Eating and Drinking Right - How to Nourish Yourself Around Childbirth

Photo by Juli Kosolapova on Unsplash

 

Hardly any topic regarding pregnancy and childbirth is as present as nutrition. You want to support the development of your growing baby while keeping up your own strength. After the birth, you want to get back in shape quickly and shed the extra pounds from pregnancy. If you also belong to the mothers who want to breastfeed, you will no longer be spared unsolicited advice. Opinions on these topics vary widely, so today we will show you what really matters when it comes to eating and drinking around the time of birth.

How do I lose weight after pregnancy? If you follow the tips below, you will promote postpartum weight loss: Eat small meals regularly, eat slowly and avoid wolfing your food down, move regularly, pay attention to which foods you consume, and if in doubt keep a food diary to uncover hidden calories.

In this article, you will learn how to prepare nutritionally for childbirth and the time afterward. We also give you tips on what matters when breastfeeding and how to lose weight quickly after pregnancy.

Eating before & after birth – what is allowed?

Even though the mother's preferences around birth are in focus, when it comes to nutrition: Keep it light and simple!

During labor, your body will be running at full speed. The expected energy expenditure is often compared to that of high-performance athletes . To ensure your body has enough strength for birth, you need to supply it properly with energy.

As delivery approaches, you should opt for light meals. That means you should avoid foods with a high fat content, such as meat and cream sauces. Cabbage and legumes are also considered hard to digest and are therefore not ideal for the upcoming birth.

Dishes with complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are considered true energy boosters, which is why legumes, whole-grain pasta and rice are particularly suitable. They provide energy over a longer period, which is advantageous because labor often takes longer. Sugary foods, on the other hand, do provide a quick energy kick, but the curve drops quickly again and you feel even more sluggish than before.

Even though these pointers are important, you should always listen to your body and trust your intuition. A craving for certain foods often reflects a specific nutrient need.

Can I eat during labor?

It was not all that long ago that eating bans during labor were common. The exertion of labor could upset a woman’s stomach and thus negatively affect the progress of birth. There is also the risk, in the event of an unplanned cesarean section, that the woman could vomit under anesthesia, which can lead to complications.

Many physicians have moved away from this approach and concluded: Women feel better when they can decide for themselves when and what to eat during labor. There is no evidence of actual disadvantages.

During labor, light foods such as crispbread are particularly suitable. Muesli, light yogurt, fruit, pasta and rice dishes, as well as cooked vegetables are also allowed.

As a quick snack in between, bananas and trail mix are also suitable. As you can see, there is plenty of choice to keep you nourished during labor.

You should pay particular attention to drinking enough during labor. Try to avoid carbonated drinks as they can cause nausea. Very acidic fruit juices, such as orange juice, are also not ideal during labor. It is best to stick to still water or tea.

Even directly after birth, the top priority is: Drink plenty! To compensate for any blood loss and give your body some strength, you should also ensure adequate iron intake. The latter is particularly important after a cesarean section. Suitable options include:

• Meat
• Fruit
• Whole grain products
• Nuts

Also valuable are essential fatty acids, as found for example in olive oil, nuts, and fish. These stimulate tissue regeneration after birth.

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Nutrition after birth – Eating and drinking during the postpartum period

As soon as you and your baby are back home, everything is topsy-turvy. The new daily routine needs to settle in and the processes to be found. Household tasks and your diet often have to adapt to the baby's feeding intervals, and in addition your body needs a lot of rest after giving birth. It is called the postpartum period for a reason – you should spend the first period after delivery largely in bed with your baby. Your body has done tremendous work over the past months and needs to regenerate, and your baby should be allowed to arrive gently in the world. Take this time for yourself and your child and do not hesitate to accept help.

A varied diet is just as indispensable after birth as during pregnancy. Even if you are short on time, motivation, or appetite: your body now needs all the nutrients it can get. Of course, you may keep it simple , but that does not mean that fast food should be on the menu every day. While some families cook ahead, others let friends and family cook for them in the first weeks.

After birth, especially if you want to breastfeed your baby, you have an increased need for calories and nutrients, which is why not only you, but also your child benefits from regular and high-quality meals. You can learn more about nutrition and breastfeeding itself from a lactation consultant.

Meals do not have to be elaborate—quite the opposite. Scrambled eggs are quick to make and, with a few vegetable strips, become a high-quality meal. The food does not necessarily have to be warm either; a crisp salad does the trick. If you still reach your limits, you can look for delivery services that ship so-called postpartum boxes .

The same applies here: listen to your body and trust your intuition. Your body instinctively knows what it needs to get back on its feet quickly. Do not let guidelines and well-intentioned advice unsettle you too much, and trust your body sense. And if that means that, as a vegan or vegetarian, you have to make exceptions for a short time, that is okay during this period as well.

 

Losing weight after pregnancy – 5 tips

After giving birth, many mothers are keen to shed the extra pounds quickly. On average, a woman gains between 12 and 18 kilograms during pregnancy, with a large portion of that already disappearing again at birth.

Nature intended that during pregnancy fat stores form so that you always have energy reserves in the first hectic time with a baby. Be gentle with yourself; the first period after birth belongs entirely to you and your baby – your body should be allowed to recover. The focus here should be on postpartum recovery exercises ather than diets. Especially if you are breastfeeding your child, you will most likely lose a few pounds on your own. Here too, listen to yourself and what you really need right now. Mothers are often influenced by ideals and want to become slim and fit again quickly. Tune out these external factors and treat yourself with care. The baby phase goes by so quickly; you will still have plenty of time to get your body back up to speed.

Once you have become a team as a family, you and your baby are fit, and everyday life has settled in, you can start focusing on your body. Below we have put together five tips to help you lose weight in the first year after pregnancy:

1. Make sure to eat regularly. It is best to eat plenty of vegetables, legumes, complex carbohydrates (e.g., whole grains), fermented dairy products, eggs from free-range hens (ideally pasture-raised eggs), and good pasture-raised meat (if you are not vegan or vegetarian) to prevent cravings and avoid reaching for high-calorie snacks.
2. Take your time when eating. Enjoy your meals, chew slowly, and try not to gulp.
3. Try to exercise regularly. To begin with, 30 minutes of movement a day is enough to get your metabolism going. In addition to a walk, you can also jog short distances or cycle once you feel fit enough. Do not put yourself under pressure; your body must and may first recover from the birth and already has plenty to do.
4. Pay attention to what you consume and, if in doubt, start keeping a food diary . This way you can uncover hidden and unnecessary calories.

 

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The right diet for breastfeeding mothers

During breastfeeding, your energy requirements increase significantly. To be able to produce nutrient-rich breast milk, you need to take in sufficient nutrients accordingly. When you are breastfeeding, your body needs about 500 calories per day in addition. On top of that, it is important to ensure adequate fluid intake.

As during pregnancy, the following also applies while breastfeeding:

• Drink plenty: At least two liters of water per day. Unsweetened tea or diluted fruit juices are suitable alternatives.
• Prefer fiber-rich whole grain products
• Particularly suitable foods are fruit, vegetables, grains, and potatoes
• Animal products also, such as high-quality dairy products, eggs, bone broth, or meat, should be part of your diet in moderation. You and your child need vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients at this time that are difficult to obtain through a vegan or vegetarian diet. Beef or chicken liver is particularly nutrient-dense. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you can consider supplementing vitamin B12, omega-3 oil, collagen, iodine, and other nutrients important during pregnancy.
• Additionally, you should have your vitamin D level checked, especially in autumn and winter. You can supplement the vitamin daily with 1,000–4,000 IU. Even if cravings are hard to bear, eat sweets only in moderation. The fewer empty carbohydrates and sugar you eat, the less often cravings will occur.
• If you feel like a snack, fruit, yogurt, or veggie sticks can help

Are there dietary prohibitions for breastfeeding mothers?

Unlike in the past, nowadays there are hardly any blanket prohibitions for breastfeeding mothers.

Whereas mothers used to be instructed to avoid gas-producing foods such as onions, cabbage or leeks as well as acidic foods such as tomatoes and citrus fruits, the situation today looks quite different. Because breast milk is formed not from the contents of the stomach but from the mother’s blood, a link between gas or a sore bottom and the mother’s diet has not been proven. Only substances that pass into the blood of the mother can also end up in the baby’s body, which is why, among other things, alcohol should be avoided during breastfeeding. Coffee is permitted in moderation, so with 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day you will not notice any changes in your baby’s behavior.

Strongly flavor-altering foods such as garlic or asparagus, on the other hand, can change the taste of breast milk. In some cases, this leads to rejection of breast milk. Approach this cautiously and pay attention to how your baby reacts.

Some types of tea, such as sage and peppermint, should be avoided, as they can inhibit milk production and thus lead to breastfeeding problems. 

Vegetarian or vegan diet during breastfeeding

Vegetarians may maintain their diet during breastfeeding as well. Completely avoiding animal products, however, is challenging while breastfeeding. You should thoroughly inform yourself about which nutrients you should additionally supplement. For example, supplementing vitamin B12 is indispensable to ensure healthy development for your child.

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Sustainable and healthy diapering with Judes

The right nutrition is one of many topics after birth. Another is choosing the right diapers - and this is where we at Judes come in. It is especially important to us to make things as easy as possible for parents after birth. At the same time, we place great value on sustainability and skin health.

For this reason, we developed Judes - a cloth diaper as easy as a disposable diaper, and yet so much better.

With Judes, you not only save yourself from constantly buying new diapers, but you also avoid annoying diaper waste and actively contribute to environmental protection. Unlike disposable diapers, our cloth diapers are completely without chemicals, because the inner diaper is made of 100% organic cotton. Soft, absorbent and, above all, skin-friendly. The moisture protection is provided by the outer diaper made of recycled PUL (a fabric with a thin layer of polyurethane). With our washcloths we also offer you a sustainable and skin-friendly alternative to wet wipes. After use, both the washcloths and the cloth diapers are washed and then reused. Our products are so durable that they can be passed on to up to four more children .