After childbirth, every mother enters a crucial healing phase. Your body has gone through a life-changing process, and now it needs rebuilding, nourishment, and care. The good health of a new mother is ensured by an accurately prescribed postnatal diet, one that helps her body recover from the exhaustion of pregnancy and childbirth. In India, across cultures, the postpartum period is given much emphasis. This time is meant for the mother to recuperate after childbirth and for mother-newborn bonding; it is also the time where they establish breastfeeding.
The Importance of Postnatal Diet
A postnatal diet is essential for a woman’s body to recover from the exhaustion of pregnancy and childbirth. It provides the necessary nutrients and vitamins for healing, energy, and lactation. The first step towards recovery is to ensure that the lady is hydrated. At the postpartum stage, the body is weak, and the digestive system is unable to function at its best; hence, drinking water aids digestion and is also necessary for the production of adequate breast milk. Foods abundant in nutrients and vitamins are an integral part of such a diet.
Traditional Indian Postnatal Practices
In India, women typically stay at home for approximately 6 weeks/40 days (a period of 'confinement‘) after childbirth. Usually, the woman returns to her mother‘s house for the end of pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum. If she is unable to do so, the mother will usually come and live with her during this time. This practice is indeed beneficial for a new mother who will need mothering herself. So, during this 'confinement‘ period, the woman is well cared for by her mother and/or other female relatives. The woman is supposed to rest, rejuvenate, and replenish. She is not to do any housework or other strenuous activities. Basically, she is to be pampered with love for the next month at least and put on a certain diet, which is specifically tailored to her body‘s needs postpartum.
Ayurvedic Perspective
In Ayurveda, a 5000-year-old Indian healing tradition, this period is considered a sensitive time for mothers, particularly for the digestive system - hence the strong emphasis on simple, digestible foods. Traditionally, mothers are given hot oil massages daily. Savories made out of sesame seeds, dry nuts, fenugreek seeds/leaves, garlic, drumsticks & carom seeds are given to new mothers to increase milk supply. Edible gum cooked with dry nuts and wheat is given to strengthen the back and the reproductive organs post-delivery. Veggies like beans, squash, carrots, beets, green leafy vegs, zucchini are cooked in ghee (clarified butter) in order to nourish the body and enable bowel movements. Lentils, cereals, and whole grains are seasoned with whole spices and served hot. Gassy veggies like cabbage, potatoes, and cauliflower are avoided for the first three weeks after childbirth, as they de-harmonize the five body elements and disturb the digestive system. Leftover food is avoided, and organic fresh food is preferred. The new mother is directed to eat on time and not too much or too little, so that the digestive system is not unduly taxed.
Other Postpartum Practices
These women are given daily hot oil massages either by a family member or an experienced ‘maushi’ or ‘dai’. These massages are done with nurturing oils such as sesame, coconut, olive etc. Sesame oil is used for massages in many regions of India, especially in Maharashtra. It is usually used for head massages. It gives a cooling hydrating effect on the body. When applied on pregnant belly reduces the appearance of stretch marks as it works as a natural moisturizer. Olive oil is increasingly being used in many regions, especially in urban areas. It is good for skin and hair. After oil massaging, hot water is used for bathing. Warm water that has been boiled with Neem leaves are used for bathing for other parts of the body, Neem leaves are a natural antiseptic. Lukewarm water can soothe tired and aching muscles. Commercial soaps are avoided to wash off the body oil. After bathing the tummy is tied with a cotton sari or cloth. It is believed that it helps to push the uterus back and help to keep it in place. Belly binding also helps to get rid of the stomach gas. Post delivery, women are made to cover their head with scarf the whole day as a part of North Indian tradition. It is believed that body heat is lost primarily through one‘s head and that a new mother needs to preserve her body heat to recover. A few restrictions are also advised to the new mom as a part of the North Indian postpartum care. It is believed that following these restrictions helps a mother avoid health problems such as backaches, headaches and body pains later in life: Avoiding ac or fan, as ac and fan can cause cold for new moms. No reading or watching TV (this results in headache). No shouting, crying or engaging in stressful conversation. No doing of house hold works. Staying in a room till the confinement period ends. Care of the newborn in Ayurveda is greatly emphasized as well. The mothers are taught how to give their babies massages daily and are encouraged to breastfeed on demand. These first few weeks of motherhood are not only important to mother‘s health and baby‘s health but is a wonderful time for them to bond and establish a loving relationship. As the baby grows, every few weeks there is a ritual, festival performed. In India, the Holistic approach to the postpartum period acts as a preventative to postpartum depression.
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Key Nutrients for Lactating Mothers
Breastfeeding is one of the most fulfilling experiences for a new mother. However, it also brings with it a set of challenges, especially when it comes to ensuring a proper milk supply for your baby. A healthy and balanced Indian breastfeeding diet can make a world of difference. Breastfeeding mothers need extra nutrients to produce milk and support their own recovery post-pregnancy. Eating a well-balanced lactating mother diet chart not only helps in maintaining your milk supply but also ensures your baby gets the required nutrients for their growth and development.
Iron-Rich Foods
Similar to how low iron levels during pregnancy make a mother feel irritable, angry, and exhausted, low iron levels during nursing magnify these symptoms and mark you with constant fatigue. More often than not you will find yourself in an inescapable loop of irritation and exhaustion with neither the ability to sleep nor concentrate. In such a case, try supplementing your diet with iron-rich foods. Iron will help alleviate your depressive state, stabilise your mood, and both treat and prevent anaemia which is a common culprit for the insufficient supply of milk in lactating mothers.
Iron-Rich Sources (Vegetarian)
- Cereals: Rice bran, puffed rice, rice flakes, whole wheat, buckwheat, maize, and oats
- Pulses: Chickpeas, red kidney beans, soya beans, black gram, Bengal gram, whole green gram, cowpeas, sprouts, and horse gram
- Nuts: Cashew nuts, dried coconut, almonds, raisins, figs, and sesame seeds
Note: Tea and coffee should be avoided for at least an hour following a meal since they reduce the absorption of iron. Instead, include vitamin C-rich foods, such as guava, lime, gooseberries, sweet lime, broccoli, oranges, and tomatoes to improve the absorption of iron.
Calcium-Rich Foods
Calcium is one nutrient that not only aids in the development of healthy bones and teeth, but is equally and more important for the optimum functioning of the neurological, muscular, and circulatory systems. Therefore, a nursing woman must strive to get at least a thousand mg of calcium every day.
Calcium Rich Sources
- Cereal: Ragi
- Legumes: Chickpeas, red kidney beans, soya beans, black gram, Bengal gram, whole green gram
- Green leafy vegetables: Cauliflower, amaranth, fennel, colocasia, curry leaves, drumstick, turnip greens, betel leaves, fenugreek leaves, and mustard greens
- Other vegetables: Field beans, dry lotus stem, marrow, chayote, and celery
- Nuts: Almonds, dry coconut, walnuts
- Fruits: Apricot (dry), lime, wood apple, dates, and raisins
- Dairy products: Curd and milk
Protein-Rich Foods
Protein is that ‘ultimate’ nutrient you need to provide your baby with the means to build, repair and maintain its muscles while simultaneously helping you maintain your own muscle mass. It is also absolutely essential for postpartum recovery and maintaining the necessary volume of your breast milk.
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Sources of protein
- Meat: Chicken breast, fish and eggs
- Dairy products: Milk, paneer, curd, and cheese
- Soya: Tofu, soya beans, soya milk, chunks
- Nuts: Almonds, unsalted groundnuts, etc.
- Beans: Red kidney beans, black gram, chickpea, cowpea, horse gram,
- Grains: Green dried peas, sprouts, and split gram
Specific Foods and Their Benefits
Here's a detailed look at specific foods commonly recommended in the Indian postnatal diet and their benefits:
- Fenugreek seeds: are a traditional remedy for increasing milk supply. They are rich in phytoestrogens, which stimulate milk production. You can add fenugreek seeds to dals, curries, or soak them overnight and drink the water in the morning.
- Fennel seeds: not only boost milk production but also help in relieving bloating and colic in babies.
- Oats: are an excellent source of iron, which is vital for preventing anemia-a common issue postpartum. They’re also high in fiber and easy to prepare.
- Spinach, methi leaves, and dill: are rich in calcium, iron, and folic acid, making them a must-have in the diet for breastfeeding mothers.
- Cumin seeds: are another age-old remedy for lactation. They aid digestion and help reduce bloating.
- Garlic: is not only a flavor enhancer but also a milk-boosting superfood. Studies suggest that consuming garlic can improve lactation.
- Protein-rich dals, chickpeas, and kidney beans: are staples in the Indian breastfeeding diet. Dal or lentils provide the body proteins that ward off infection.
- Moderate consumption of ghee: provides healthy fats essential for maintaining your energy levels and improving milk quality. Pure desi ghee helps healing and prevents constipation. Laddoos made with a balanced amount of clarified butter provides fats while gond or tree gum increases lactation.
- Carrots and beets: are rich in beta-carotene, iron, and antioxidants, which are crucial for both you and your baby.
- Almonds, walnuts, and cashews: are excellent for boosting milk production. They provide healthy fats, calcium, and protein.
- Staying hydrated: is key for milk production. A glass of warm milk with a pinch of turmeric and ghee is beneficial.
- Moringa leaves: are highly recommended to mothers, right after delivery. Moringa leaves can be consumed either via the well-known shatavari kalp for up to four months after pregnancy.
- Edible gum or gondh: is highly recommended during winters, since it is a good source of heat for the body. Made from edible gum, dry fruits, wheat flour, and ghee, these are post-delivery power bombs. Boosts immunity, reduces swelling, and helps with internal recovery.
- Ajwain (carom seeds): are known to work wonders in alleviating issues in new mothers.
- Turmeric: The healing properties of turmeric for wounds and general health support are well-known.
- Methi: Methi is one of the best natural lactation boosters.
- Citrus fruits: provide tons of benefits, from strengthening the immune system to boosting milk production for breastfeeding. Citrus fruits include vitamin C, which aids in iron absorption. Combining them with iron-rich foods helps the absorption of vitamin C easier, thus benefitting the body.
- Eggs: are great sources of protein and can be assimilated in the body rather quickly.
- Salmon: contains DHA, which helps improve fatty acid levels and helps in brain development of your child.
- Bottle Gourd: The array of benefits of bottle gourd range from proper hydration, to better milk production for feeding, and in weight loss, post-weaning of the child. Making bottle gourd, the standard fried vegetable for your meals is the fastest and easiest way to get your fill of it. If you have a sweet tooth, there is no better delicacy and way to consume bottled gourd than the all-popular doodhi halwa.
- Black Sesame seeds: High calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, and phosphorus levels can be found in these tiny, flat seeds. They are beneficial for replenishing the body’s supply of critical minerals because they include all these nutrients. Although til ke ladoos are popular in North India, black sesame seeds are also used to make a variety of other sweets, including til patti, rewri, and chikki.
Sample Diet Chart for Lactating Mothers
To give you an idea on how to include these in your everyday life, here is a sample diet chart for lactating mothers.
- Balance your day with three main meals, and two to three little snacks each day.
- Keep a gap of at least one to two hours between your supper and bedtime.
- Eat at least one serving of dry fruits per day, such as two figs, two walnuts, two raisins, etc. Dry fruits such as cashews and raisins should be eaten instead of junk food. Banana, apple, papaya, and dates are great.
- Include seasonal fruits and vegetables to meet your vitamin A, E, C, and B complex needs. Note that fruits should only be eaten in the afternoon or evening. Vegetable such as gourds, carrots and spinach should be ingested.
- Consume a variety of cereals, including oats, ragi, jowar, whole wheat, and broken wheat. Any sort of grains, be it wheat or rice, are also good for health.
- Consume foods from all the food categories (pulses, fruits and vegetables, cereals, dairy, sugar, and nuts).
- Have at least 3l of fluid every day. You could balance this between plain water, herbal teas, milk, soups, juice, lime water, and buttermilk.
- Limit items like butter, cheese, ghee, and cream that are excessively high in saturated fat, as well as ready-to-eat meals with preservatives, deep-fried foods, alcoholic beverages, savouries, soft drinks, packaged juices, sweets, and white sugar.
- Limit your use of coffee and tea. They prevent the absorption of iron in the body.
- Stay away from any medications or herbal supplements without consulting your doctor or dietician.
Ayurvedic Daily Diet Plan for Postnatal Care
Early Morning (Any One Recipe)
- Eat soaked Fenugreek seed: To promote lactation, Soak a tablespoon of fenugreek seeds in water overnight. In the morning, chew the seeds thoroughly and follow with a glass of warm water.
- Cumin-Fennel Water: Boil a teaspoon of cumin and fennel seeds in water, strain, and drink early in the morning / throughout the day. (Can use ajwain instead of cumin fennel seeds) Improves digestion, balances body temperature, and enhances milk flow.
- Herbal Water: use a cup of warm water boiled with a pinch of pipali (Piper longum), sunthi (dry ginger) and ajwain.
Breakfast (Around 8 to 8:30 am) (Any One Recipe)
- Laddus: Take 10 grams of dry ginger powder and mix it with jaggery powder and cow ghee. Shape the mixture into small laddus and consume one daily. Made from edible gum, dry fruits, wheat flour, and ghee, these are post-delivery power bombs.
- Ragi Porridge / oats - carrot porridge: Ragi (finger millet) / oats-carrot cooked with milk or water, flavored with a little ghee, cardamom, and jaggery.
- Warm almond milk/ cow milk with a teaspoon of poppy seeds, pinch of saffron and cardamom.
- Vegetable Stew: A light stew made with seasonal vegetables, moong dal, ginger, and cumin seeds.
- Ragi Pancakes.
- Wheat / sooji halwa made up with cow ghee and nuts
- Sprouts bowl with a pinch of rock salt and coriander leaves.
Mid-Morning Snack (Around 10:30 to 11am) (Any One Recipe)
- Piece of gond pak.
- Piece of sukhadi (God papadi): made up with wheat flour, ghee and jaggery with a pinch of cardamom.
- A Piece of Coconut Burfi / Halwa / Kopra Paak.
- 1 Seasonal fruit: (banana, mango, apricot, papaya, pomegranate, coconut, chikku, water chestnut, muskmelon)
- Soaked Nuts: Soaked almonds, walnuts, figs, dates, pistachio and pumpkin seeds.
Lunch (Around 1 to 1:30 pm) (Any One Recipe)
- Soup: made up with Green Gram / Pumpkin / ash gourd / bottle gourd.
- satvik Chapati /Bajra roti /jowar roti/ragi roti with cooked vegetables and salad
- Vegetables: like pointed gourd, sweet potato, bottle gourd, sponge gourd, spinach, kale etc.
- Rice with dal or vegetable curry + salad: Dal - Horse gram dal /arhar dal (pigeon peas)
- Vegetable Curry -made up with amaranth leaves (Tandalja bhaji) / spinach / bottle gourd / drumstick/fenugreek leaves.
- Salad: beetroot, carrot, unripe papaya, coriander leaves.
- Buttermilk: Lightly spiced buttermilk with cumin and coriander.
- Note: use one-year-old grains such as wheat, rice, and barley to make all the dishes.
Evening Snack (Around 4:30 to 5:00 pm) (Any One Recipe)
- Laddus-Made with sesame seeds, jaggery, and ghee.
- Fenugreek & fennel seeds laddus.
- Herbal Tea-Fennel and fenugreek tea.
- Energy bar.
- Water chestnut halwa.
Dinner (Around 7 to 7:30 pm) (Any One Recipe)
- Lentil Soup-Light and warm lentil soup with cumin, ginger, and a dash of lemon. + Vegetable Khichdi- A mix of rice, moong dal, seasonal vegetables, ghee, and mild spices or Steamed vegetables.
- Spinach Dal and Brown Rice / mixed vegetable pulav.
- Moong Dal Khichdi: Made with moong dal, rice, ghee, cumin, and turmeric.
- Fenugreek leaves thepla: made from wheat flour and seasoned with garlic and ginger paste with homemade butter & sugar candy
- Quinoa bowl
- Rice / Poppy Seed / Nuts Pudding.
Bedtime (Around 9 to 9: 30 pm) (Any One Recipe)
- Warm Milk with a pinch of turmeric (Golden milk)
- Warm milk with a long pepper root powder.
- Mouth freshener / Mukhwas- Create a flavorful mukhwas by combining grated coconut, suva dana, sesame seeds, ajwain and poppy seeds.
Foods to Avoid
Junk food should be avoided at all costs. Gassy veggies like cabbage, potatoes, and cauliflower are avoided for the first three weeks after childbirth, as they de-harmonize the five body elements and disturb the digestive system. Leftover food is avoided, and organic fresh food is preferred.
Additional Tips for a Healthy Postnatal Period
- Prioritize Rest: Lack of sleep can impact milk production. Rest helps reduce stress and promotes consistent milk production.
- Stay Active: Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Consult a Gynecologist: Yes, if you’re struggling with milk supply, consult a gynecologist for personalized advice.
- Healthy fats and nutrients improve the quality of breast milk, whereas unhealthy fats found in fast food, etc., has proven to affect the nourishment that breast milk provides to the baby.
- Healthy eating provides your body with the right nutrients, making you feel healthier, more energetic, and overall, much happier.
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