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.
- red meat
- offal
- chicken
- chicken liver
- clams, oysters and mussels
- fish
- eggs
- cheese
- fermented foods
