure you’ve got all vitamins and minerals on a daily basis. If your diet is healthy and has an accent on leafy greens, orange vegetables, legumes, nuts & seeds, meat and poultry you might not need a prenatal vitamin. You still need to pay attention to protein sources, omega 3s, vitamin D, choline and the intake of water of course.

  Things to avoid
  • Stimulants like coffee and some caffeine-containing teas
  • Alcohol
  • Sugary foods and processed foods
  • Allergy-Causing Foods

  I hope these recommendations will help!

• 

  Bernadette

  Member

  August 14, 2023 at 11:05 pm

   postpartum can be a challenging time because of the lack of sleep and other things that can impact a new mother’s energy.

  So keeping in mind nutrients that support energy production would be a good strategy:

  -Ensuring enough B vitamins by eating a balanced omnivorous diet with foods like liver, lamb, beef, sardines, salmon, quality dairy, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, grains and an array of vegetables.

  -Postpartum, especially if breastfeeding, requires 500 calories more on average to keep up energy demand so make sure you’re eating enough calories following the VPF+C principle. Increasing fat intake and lowering carbohydrate intake can improve energy as it can regulate blood sugar levels better.

  -Check for iron deficiency. Low iron will reduce oxygen delivery and produce symptoms of fatigue.

  Since most prenatal supplements have B vitamins and sometimes iron, it can be a good idea to continue these if they aren’t supplied in one’s diet. 

  Also, postpartum depression is not uncommon after giving birth. With that in mind, you’ll see that there’s overlap with nutrients above that can help with energy and also reduce related side effects (studies linked):

  1. Iron
  2. Vitamin D
  3. Probiotics (fermented foods and/or supplements)
  4. Omega 3 fatty acids
  5. B vitamins

  In terms of postpartum physical recovery, I love the herbal bath recipes by Dr. Aviva Romm. Check them out here.

  Hope these help.

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