What Fruits Are Good for Women During Postpartum Recovery
Introduction to Postpartum Recovery:
Postpartum recovery can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty's "Li Ji Nei Ze" and has a history of more than two thousand years. It is a necessary ceremonial behavior after childbirth.
From a sociological and medical perspective, "postpartum recovery" is a critical period to assist women in smoothly transitioning through physiological and psychological changes in their lives.
Modern medicine believes that significant changes occur in the reproductive system, endocrine system, digestive system, circulatory system, respiratory system, urinary system, nervous system, etc. of women after childbirth. Each system needs to be adjusted and restored. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that women's bodies after childbirth are in a state of "blood deficiency and qi deficiency." What fruits are good for postpartum recovery in spring?
1. Orange: Oranges have a sour taste and warm nature. They contain a large amount of vitamins, especially vitamin C, and are rich in calcium. Oranges can protect the integrity of capillaries, making the skin soft and preventing the formation of wrinkles on the face after childbirth. Orange peel contains a lot of citric acid and vitamin D. Drinking it with water can relieve cough, phlegm, improve appetite, reduce swelling and itching. It can also promote the absorption of calcium in infants, prevent rickets, increase the resistance of postpartum women to severe cold, and enhance the effectiveness of drug treatment for postpartum women who have caught a cold and cough. Crushing 20-30 orange seeds daily and boiling them in water can prevent mastitis from developing.
2. Banana: Bananas have a sweet taste and cold nature. They contain a large amount of phosphorus, iron, and fiber. They have the functions of moisturizing the lungs and intestines, promoting bile secretion, and lowering blood pressure. They are the preferred fruit for preventing postpartum constipation.
3. Apple: Apples have a sweet and cool taste and mainly consist of carbohydrates. They contain abundant malic acid, tannic acid, vitamins, pectin, and minerals. They can prevent and treat scurvy and acne, making the skin smooth and shiny. The adhesive and fine fibers in apples can adsorb and eliminate bacteria and toxins, astringe the intestines, invigorate the stomach, generate body fluids, stimulate appetite, relieve heat, and especially have a better effect in treating postpartum diarrhea. Apples can also lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, which is beneficial for postpartum recovery in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension, diabetes, and liver dysfunction. In addition, apples contain a large amount of potassium salt, which can combine with excess sodium salt in the body and excrete it. Therefore, apples are beneficial for those with low potassium and excessive salt intake.
4. Hawthorn: Hawthorn contains a large amount of carbohydrates, vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc., of which the calcium content is the highest among all fruits. It also contains hawthorn acid, citric acid, malic acid, fructose, and flavonoids, which have the functions of promoting blood circulation, resolving stasis and accumulation, resolving phlegm and detoxification, refreshing the mind, stopping bleeding, clearing the stomach, and increasing appetite. It can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Hawthorn is beneficial for assisting in the treatment of postpartum women with weak spleen and stomach, liver dysfunction, and poor oil tolerance.
5. Pear: Pears have a sweet taste and cold nature. They contain a large amount of water and have the effects of clearing heat, reducing fever, moisturizing the lungs, relieving cough, resolving phlegm, and promoting diuresis and bowel movements. They are suitable for postpartum women with wind-heat cold, cough, and excessive phlegm. They can make urine clear and unobstructed for those with cloudy and obstructed urination.
6. Kiwi: Also known as kiwifruit, it has a sweet taste and cold nature. Kiwi has extremely high vitamin C content and has the effects of reducing fever, relieving thirst, promoting diuresis, and promoting lactation. It is beneficial for postpartum recovery after cesarean section. Due to its cold nature, it should be soaked in warm water before consuming. One kiwi per day is recommended.
7. Lychee: Lychees have a sweet taste and hot nature, and they are mainly produced in Southeast Asia. They are known as the "king of fruits". Due to their hot nature, they can strengthen yang and enhance fire, which is good for promoting body temperature and improving blood circulation. They are suitable for postpartum women with deficiency-cold.
However, lychees are hot and not easily digested, so eating too many can cause heatiness. They can be paired with mangosteens to balance their hot nature. At the same time, postpartum women who have undergone cesarean section should be cautious about eating lychees as they may cause small intestinal adhesions.
8. Pineapple: Pineapples have a sweet and sour taste and a neutral nature. They are mainly produced in Guangdong and Guangxi. They have the functions of quenching thirst, aiding digestion, relieving diarrhea, and diuresis. They are rich in vitamin B1, which can eliminate fatigue and increase appetite, which is beneficial for postpartum recovery in women.
What fruits are good for postpartum recovery in spring? What should women pay attention to during postpartum recovery in spring? What can women eat during postpartum recovery in spring?
Basic precautions for women during postpartum recovery in spring:
1. Supplement nutrition and rest well
Since childbirth can cause extreme fatigue to women both physically and mentally, family members should not disturb the new mother easily after giving birth. It is best to let the mother have a quiet and comfortable sleep. After resting and adjusting well, women should eat more nutritious and easily digestible foods, drink plenty of water, and eat small amounts of fruits such as apples, which have a neutral nature. During the "postpartum" period and breastfeeding, women should eat high-nutrition, high-calorie, and easily digestible foods to promote rapid recovery and ensure sufficient milk supply.
2. Be cautious about spring infectious diseases
Spring is the season when infectious diseases are prevalent, so new mothers should pay attention to rest and avoid excessive contact with outsiders. Although newborn babies have acquired immunity from their mothers in the womb, their resistance is limited after leaving the protection of the mother's uterus. Microorganisms in the respiratory tract of adults may become pathogens for newborns, causing respiratory infections. Therefore, experts suggest that new mothers and newborn babies should avoid excessive contact with outsiders during the postpartum recovery period.
3. Engage in appropriate activities
Regarding whether postpartum women can go outdoors for activities in spring, experts believe that it should be based on the physical condition of the women themselves. "Women with good physical condition can go outdoors for a walk two weeks after childbirth, but they should choose sunny and pleasant weather and the time should not be too long. They should not be exhausted." Getting out of bed and moving around as early as possible after childbirth can help new mothers recover their physical strength, urinate and defecate, and reduce the incidence of venous thrombosis. It can also help restore abdominal muscle tension and prevent excessive relaxation of the abdominal skin. Experts recommend that natural delivery mothers should get out of bed 6-12 hours after childbirth and start to move a little. They can walk around indoors as they wish within 2 days after childbirth and then do postpartum exercises on time. Mothers who have had a cesarean section can postpone getting out of bed until the 3rd day after childbirth and start to move a little. They can increase postpartum exercises after the stitches are removed and the wound no longer feels painful. Doing simple exercises or postpartum exercises every day is beneficial for recovery and maintaining a good body shape.
