Fourth Trimester Nutrition Tips: Food to Help You Heal by Gina Rose
After childbirth is when a woman experiences the most significant drop in hormones that any person experiences across their entire lifespan…. Ever!
It’s in the first few days after birth when women experience the most significant drop in hormones, pair this with the intense physical labour that the body has just endured, severe fatigue & sleep deprivation, as well as feeding a new baby. Phew! Women are phenomenal!
During pregnancy, right up to the delivery of the placenta, your hormones (oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone & cortisol) are at their peak.
After the delivery of the placenta, your hormones drop right off. It’s like a ghost town. And this is why many women experience baby blues.
Our bodies are incredible & after about 2 weeks, we adjust to this drop & slowly get use to a small amount of broken sleep. Some women have more going on & anything from thyroid health, PPD, nutrient depletion can further affect your recovery & emotions. Don’t ever underestimate the huge demands placed on a woman’s body after having a baby, the new mother needs to be nurtured more than ever.
Fourth Trimester Nutrition Tips– Food to Help You Heal
You’ve carried that little human in your womb for 9 long months. You have been through the enormous experience of bringing him or her earth-side. The Fourth Trimester is a time when although your baby is no longer physically attached to you, they remain attached in the sense that they are still completely dependent on you for love and nourishment.
️Pop that multivitamin!
You may be deficient in some vital nutrients that are required for neurotransmitter or hormone synthesis. A multivitamin will help to fill the gaps in your diet. It won’t replace a healthy diet. Taking a high-quality multi-vitamin designed for pregnant and lactating women is just as important if not more so than it was during pregnancy. If you have had significant blood loss I would also advise to follow up with your health professional to check your iron status.
️Make your snacks quality!
If you do breastfeed, recognize that your energy needs will remain elevated from pre-pregnancy needs (by roughly 300-500 calories per day). That’s the equivalent of adding 1-2 healthy snacks per day.
Focus on Macro-Nutrients. A sensible macro-nutrients, that means protein, good fats & complex carbohydrates from whole food sources with each meal & snack. I can’t stress the importance of protein enough, protein depletion can occur very quickly if there is not adequate dietary intake. A general rule is 1g of protein/kg of body weight but during pregnancy and breastfeeding this will increase to about 1.4g/kg.
️Eat your (Good) Fats.
I recommend Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) during pregnancy for fetal central nervous system development and prevention of postnatal depression. However, EFA are just as important postpartum. If breastfeeding the hind milk is rich in EFA’s and continues to support baby’s brain development. Research has also shown breast milk rich in EFA’s help with baby’s sleep duration. Now you are all saying give me some EFA’s!
️Stay Hydrated.
Staying hydrated will help support soft bowel motions. If you are breastfeeding there is a reason why you always feel thirsty! There is a lot of fluid lost by producing and releasing breast milk.
Gina is the founder & business owner of the successful clinic & online platform ‘Nutrition by Gina Rose’. Gina holds a BHSc in Nutritional Medicine and has a special interest in natural fertility, preconception care planning and hormone analysis, she also has a background in Nursing. Being a Mother to her four beautiful children has been her biggest and proudest accomplishment. Gina’s care is holistic and comprehensive by nature and she feels very privileged to be able to share life’s journey with her patients and their families. To work with Gina or read more helpful health tips related to women's health, hormones & infant nutrition head over to @nutritionbyginarose
www.nutritionbyginarose.com