I’m not sure of the actual date and time when I was introduced to Julia Jones and the Newborn Mothers Collective. It’s one of those great blessings that just fell into my lap. I loved listening to her Australian accent as she taught her courses or shared in her podcast, as if she were chatting with friends. What she had to say about the postpartum period really resonated with me. Her knowledge of Ayurvedic healing foods was, and still is, so fascinating to me. Julia has many, many hours and years of training under her belt and she shares all of it so freely with her loyal audience. Studying as a postpartum doula under Julia Jones’ leadership within the amazing community of Newborn Mothers Collective just felt so right for me.
After completing the certification, I realized there’s an entire lifetime of learning to be found within the postpartum world. I’m happy to take my seat as an eager student! This post is meant as a summary of some of the postpartum meal planning that I’ve found to be incredibly helpful. For more in depth and detailed information, I’ll redirect you to Julia Jones herself at Newborn Mothers Collective – she has a rich and beautiful recipe-book you’ll just treasure…mine is a little tattered from so much use!! I highly recommend purchasing a copy for your kitchen. It’s one I turn to often as I serve my postpartum mamas.
When planning for your postpartum period, the foods you choose to eat are important for healing, resortoration, and health. Many cultures across the globe serve meats and bone broths as a first postpartum food. In Ayurveda, plant-based foods with dairy is considered an ideal diet for new mamas. How do we know which one is correct?? Trust your body, Mama! Listen to what your body is asking for. If you crave meat, eat it. If you’re content eating plant-based food, enjoy those. An important que to follow throughout the postpartum period is to seek peace and joy. When in a state of contentment, the body creates more of that love hormone Oxytocin. That’s what keeps stress at bay and allows the body to heal best. Love conquers all! So, eat what makes you and your baby feel good. Consider the following suggestions a guideline, not a rigid set of rules. Eating foods that taste delicious and feeling loved is far more valuable to your healing postpartum period than any diet.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Ayurveda is a natural system of medicine, originated in India more than 3,000 years ago. The term Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge). So, Ayurveda literally translates to knowledge of life. Ayurveda encourages certain lifestyle interventions, natural therapies, and foods to regain a balance between the body, mind, spirit, and the environment. It’s goal is to bring balance back to the body. The postpartum period is one of huge transformation and adjustment. Ayurvedic foods can help to bring balance, health, comfort, peace and joy. That’s a foundation worthy of building upon.
Ayurveda is based on five elements – earth, fire, water, air and space. In pregnancy, a woman is an abundance of earth and water. During childbirth, she undergoes a vast transformation losing earth (baby and placenta), water (amniotic fluid and tears), and fire (blood and sweat), leaving her feeling space and air. Bringing balance back to her postpartum body is important for health and wellness. Moderate fire is needed to stoke digestion, but not so much as to lead to dehydration and an excess of air and space.
Tastes – The Ayurvedic Food Pyramid
The way food tastes indicates which elements are present. Sweet is heavy, full of water and earth. It sits at the bottom of the Ayurvedic food pyramid. Sour and salty are enjoyed in moderation; too much will bring drying. Bitter, astringent and pungent foods are also enjoyed in smaller quantities. Carbohydrates are comfort foods. There’s a reason most people crave them during times of stress. Listen to your body. There’s no reason to feel guilty about eating an energy rich carb as your body is healing. In fact, it rebuilds your blood and tissues, aids growth, helps with sleep deprivation, and gives energy for breastfeeding. Sweet tastes promote self-love, peace, harmony, and joy, which is the nurturing your postpartum body needs. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats are excellent sweets to indulge in.
In the immediate postpartum period digestion slows way down to allow the body to recover and heal from birth. You won’t find high fiber in an Ayurvedic postpartum diet. A new mama and newborn baby will have high nutritional needs coupled with a low digestive fire. Allow room in each bite for energy dense foods with high nutrition. Postpartum bodies are not what they eat, but what they DIGEST. Ayurveda places digestion on the top of all health. Warning signs like constipation, gas, bloating, or no appetite are signs that nutrition isn’t being absorbed. Get your energy not by eating more but by eating well.
Creating a simple palate of sweet, warmth, fats, and moisture is easily found in soups, stews, and puddings or porriages. These foods will give the energy needed. Adding spices will help the body to digest them. Keep the meals simple and regular. It’s a lot like weaning a baby: start simple and soft, gradually add texture and variety, eventually return to a regular and normal diet. Ayurveda can feel overwhelming at first so keep it simple, don’t get lost in the details. Enjoy fresh, homemade, cooked food.
Stocking your Ayurvedic pantry for your postpartum can be as simple as keeping ten staples on hand. These foods are nourishing and delicious.
- Basmati Rice – This rice is light, soft, nourishing, smooth, and easy to digest.
- Atta Flour – It’s a wheat flour that contains the germ and the endosperm but not the bran so it’s lighter and more easily digested.
- Dark Sugar (Coconut, Jaggery, Rapadura, Panela) – These sugars are excellent blood builders and strengtheners. They’re high in iron, heavy, moist, and warm.
- Black Sesame Seeds – These are great for strength, anemia, pain relief, and reproductive health. They’re excellent for those that don’t eat meat because they contain high levels of good fats, calcium, B vitamins, and iron.
- Ghee – One of the best foods a new mama can eat, organic and unsalted ghee is nourishing, rehydrating, and it boosts breast milk supply. It’s grounding and cooling to the brain, helping with that stressed out feeling. It builds strength, and is satisfying and soothing. Ghee also aids in digestion, cleansing, and healing.
- Olive Oil – This is a well known and loved healthy fat.
- Dates – High in energy, dates also contain iron and are great for strengthening a postpartum body. They’re easy to eat and delicious, especially paired with a cup of warm milk and a dash of warming spice, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom.
- Coconut Milk – Refreshing, sweet, and full of healthy fats, coconut milk is even more nutritious and hydrating than plain water. It’s a life-supporting food. Be sure to check the ingredients; it doesn’t need added sugar and preservatives. Adding warming spices makes it easier to digest too.
- Split Mung Dal – Revered by Ayurveda, mung beans are high in Vitamin B and C, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, copper, fiber, and protein. They’re easy and quick to cook to a buttery soft consistency in about 25 minutes. Fresh is best. The beans should smell like fresh cut grass. Soak them overnight for quicker cooking.
- Almond Meal – It’s high in protein and has Vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, iron phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. They’re so good for skin, circulation, and reproductive health. It’s easy to add to comfort foods like porridge, biscuits, rice, muffins, etc. Whole almonds make quick and nutrient dense snacks too, perfect for keeping on hand by your breastfeeding chair.
It took nine months of incredible change within a mother’s body to create and bring forth new life. Her postpartum period of rest, restoration, and recovery is intricately connected to her confidence and joy of motherhood. Some say the first forty days postpartum can set the foundation for the next forty years. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we prepared new mamas as much for their postpartum as we did for their birth? Small steps can move mountains. We can start with a meal.
“Birth isn’t just about making babies, it’s about making mums too. You are being invited to reinvent yourself because when a baby is born so is a mother. The birth of a mother can be even more intense than childbirth.”
Julia Jones
