Many women have lamented that after giving birth and going through the postpartum recovery period, they have gained a lot of weight and are struggling to lose it. So, how can we take care of ourselves during the postpartum period without gaining excessive weight?
The Correct Way to Start the Postpartum Recovery
1. Choose the Right Ingredients
We say that we need to take care of our bodies during the postpartum period, but that doesn't mean indulging in heavy and greasy foods.
If you want to eat nutritious food that can nourish your body and help you maintain a good figure during the postpartum period, you need to choose the right ingredients.
Mothers during the postpartum period should prioritize foods with higher nutritional value, and opt for low-sugar and light dishes.
2. Don't Forcefully Restrict Your Food Intake
Some new mothers deliberately restrict their food intake from the start of the postpartum period in order to maintain their pre-pregnancy figure. However, this is not the right approach.
If you eat too little after giving birth, it will not be beneficial for your body's recovery. Furthermore, new mothers need to breastfeed their babies, which requires more milk production.
Therefore, restricting your food intake is not advisable as it can hinder milk production and also cause damage to your stomach by shrinking it excessively.
3. Choose Soft and Tender Foods
During the postpartum period, new mothers should prioritize soft and tender foods. Cooking rice until it is soft and easy to digest can facilitate better absorption.
In addition, some new mothers may experience loose teeth due to the large amount of energy expended during childbirth. If they consume hard foods during this time, it can cause damage to their teeth.
Therefore, the food consumed during the postpartum period should be soft and tender, which is more conducive to the mother's nutrition absorption and tooth protection.
4. Adequate Hydration
New mothers should pay attention to adequate hydration during the postpartum period, especially for those who are breastfeeding. The production of breast milk relies on water and blood supply.
In addition, new mothers tend to sweat more, resulting in the loss of a significant amount of water from their bodies. Therefore, it is necessary to replenish fluids appropriately.
Dietary Principles to Pay Attention to After Giving Birth
1. Avoid excessive salt intake, but also avoid having an overly bland diet. After giving birth, there is an increase in urine and sweat production, so a certain amount of salt needs to be replenished.
2. Avoid or reduce the consumption of spicy foods such as garlic, chili, and pepper.
3. Avoid fried and hard-to-digest foods.
4. Choose vegetables that are neutral or warm in nature. In summer, it is acceptable to consume cool vegetables in moderation.
5. Avoid consuming any raw or cold foods, including chilled beverages, cold dishes, and cold rice.
6. Due to the significant loss of blood and severe anemia after giving birth, three meals a day may not be enough. Therefore, new mothers should have four or five meals a day or eat whenever they feel hungry.
7. Avoid eating out-of-season fruits or fruits that have been artificially preserved. Only consume fresh fruits that are in season, such as cherries in spring, peaches and grapes in summer, etc.
8. The nutritional principle after giving birth is to consume easily digestible food, have a variety of soups, maintain a balance between meat and vegetables, and ensure a balanced diet.
Some people believe that the soup itself is more nutritious than the meat in it. Therefore, when cooking chicken soup, they only drink the soup and don't eat the meat. However, this is incorrect.
