As mothers, we’re ecstatic when our babies are born, and we look forward to getting our old bodies back. Most women think that they can diet and eat whatever they want now that they’re no longer pregnant. This simply isn’t true. Your after pregnancy diet is crucial to your recovery after baby.
Body has Undergone Changes
Your body underwent dramatic changes during pregnancy, and you need to eat a healthy after pregnancy diet to ensure that you receive the proper nutrients needed in the healing and recovery process. You should continue taking your prenatal vitamins, since pregnancy zapped a majority of your nutritional stores. Eating a healthy after pregnancy diet, along with a regular multivitamin, can help replenish your system and give you more energy too. (A poor diet can leave you cranky and exhausted both of which are detrimental when you have a new baby in the house).
Breastfeeding and Postnatal Nutrition
If you’re breastfeeding, your after pregnancy diet is vital to your success. Most nursing mothers require an additional 500 extra calories to maintain a good milk supply. For successful breastfeeding, you’ll want to eat a healthy diet that contains fruits, vegetables, protein, whole grains, and limited amounts of fat. Although you may be worried about these extra calories, especially since you want to lose your baby fat, you should remember that you naturally burn calories each time that you nurse. Breastfeeding can actually help you lose weight naturally without resorting to an unhealthy crash diet. Breastfeeding mothers should avoid crash diets or skipping meals, since this can cause you to release toxins from the breakdown of fat cells into your breast milk. Gradually losing weight with a healthy diet and moderate exercise is the best way to do.