Postpartum Care (#1) Replace Lost Blood and Nutrients

Currently, we are exploring the four important requirements of the postpartum diet and recovery period. As thoughtfully outlined from the knowledge of women's health advocate Jenny Allison with her traditional and cultural approach, in particular Traditional Chinese Medicine.

#1 Replace lost blood and nutrients.

During pregnancy, birth and in the weeks postpartum you will experience some blood loss.

Firstly, the placenta has an incredible ability to extract everything the baby needs from the mother and the physical act of growing a baby inside requires a huge amount of resources. Nourishing yourself with whole-foods as well as focusing on nutrient dense meals will allow you to maintain your nutrient stores during pregnancy.

Further to this, labour and then in what is referred to lochia, the cleansing of the uterus and bleeding following birth, there is variable - and often a high amount of - blood loss. Along with the blood loss is a huge loss of vital nutrients making replenishment with nutrient dense foods a priority of postpartum care.

Food focus. The foods that are most supportive of building blood due to their warming nature and high nutrient value are:

beef, chicken and eggs
seafood
cooked greens and dark leafy greens
soaked legumes
activated nuts and seeds
broths, soups and stews

Iron rich foods.

red meat, offal
dark poultry meat and liver
clams, oysters and mussels
soybeans, tofu and tempeh
legumes: lentils, quinoa, kidney beans, chickpeas and black eyed peas
swiss chard and spinach cooked
beet greens cooked
cashews and sunflower seeds
dried figs and dried apricots

Folate rich foods.

brewers yeast
legumes: black eyed peas, soy beans, kidney beans, mung beans lima beans, navy beans, garbanzo beans and lentils
beef liver
walnuts
spinach
kale
asparagus

B12 rich foods.