Happy Monday Everyone!  I hope you all had a great Mother’s Day Weekend, and a big shoutout to all the moms out there!  Dr. Hamel is offering FREE mom exams the WHOLE month of May.  So, if you know anyone in need, please let her know!

This week we will be focusing on nutrition and post partum, while next week we will be focusing on incontinence, diastasis, tearing and prolapse.

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After birth, women can be confused on what to actually consume after birth to help rebuild the body as well as what is appropriate with breast feeding.

The focus on the first two weeks is completing the cleansing of the uterus, minimizing risk of infection and aiding milk production.  Simple soups are great for this time.  Certain Chinese herbs can be wonderful to include during this phase as well including Sheng Hua Tang.

In the following weeks, soups should change from detox to fortifying to strengthen the blood.

Avoid cold foods like ice cream and iced water, which transfer cold to the uterus and increase the energy needed for digestion, and we know that women don’t have energy  to spare at this time.

Women might choose juices, salads and smoothies in an attempt to lose weight quickly, but cold and raw foods are actually taxing during this time and can cause further depletion.

Hydration is also extremely important post partum to ensure what was lost in childbirth.

With birth, there is a huge blood loss and deficiency, so to counteract the cold of blood deficiency, a new mother will benefit from eating warming foods and foods that build blood:

These include:
– Beef
-Chicken
-Eggs
-Black sesame seeds
-Dates
-cooked greens
-carrots
-soups (mung bean is best)

In general, food should be warm and oily (naturally saturated, or covered in fats like ghee, butter and lard).  They should also be prepared with the right spices to help keep a mother’s inner body warm, aid digestion and stimulate the circulatory system. ( like cinnamon, tumeric, clove, ect)

Maintaining even blood sugar levels by eating three balanced meals with two snacks will also help ensure that a woman is eating the building blocks she needs to recover.

All vegetables and fruits are beneficial of course as with anyone.  Antioxidants are very important post partum and there are certain foods that are high in these nutrients.  Lightly steaming veggies or stewing fruits will be helpful during this time as well.

Here is an extended list of foods that provides these nutrients:

FATS

Fat is a VITAL role in the healing process, and overall for healthy families.  They are vital for brain function and absorbing nutrients which we all need.  When consuming these good fats, its important to choose pastured and 100% grass fed animal fats, or else the health of the animal is transferred into that source.
-Olive oil
-coconut oil
-ghee
-butter
-lard

Women with less connective tissue density , saturated fats are imperative to giving the body the basic building blocks to strengthen organ tissue and ligaments, and turn them to a robust and stable structure.
The body will take whatever it needs form the other to make the highest quality breast milk possible for the baby. In order to heal well after childbirth, it is crucial that women have sufficient nutrient density to nourish both themselves and their babies.

Whether plant or animal based, quality is SO important.  Mass production of food comes with using toxic pesticides and hormones.  If choosing plant based also look for fair trade products or buy directly from farmers . Beans, lentils, grains and hemp products are examples. 
Fish?  Make sure it’s wild, farmed is usually fed genetically modified feed and added colors

-Bone broth
-chicken breasts or thighs
-ground beef/buffalo
-turkey sausage
-duck
-bacon
-salmon
-raw cheese
-full fat yogurt
-cottage cheese
-kefir

SWEETENERS

During postpartum, since your hormones are dis-regulated, keeping a low glycemic index is extremely important.

Options
– Local Raw Honey- Manuka honey is best with is antibacterial properties
– Real Maple Syrup
-Yacon Syrup
-Stevia

The first forty days is an amazing postpartum cookbook ad resource that has over 40 different recipes .