*Written by team nutritionist Emily Blasik
The way that we approach the postpartum period here in the US does women a huge disservice, in my opinion. It’s all about how fast we can “bounce back” and shed the baby weight, rejoin our communities, and prioritize the caring of others. Very rarely are we told by doctors or society at large to take as much time as we need to recover from the physically demanding event that is pregnancy + childbirth. And, in fact, the faster we get back to work or return to life as normal, the better and “healthier” we are seen in the eyes of outsiders.
That is the mindset that I had after giving birth to my son, Jude. Only several days post-delivery, I was up and at ’em—doing chores around the house, cooking meals for our family, and busying myself with daily tasks—because I was a mom now and needed to be on my A game. It wasn’t long before the adrenaline high wore off and my energy began to steadily decrease, leaving me more depleted and exhausted than I had been in the entirety of my pregnancy. It’s also no coincidence that around this time, too, my breastmilk production started to slow down—a struggle that would accompany me throughout the next six months of breastfeeding Jude (and ultimately be the reason I quit earlier than I had originally planned).
Needless to say, I plan to do things differently with our daughter. Thanks to Amanda’s suggestion, I’m currently reading The First Forty Days by Heng Ou, a book about the fourth trimester that encourages mothers to approach the postpartum stage like our ancestors did, in a much gentler manner—prioritizing nothing but rest, warm comforting foods, bonding time with baby, and restorative activities for the first month or so after birth. For a lot of us, that may mean asking for extra help from our partners, friends, and family members with things like chores, meal preparation, childcare (for older children), and errands. If you don’t have a built-in community to rely on, consider hiring a postpartum doula to carry some of the burden. It really does take a village to welcome a baby into the world, and there’s absolutely zero shame in asking for support wherever you can get it.
In this post, I’ll walk you through some of the age-old practices of self-care that I am looking forward to implementing in my first forty days as a second-time mom. My goal here is not to “get my pre-baby body back,” lose any amount of weight, or return to my former self quicker—but rather to support healing and homeostasis and give my body what it needs to thrive later on. Because what helps mama to thrive helps baby to thrive! (As always, this is not health advice and should not be taken as such.)
Supporting Uterine Healing
Did you know that your uterus starts shrinking within minutes of giving birth, but it takes about six weeks to fully return to its previous size? During that time, most mothers will experience some mild-to-moderate cramping and regular bleeding (similar to a heavier period, especially during the first week or so) while the body returns to its former pre-pregnancy state. This is why it’s not recommended to participate in things like exercise, sexual intercourse, or heavy lifting for at least six weeks. Discomfort and soreness during this time is normal, but outright pain is not. That said, there are things you can do to make sure you’re supporting the proper healing of your uterus and vagina:
Nourishing Foods and Beverages
Warm, soft, and soupy foods that are that are easy to digest are said by Chinese medicine practitioners to balance vata (the dosha of air and space) and restore agni (the digestive fire).
That said, I know that I’m not going to be in the mood to slave over the stove in the month after baby’s born—and in the name of rest, I definitely shouldn’t be! So, to make things a hundred times easier on us both, my husband and I have taken to our favorite meal planning app (see my weekly obsession below!) to prepare a few rich and comforting meals that will sustain us through October.
Here are just a few that we have already made and frozen or are planning to make in the next few weeks. We also have a few family members who have kindly volunteered to cook up and freeze some of these for us! (Again, don’t be afraid to ask for help where needed.)
As you can see, they are mostly slow cooker/Instant Pot meals. Not only do soups/curries/casseroles freeze well, but they’re hearty, nutritionally-dense, and packed with warmth. I’ll also be prioritizing oatmeal (made with raw cream, collagen, maple syrup, and cooked fruit), bone broth, herbal teas (like nettle, raspberry leaf, and fennel), and raw milk (warmed on the stove).
As far as macronutrients go, we do need more fat and carbs while breastfeeding to aid in the richness of our milk. Things like coconut cream/milk, butter/ghee, and fatty meats will be your best friend during this time.
Supportive Supplementation
I’ll be honest in that my supplements don’t really change from pregnancy to postpartum. As a recap, I choose not to take a prenatal but to “make my own”: I will still be taking desiccated beef liver and cod liver oil capsules to support my vitamin A levels naturally, as well as whole food forms of B vitamins and copper. I will also prioritize full spectrum vitamin E in supplement form, as well as both topical and oral magnesium—as these two micronutrients can be difficult to get through food. Lastly, I will continue taking a high quality probiotic to support my microbiome and whole food vitamin C to boost collagen and copper.
A few additional supplements I’m planning on incorporating once baby is here:
As always, make sure you talk to your doctor before adding in any new supplements!
Here are some great podcast episodes to also check out from the Are You Menstrual? Podcast
reminder: i’m currently taking on 1:1 clients. if you’d like to explore what it would be like to work together and if we are a good fit, fill out this form to get more details!
