Postpartum Nutrition: Foods to Incorporate After Birth

This month I wrote an article for the Kim Forrester Photography blog on Foods to Incorporate After Birth.

A lot of emphasis is made on ensuring women are properly nourished during their pregnancy, as there should be. After all, she is growing a human. But what happens afterwards? All too often, women are discharged after giving birth into a vacuum of isolation with little-to-no support. Postpartum check-ups focus largely on whether or not the uterus is shrinking back down to size, with the 6-week discharge and on whether she’s now physically ready to have intercourse, but there is a missing piece to postpartum support which plays a critical role in how women not only recover but thrive after giving birth: nutrition.

The postpartum body is taxed. Thanks to mother nature, the body prioritizes baby’s development at the cost of a mother’s nutrient stores. That, coupled with lack of support, fatigue, and the physical demands of pregnancy, labour and postpartum recovery, leave many women depleted of the essential nutrients to recover after birth. The internet is full of articles encouraging the consumption of oats in the postpartum period for a lactation boost, and oats are great. But when it comes to replenishing nutrient stores, they don’t hold up to all the hype. Read here to find my top picks for other foods go the distance.