After birth care has always been an important aspect of motherhood especially among Asians, for as long as history can remind us. It is not without reason that more and more women today are taking greater care of themselves during their postpartum period, known also as the confinement period.
A new mom’s food intake and nutrition are among the areas of postpartum care that new moms are taking more seriously these days, as awareness on the importance of postpartum nutrition becomes more widespread and available across all sources and media. BabyTalk takes a look at some of the reasons why new moms are becoming more cautious about their food intake during those delicate few weeks of their lives.
A postpartum mother undoubtedly has a lot to deal with during her confinement period, plus, she will also have the added task of caring for the tiny new addition to her family. As her new baby will be needing lots of TLC and nutrition to thrive, mommy has to, first and foremost, take good care of herself. There are indeed many aspects of postpartum care, which are all crucial for a new mom’s health and wellbeing. Among them is her own nutrition, for it greatly impacts her health, including her ability to breastfeed her baby properly. If you are a new mom reading this, and wondering what to eat and what to avoid during this delicate period of your life, this article is for you.
Why Nutrition Matters for New Moms
A new mother’s diet is a crucial aspect of her postpartum care for it can impact not only her own health, but her baby’s health will also be influenced by her food intake. From the time of birth, a newborn will quickly begin to nurse. As the new mom will need to breastfeed continuously, her food intake will need to help her sustain herself and be adequately nourished. Lactogenic foods such as fenugreek, oats, blueberries, salmon, green leafy vegetables, almonds and turmeric will help to ensure that the new mother’s milk supply is maintained. Without a good postpartum diet, a nursing mother’s body will attempt to retrieve all the additional energy needed for breastfeeding from her own body, which may leave her lethargic, with a general feeling of weakness.
A poor postpartum diet may also result in a longer recovery time for new mothers. Maintaining a high quality confinement diet allows new moms to resume their normal daily activities quicker and with more energy too. New mothers who take better care of their diets will find that they look and feel great, and have more energy too. They will tend to have a certain glow in their skin, not unlike what we call the pregnancy glow, and this will be due to the skin receiving appropriate nutrition from within.
Healthy Mom Means Healthier Baby
Breastfeeding her baby is hands down the most precious gift from a mom to her offspring. By taking great care of what she consumes, a breastfeeding mom will be able to breastfeed her baby with confidence, knowing that both her baby and her are getting the best nutrition. Breastfed babies are found to have higher intake of natural vitamin A, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9. As a result, their immune system develops well and they will be less susceptible to illness.
Know the important ingredients to add into your confinement meals
Whether you are having home-prepared confinement meals, or you are ordering your meals from a specialty caterer, it is important to know what are the ingredients you should be consuming during this crucial and delicate time of your life. Confinement meals are generally made up of ingredients which fight infections, strengthen the blood, and also promote milk production. The following are a handful of such ingredients which you can’t go wrong with when included into your confinement diet.
The Consequences of Poor Postpartum Nutrition
A poor postpartum diet may reap havoc on a new mom’s health. A new mom’s body is vulnerable to infections, and she may fall ill due to a temporarily weakened immunity. A nutritious, balanced diet will help her to fight off illnesses as well as keep her fit and well to take care of her family. Most confinement meals, either homemade or ordered from special caterers, have taken this matter into consideration, hence the meals are bound to contain ingredients that help to keep the new mom healthy. Confinement foods are also meant to help maintain a new mom’s milk supply.
Turmeric
This bright yellow root spice is rich in nutrients which helps to keep new moms healthy and glowing from within. It contains important nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, fiber, vitamin B6 and vitamin C, among others. Add some organic turmeric powder into your hot beverage, or into your smoothie. Fresh turmeric root can also be added into your confinement dish for added flavour and aroma.
Ginger
Known as an excellent wind dispeller, ginger has been used in new mothers’ food for hundreds of years. It helps to keep a new mom warm and prevent her body from becoming too windy. Ginger is also a milk-booster, which can aid nursing moms with their breast milk flow. Take some ginger in your food or have some fresh ginger juice with warm water and honey to encourage milk production during the early postpartum period.
Salmon & Tuna
Salmon and tuna are good quality fish protein which new moms can depend on for their health needs. Other than protein, salmon and tuna also contain zinc, which is known to help heal wounds, maintain healthier skin, and keep new moms in a better, calmer mood. There are many ways to enjoy these good quality fishes, but having said that, steamed fish may be the best choice for new moms, for it keeps most of the important nutrients intact, and does not require much oil for preparation.
Black Pepper
Tiny and flavourful, black pepper has its own distinctive feature which gives any dish that extra ‘oomph!’ The popular spice contains piperine, antioxidants, flavonoids, and other compounds that help protect a new mom’s body from infections, and also boost her digestive health. Black pepper is also used as a ‘heating’ agent that can help prevent new moms’ bodies from elements that may enter her body during delivery. Black pepper goes well with most dishes, even vegetarian foods, and they can be used in the place of chili peppers.
Green Leafy Vegetables
Mustard leaves (sawi), spinach, bok choy, kale, and other green leafy vegetables contain lots of healthy fiber which helps to prevent constipation in new moms. They are all also rich in vitamins A and C, as well as iron, which helps to fight off diseases and replenish your blood cells respectively. Green leafy vegetables can be consumed lightly cooked or steam – avoid over-cooking them or you might lose most of their precious nutrients.
Legumes: Useful for Vegetarian Moms
Legumes such as kidney beans, black beans, as well as red and yellow lentils are all rich in iron protein, folate, and fiber. Besides being great milk-boosters, legumes help to prevent constipation in new moms too, which is a common problem following childbirth.
Brown Rice
Resist the urge to cut back or worse, cut off your carbohydrate intake just to try and lose your baby weight as fast as you can – it simply isn’t healthy, and you may end up unwittingly impacting your milk flow due to inadequate intake of nutrients and calories. Instead, try mixing your rice with brown rice, or even red rice if you have it. Brown rice and other unpolished rice are great milk boosters, and they keep you energised for longer!
Confinement Meals and the Varying Cultures Within Malaysia
In Malaysia, the three main ethnic races – Malay, Chinese, and Indian have their own unique confinement practices with the common goal of supporting new mothers’ recovery after childbirth. Each culture also has their own advice on what a new mom should and should not consume, in terms of her nutrition.
According to traditional Chinese postpartum practices, a new mother’s energy should be replenished with good nutrition via special tonics, dishes and soups, which also help to enhance her breast milk production. Besides high quality protein from fish, poultry and red meats, new mothers are also advised by experts to take a combination of roots and herbs which include Chinese wine, Chinese Angelica root, Szechuan Lovage, dried ginger, liquorice root and peach kernels. In traditional Chinese medicine, tonics are believed to improve blood flow, tummy aches and prolonged discharge.
The Malay confinement practice calls for the new mom to consume fish protein such as fresh snakehead, tilapia, mackerel and tuna. Dried and salted fish, including mackerel and shellfish, should be avoided because it is believed to cause allergies and itchiness.
The Indian community in Malaysia encourages new mothers to consume foods containing sesame seeds, dry nuts, fenugreek seeds, and garlic. Fish protein from milk shark is also a popular confinement food among the Indian community in Malaysia, while fresh cow’s milk is believed to enhance milk flow in new mothers.
