After Pregnancy Diet - What to Eat After Giving Birth?

Alhamdulillah! A Healthy newborn is in the house.

Excitements fills the air, yes but mommies in confinement are not as robust as they were before. And their body needs proper care & nourishment so they can recover well fast. Those who've had this experience or are experiencing confinement know just how badly we want to get back to our normal bodies ASAP because there's just too much restrictions for us as long as we've yet to recover. So, here I'd like to share some suitable diets to hasten & assist a recovery.  For those trying for a baby do take care of your diet before & during pregnancy. A healthy diet then will be beneficial at alter times. Trust me. I've been through a healthy diet regime at one pregnancy, and a fad diet on another, and believe me being a healthy pregger feels way better than living on junk food.

Dear ladies, do remember this diet is for health purposes and when you are healthy you will get that shape back, health first, weight issues later. You've been pregnant for 9 months and your tummy took all that time to stretch out, it won't take just days or weeks to flatten that flab, so relax and cool down. No rush in getting your slim figure back, right now you got to focus on recovering and eat what's best for the health of  your body & your little baby ( please breastfeed your child, mother's milk is the best, sterilized and complete, other formulated & cow's milk is just not right for human babies).

1.More Fish, please

Like it or not, fish is a better source of protein compared to white/red meat.

Salmon are one of the best choices to include in your diet due to it's rich content of omega oils, but as for me, here in Malaysia I'll suggest white pomfret (I like the black ones better but I heard they're not suitable for mothers in confinement? Anyone who has an idea on this do share & advice.thank you), ikan jenahak, fried anchovies,and selar kuning.

* I'm a bit blurry on food restrictions, as to some chicken & eggs are a 'no, no' during confinement, but to other these are to be consumed.
So, I'll leave out on what should be restricted & I'll just focus on what should be taken*


2.Dairy Products, absolutely

Milk, yoghurt, and cheese. A great source for calcium, Vitamins B & D and protein. Also, these dairy products may increase the output of your breast milk.

If you can't take milk on its own , you might want to try and add it to your cup of hot cocoa, it enhances the flavour , yummy!

Please cut down your coffee / tea intake as these drinks may not only dehydrate your body but it may just as well dries up your milk supply, disturbs your baby' s sleeping pattern and irritation, so just to be safe, reduce your intake of caffeinated drinks.



3.Legumes

Beans, throw them in your soup or make a sweet dish out of it, either way it tastes great. Beans are also a great source of protein and vitamins with fibre., good to hear that as constipation is one of the problems many of us face during & after pregnancy.

4.More Fruits / Veggies, the darker & more colourful the better
Not only during post pregnancy, but at all times having a huge portion of fruits & vegetables in your diet is essential, if it's organic the better.

Fruits & vegetables provides our body with vitamins, minerals (including calcium! found in broccoli & other dark leafy veggies), antioxidants and fiber.

As I mentioned before, fibre assists bowel movements, not only that it also is beneficial in absorbing sugar & fat for elimination.
Gobble up some oranges or other citrus fruits for it contains vitamin C , essential for mothers & for good quality breast milk. Orange juice does just as well, I think.

I also would like to suggest dates. Take them with honey, this combination will provide you with a complete array of nutrition, fiber & water. Studies shown that dates provides us with instant energy and reduces pain while honey does wonders in healing wounds (take note that there is a huge wound where the placenta used to lie in your uterus)

5.Brown Rice
Brown produce is always better than white(processed, refined & washed out of nutritious values).

Be it bread, rice or even flour. Whole-grain consumption are not only packed with nutrition, they are low in calories but are capable of providing energy and manufacturing quality breast milk. White or polished grains are not just absent from nourishment, but they also tend to make you feel sluggish & adds up to your weight faster.

6.Hydration

Yes, the ultimate piece of your diet. Water.
Drink loads of it please. Fruits & juices are counted as hydrating beverages, Carbonated, coloured & caffeinated are not! Plain water may be the best of all anyway, if you could find zam zam water near you, it's the best.
Not only it hydrates your body, it also plays a role in the bowels, for cleansing purposes, milk production and keeps your energy level up. If you're dehydrated many bodily functions are affected, this will delay recovery


Okay, that's all from me, just a short article on after pregnancy birth.
Took me a whole month to finish this briefly written article.. well, sorry but I've got myself a newborn to look after, hopefully I'll manage to write longer & more informative posts in the future, InsyaAllah, till then have a great confinement to new mothers & Thank you for the read.