During your pregnancy you may have taken some childbirth classes and read all the books under the sun about pregnancy and birth. Labor only lasts a day (or 3 for some) and then it’s over. Now that you have given birth to your baby (or babies) what the hell do you do now? It’s very easy to get lost in the pregnancy and the idea of a baby. The reality of having a baby is much different then the idea of one. Nothing really can prepare you other than jumping right in. When I meet with my doula clients we talk a lot about the birth plan and the pregnancy. I also make it a point to talk about the first two weeks after the baby arrives. People are often afraid to ask for help in those first few weeks. Your friends and family want to help. Take advantage. They usually stop offering once the babies get a bit older and they start focusing more on their own lives than your new baby’s arrival. Take advantage when the luster of a new baby is shining bright. Let people wait on you hand and foot. Staying in bed with your new bub helps to establish breastfeeding by lying skin to skin. If you are not breastfeeding this skin to skin contact is so important for bonding in those early days. Eat tons of hearty simple foods. Staying nourished so your body can heal is essential for getting those hormones back in check.
Here is some info from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen:
Plenty of purified water
Wild salmon
Organic chicken and vegetable soup with plenty of fresh herbs
Greens!! Fresh salad greens, dark leafy greens, and green smoothies
Sweet vegetables (yams, squash, carrots, beets)
Raw nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
Raw almond butter
Whole grains (quinoa, amaranth, oats, sweet brown rice, millet, teff)
Organic berries
Lentils
Carminative herbs and spices (cumin, cardamom, fenugreek, ginger, mint, fennel seeds)
Raspberry leaf tea (raspberry leaf along with fennel help to contract the uterus)
Nettle tea enriches and increases milk production
Healthy fats (avocado, extra virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil, fresh flax or fish oil)
Dairy products
Citrus fruit, especially juices
Peanuts
Heavily spiced foods
Beef
Raw garlic and onions
Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage)
Chocolate
Prenatal vitamins (the iron may be irritating to baby)
