postpartum nutrition

Something that continues to come up in conversation with pregnant mothers who are preparing for their postpartum is what my favourite postpartum foods are. I want to share a couple of my favourite recipes, but I also want to briefly discuss the importance of their ingredients.

The basics of postpartum meal planning should include using certain foods that will help replenish the nutrient stores for the mother, helping you cope with sleep deprivation, provide your body with all it needs for breastfeeding (including macro and micronutrients), and to help your body physically repair after birth. That’s a lot to consider, and while homemade lasagna trays are great to stash in the freezer, considering the ingredients that you use in all of your postpartum meals is more important than you think if you want to avoid postnatal depletion.

Ayurvedic meals are perfect postpartum food because they strengthen the warmth in your body that has been lost through childbirth. It is believed that after birth, the mother has excess ‘Vata’ (wind or air) due to the physical void left in the womb. A Vata imbalance can cause dry skin/lips, bloating, constipation, muscle spasm, poor circulation, anxiety, joint pain and sleep problems. Building up heat in the mother is therefore critical, especially given that the increase in blood volume in pregnancy drops after birth.

Warming and nourishing your body post birth can be done by eating plenty of:

• broths, soups and stews

• fats, fats and more fats! Think oils, nuts, eggs, avocado, ghee, oily fish, coconut milk, goats cheese, etc.

• organ meats

• ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and other warming spices and herbs

• root vegetables and greens

• herbal teas

• warm cooked grains

A lot of these products can be bought from Healthy Life in one shop.

Bone broth is fantastic in your postpartum! It was the first thing I consumed post birth. Not only is it a great source of protein, it is also collagen and glycine rich which is so helpful in repairing cell and tissue growth. It helps to restore ligaments and tendons, hydrate breastfeeding mamas, improve bone health, stabilise blood sugars, and support your immune system (among many other things). Broth is the ultimate postpartum food and should be a staple in your household post birth. I prefer chicken bone broth because it tends to be a lot sweeter and lighter than beef. The beauty of this recipe is that once the broth is made, you can shred the chicken and use the vegetables to make a nourishing meal.

CHICKEN BONE BROTH

1 whole organic, free range chicken
3 celery sticks chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 white onion, peeled and halved
3 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
Water
Chicken necks and feet, if desired (will increase gelatin)

Place whole chicken in a large pot with chicken necks and feet if using. Add vegetables. Top with water until the chicken is generously covered, and then add apple cider vinegar (this helps to break down the collagen). Bring to the boil and then reduce to low and cover, simmering until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through. Put vegetables (carrots and celery) aside for later and shred the chicken, making sure to return the carcass back to the pot. Continue simmering on low for 10-12 hours. Strain the broth and freeze in glass jars.

Using up the chicken and vegetables from your bone broth, this butter chicken recipe is not only delicious, it is also full of good fats to help rebuild depleted tissue, stimulate blood circulation, aid digestion and support hormone production. The warming spices help to stimulate blood circulation.

BUTTER CHICKEN

Shredded chicken from your bone broth recipe
Cooked vegetables from your bone broth recipe
1 can coconut cream
1 onion
Ghee, 2 tbs
1 inch ginger knob, grated
Spice blend - cumin powder, turmeric, green and black cardamom seeds, paprika, fennel seeds, cinnamon, caraway, fenugreek, salt, black pepper, cloves
Handful of fresh coriander

In a mortar and pestle, grind the spice blend to your liking to make approx. 3 heaped tbs of spice. Heat ghee in a pan, add chopped onion and cook until soft. Add ginger and cook until fragrant. Add your spice blend. Pour in half of the coconut cream and stir to combine. Add your cooked chicken and vegetables and the rest of the coconut cream. Simmer on low until cream forms a nice consistency. Service with rice and fresh coriander.

This warming oatmeal is the ultimate comfort food recipe for postpartum mamas who are running on little to no sleep. The oats are full of nutritional value including high iron, manganese, zinc and calcium. Oats also contain beta-glucan, a form of fibre that is thought to increase prolactin, the beautiful breastmilk hormone. Walnuts, hemp seeds and coconut milk give you a boost of good fats, and the fibre from the fruit will prevent constipation (serve with prunes for an extra fibre boost and laxative effect). Make this recipe in bulk and keep refrigerated for up to five days.

APPLE, GINGER + WALNUT OATMEAL

1 apple, chopped into 1cm cubes
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped roughly
1/2 cup oats
1 cup coconut milk in carton (or other milk substitute of choice)
Half inch knob of ginger, chopped finely
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbs hemp seeds
Maple syrup, for serving
Fresh strawberries, for serving

In a saucepan, add oats and coconut milk. Bring to boil. Add chopped apple, ginger and cinnamon. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove when oats are cooked and apple is soft. Serve in your favourite bowl, topped with chopped walnuts, hemp seeds, strawberries and a drizzle of maple syrup.

There are so many herbal tea options to support mothers in their postpartum, from healing blends to breastfeeding blends, but when you feel like something a little more milky, try this golden turmeric milk before reaching for the hot chocolate. Full of beautiful spices, this latte style drink will warm you from the inside out.

MAMA’S GOLDEN MYLK

1 litre oat milk
4 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of tsp cayenne pepper
4 medjool dates
Coconut oil or ghee

In a saucepan, warm milk and spices. Add dates and simmer on low for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and store in a large glass jar in the refrigerator. Reheat before serving in your favourite mug. Stir in a tsp of coconut oil or ghee.

If you’ve never eaten liver before the idea of it can be daunting, but this powerhouse food should be a staple in your diet whether you are in your postpartum period or not. Loaded with iron, zinc, b12, choline, folate and vitamin a, eating liver will help replenish your body after blood loss during childbirth and help aid postpartum healing.

LIVER AND ONIONS

500 grams organic chicken livers
Milk
Plain flour
2 brown onions, cut into thin slices
1 heaped tsp brown sugar
6 medium potatoes
Ghee
Salt and pepper

Place chicken livers in a bowl and top with milk. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes (this helps to remove the bitter taste). In the meantime, boil potatoes in a pot until cooked through. Drain and mash with ghee. Sauté the onions in ghee, adding the brown sugar when onions become soft. Cook until caramelised and put aside. Take out the chicken livers and coat each one lightly in plain flour, salt and pepper. Cook the livers in ghee until browned but still pink inside, about 2-3 minutes each side. Serve with mashed potato and top with onions.

I always have goats cheese on hand because I find I can usually whip up a last minute meal with what’s in the cupboard or freezer if I do, and this tart is my go to recipe most of the time (I often make two at once). With an endless egg supply from the chickens, puff pastry hidden in the back of the freezer, and kale/swiss chard/spinach/whatever you have in your vegetable garden on hand, this is an easy dish to put together with little effort and is so tasty as well.

PUMPKIN AND GOATS CHEESE TART

1/2 butternut pumpkin, chopped into 2cm cubes
150g goats cheese
6 free range eggs
1 spring onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cup cooking cream (or a dash of milk if unavailable)
Handful of kale
1 sheet puff pastry
Sage
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. On a baking tray, place pumpkin and bake until soft enough to poke a knife through. Remove from oven and set aside. Meanwhile, whisk eggs and cream in a bowl. In an oven proof dish (I use a square cast iron casserole dish), spray with olive oil and then place your pastry down. Place pumpkin evenly on pastry with your chopped kale and spring onion. Add the egg mixture, sage, salt and pepper and goats cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until egg is cooked through and pastry is golden.

Some of my other favourite postpartum foods to make and freeze include kitchari, chicken and red date soup (The First Forty Days recipe), bliss balls, spiced pumpkin muffins, chocolate covered dates, palak paneer, coconut dal, mushroom and lentil ‘sausage’ rolls, banana bread and stewed fruit. My biggest tip when it comes to postpartum food prep is to cook when you feel inspired and have the energy. I see so many women (myself included) want to cook in their second trimester but feel it’s too early, and come the third trimester our body yearns for rest. Your future self will thank you if you fill your freezer with snacks AND main meals, because you will be reaching for fruit toast at 2am most nights!

Enjoy this phase of preparation and remember to switch out a few ingredients in your usual recipes to include lots of healthy fats and warming spices.

Have you considered capturing your birth? Birth Film Basics is here! This is for your birth team, the dads and doulas who may be supporting you in birth, to learn the basics on how to make a birth film using either a phone or camera! I teach them a heap of techniques so that they can create an interesting and beautiful birth keepsake for you. I also walk them through how to prioritise being your birth support first and foremost, and how to be unseen in the space when using a camera.

The course is less than an hour in length and is broken into 7 modules so they can watch a couple of clips a night. If you are wanting to have your birth captured but don't necessarily want to hire an extra person or have someone else in your sacred birth space, then this course is a great solution! ❤

I cannot wait to see what your partners/birth team create! Check it out here.