During pregnancy, your body is running a 9 month marathon to grow and support the development of your child, which is always followed by the postpartum stage which is equally demanding. Postpartum is accompanied with sleep deprivation, physical and emotional exhaustion which can generally take a year after birth to recover from – but there is hope.
Postpartum Nutrition
You must give your body and mind permission to recover slowly. Postpartum is a time to rebuild and restore nutrient stores, regain strength with good food and gentle exercise. The slower you go, the better it will be for you.
With my experience, I can help in your preparation and expectation of postpartum. The idea that you should be out and about, juggling a new baby, household chores, possibly returning to work, keeping up your appearance and bouncing back to your pre-pregnancy body just weeks after giving birth, is not realistic and can be detrimental to your mental wellbeing. Postpartum is the time to shift your focus towards the health of you and your child at your own pace.
How I Can Help
You will need good sources of energy, vitamins and nutrients to support you into your new role as a Mother, in particular in the first few weeks after birth. Allowing yourself to rest and to be nourished will best prepare you for hormonal changes, breastfeeding, healing wounds and postnatal depletion syndrome – PSD (which is the accumulation of nutrient depletion, deep fatigue and feelings of being overwhelmed). Unfortunately, PSD has also been linked to poorer health outcomes such as postnatal depression, poor immune function and poor gut health that can persist for years after birth – but it can be avoided.
The more you can invest in your health throughout postpartum, the more you and your child will reap the rewards of good health and quality time together bonding.
As an experienced postpartum dietitian, I can setup nourishing meals plans to support you and your family whilst also providing realistic goals and expectations for life, body and wellbeing after birth and beyond