You’ve spent nine months with a passenger, time to fly solo.
So you’ve just had a baby, congratulations! Miracle of birth and all that jazz, you should be really proud of yourself. But now that your little passenger is out of your cabin and safely in your arms, it’s time to start cleaning up after them. After all, you’ve just spent nine months priority mailing a portion of your body’s nutrients to your kid, so things may be a little bit… depleted.
Postpartum nutrition is extremely important for getting you back to full strength in a timely fashion. You’ll want to be hale and heart to properly care for both your new child and yourself. What you want is a steady, low-effort supply of vital nutrients in order to restore what your body may be low in. Protein, for instance, is an absolute must. A large portion of your former body mass is now crawling around on the floor, after all, so you’ll need some extra protein from things like pistachios and tofu.
You’ll also want some extra blood-vital nutrients like iron and zinc, as well as antioxidants. As birth can be a bit of a messy endeavor, you’ll need the right stuff to ensure your blood keeps flowing smoothly and cleanly, delivering vital oxygen to the rest of your body. You can get those nutrients from eating oats, and antioxidants from foods like avocado and sweet potatoes.
Speaking of sweet potatoes, some complex carbohydrates, like those found in sweet potatoes, are important for restoring your body’s energy reserves, a large supply of which you may have burned off during the birthing process. Not only do sweet potatoes keep you energized and satiated, they’re also full of important nutrients for breastmilk.
Talk to your doctor about what you might be low in after a birth, and consider additional supplements if necessary. You should be back to normal soon enough, and then your life as a parent can begin in earnest.
