This is part 2 of a series of posts on postpartum nutrition. To read Rebecca Jaspan’s article on a Registered Dietician’s perspective, please follow this link.
There is a long tradition of postpartum care including nutrition in East Asian Medicine (EAM). It views pregnancy as a time when the body is in a state of abundance- qi (energy), blood, fluid and warmth should be at their peak. When the baby is delivered, there is a sudden loss of these substances and the new mom is much more vulnerable to cold and depletion.
In EAM, the focus is on replenishing in order to prevent any unnecessary depletion, thus promoting good health and longevity for the new mom. We focus both on specific foods as well as methods of preparation that nourish blood, fluids, qi, and warm the body. While the exact traditional methods and foods are not always possible to follow, we can take the general themes and wisdom from East Asian culture and apply them in a different setting, all in a way that feels nourishing, comforting and familiar. Keep reading for the most important ideas.
Eat Soft, Easily Digestible Food
This is very important in the first week after delivery but should be continued for at least a month. Food that is soft and easy to digest will help to replenish energy, reduce constipation and make bowel movements easier. Even more importantly, soft foods require less of your “digestive fire” than crunchy or chewy foods- and help to conserve warmth. Think soups, stews and slow-cooked dishes in addition to congees. In addition to what you eat, how you eat is important. Chew food slowly and (whenever possible) and hand the baby over to someone else while you eat so you can focus on your meal.
Eat Warming and Cooked Foods
In East Asian culture, when you hear about warming foods, this refers to the energetic nature of the food. Things like mint and cucumber would be cooling, and things like cinnamon, ginger and garlic would be warming.
In addition to the energetic nature of the food, you also want to lean towards meals served at room temperature or warmed, and avoid anything cold. Think room temperature smoothies instead of cold. Traditional advice would be never allowing icy or raw foods to pass your lips for a period of (at least) 40 days. While this isn’t always possible, aim for warm, cooked foods at least 80% of the time.
Eat foods that nourish blood & fluids
A postpartum mom must eat foods that nourish blood- sufficient blood will help with regular bowel movements, milk supply, tissue healing, energy and mental/emotional wellbeing.
A few examples of blood nourishing foods include Jujubes (red dates), black beans, kidney beans, dark leafy greens, beets, black sesame seeds, Shitake mushrooms, Black rice, Pumpkin seeds, blueberry and blackberry and seaweed. You will notice that almost all these ingredients have a dark color. Fluid rich foods are the soups, stews and congee dishes described above.
Foods specific to milk supply
To have sufficient breastmilk, you need plenty of foods that nourish all the above substances: blood, qi and fluid. Focus on the concepts above, but you can also add specific foods such as Aduki beans and peanuts to help. A few other traditional dishes for increasing milk supply are pig’s trotters soup and fish/papaya soup (see The First 40 Days book linked below for recipes).
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When I am working with a patient who is newly postpartum, I look at what the person’s general constitution was before and during pregnancy: if someone experienced symptoms of blood deficiency (which might include anemia, fatigue, dry hair, skin and nails and dizziness) they will likely become even more blood deficient postpartum. These are just some examples, and there are many other types of imbalances that could be present. Whatever was present before will likely become exacerbated, but there may also be new imbalances present (for example- if there was severe tearing during delivery we need to focus on tissue healing). Finding balance requires looking at your history, both recent and more long-term, and knowing which foods can be helpful.
I also want to emphasize that while food is very important, there is so much more to postpartum health and recovery than food. Coming up with a postpartum health and wellness plan far in advance of your due date is so important for lining up the helping hands you’ll need to recover, feel nourished and actually “sleep when the baby sleeps” (easier said than done!).