Postpartum Period
I am a mother of two boys, one six years old and another eleven months old. I confess that the topic of healthy eating in the postpartum period is not my favorite.
We, mothers, tend to be too demanding of ourselves: the baby must always be satisfied and happy, the house immaculate, ourselves impeccable, in short, an impossible mission.
That's why, sometimes, eating can take a backseat, even to the third or last place, and that's okay, we will surely resume our normal life as soon as possible.
7 Tips
But for those mothers who prioritize healthy eating in the postpartum period, here are my tips:
1. Water, water, water: water is our best friend, and I recommend always carrying a 1.5L bottle with you to ensure minimum fluid intake.
For breastfeeding mothers, the amount of water should be higher, as they are expending a considerable volume of it during breastfeeding.
In addition, our body has gone through childbirth, which implies many changes at the organism level, which tends to become more "lazy," and water helps in the purification and regulation process.
2. Increase fiber intake: the intestinal part, especially in cesarean deliveries, tends to become lazier, as I mentioned earlier. To avoid constipation, it is best to increase fiber intake through foods such as lettuce, oats, flaxseed, legumes, carrots, watercress, among others.
3. Include foods rich in Omega-3 to help with postpartum depression. Omega-3 is present in fatty fish, nuts, and seeds.
4. Prepare meals and soups before childbirth and freeze: I am an advocate of organization and planning as the fundamental point of healthy eating.
This topic in the postpartum period becomes even more relevant, as it is a phase when we are 100% dedicated to a baby who needs us a lot. Therefore, I recommend all future mothers prepare before the baby is born and leave nutritious soups and meals made and frozen, so they always have a healthy meal ready to eat.
5. Always have nuts on hand to avoid processed snacks: we are tired, nights are poorly slept, and the tendency to seek comfort in processed snacks increases. So, I recommend always having a bag of nuts in your purse, bedside table, desk, basically everywhere, to snack on throughout the day and thus avoid less healthy foods when hunger strikes.
6. Seek help: yes, I know that the neighbor was a superwoman who managed everything and her unicorn baby slept through the night, but in our case, real mothers, it's not always like that. So I recommend seeking help: from your mother, father, aunt, friends, ... Anyway. In my case, when they told me they were coming to visit the baby at the end of the day, I shamelessly asked them to bring dinner, since I wouldn't be able to prepare it with visitors in my house.
7. Accept: accept that we are going through a phase of adaptation to a new life, accept that we have a baby who needs a lot of attention and that this implies a readjustment in our routine and the time we have for ourselves, accept that we won't always make the healthiest choices and that's okay, we are doing our best.
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