Diet, Nutrition, And Goat Yoga to Fight Postpartum Fatigue

The first few months post-childbirth is a critical time for the mother. Motherhood is demanding and, baby care will keep you up through nights and days. All of this will run parallel with your body still recovering from childbirth. Sleeplessness, taking care of the baby and breastfeeding could lead up to postpartum fatigue. Let us discuss in detail about postpartum fatigue and the right diet to follow to help your body cope with the new changes as well as recover from childbirth.

Postpartum Fatigue

Due to childbirth and the stress of taking care of the baby, women experience exhaustion and cause postpartum fatigue. The fatigue can be categorized in physical, cognitive and emotional aspects. Physical aspects can involve tiredness and exhaustion while feeling depressed and anxious could come under the emotional aspect. And cognitive fatigue could lead to feeling unmotivated or unfocused. 

Studies show that the factors associated with postpartum fatigue could be due to a lot of reasons ranging from a c-section operation, sleep deprivation, first pregnancy or even crying of the baby. The postpartum fatigue is different from tiredness post labor and treatment of the same can help improve a women’s medical care post-childbirth. Hence consulting your health care expert right after childbirth will help you work on postpartum recovery. 

Nutrition Requirement Post Childbirth   

Following the birth of a child, a new mother requires around 18,00 to 2,200 calories per day. In the case of nursing mothers, the calorie intake goes up to 500 more per day. For underweight women, have more than one baby, breastfeeding the calorie count might increase. Consult a doctor and understand what your requirement is, considering all the aspects.  

Considering post-birth, you may no longer be eating for two people, but it is still very important to restore all the necessary nutrients. Eating a balanced and wholemeal is essential for new mothers to recover well. According to What To Expect,” Rather than taking a three-meal-a-day approach (or worse still, skipping two out of three), graze the day away baby-style. Eating five or six mini-meals a day will keep your blood sugar and energy levels on an even keel. Plus, since lighter meals are easier to process, they don’t divert to your digestive system energy you desperately need to fight afternoon postpartum fatigue.”

Diet Requirements Post Childbirth

Every meal should consist of a mix of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Restrict yourself from consuming processed foods, drinks that are packed with saturated fats, added sugar and salt. 

Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal 

Starting your day with a wholesome meal is very important. Proteins and carbohydrates are the best combinations for breakfast which provide you with a lot of minerals, vitamins, and energy. You can eat meat, eggs, fish, dairy, lentils or tofu for your protein supply while you can include fruits, starchy vegetables, whole grains, and legumes for your carbohydrate supply. Avoid eating simple carbohydrates in the form of sugary treats and replace them with complex carbohydrates for a fuller and nutritious breakfast. 

Liquids in Your Diet

As much as a wholesome meal is required to nourish yourself, it is equally important to keep your body well hydrated. Dehydration can further accelerate exhaustion. So, keep drinking water and other fluids like fresh juice, buttermilk, etc. Especially if your nursing you need to consume about 65 ounces of water to replenish the lost fluids.  

Limit Alcohol and Caffeine 

Now that you had your baby, you can go ahead and enjoy your glass of wine. However, it is advised to drink sparingly for a few months to help your body recover healthily. Also having a lot of coffee or other caffeine sources can give you a momentary boost of energy but can leave you anxious and restless. Especially if your nursing your child, the caffeine in the milk can make your baby restless and anxious too. So, refrain from having too much alcohol or caffeine and replace it with healthier options like fruit juices or herbal teas. 

Apart from this sleep whenever you get the time or when the baby is sleeping. This will help you be well-rested and active to take care of the baby. Don’t rush yourself into starting a diet to lose your pregnancy weight. Provide your body with enough nourishment to gain all the important nutrients and recover well from childbirth. In order to eat healthily don’t slog yourself in the kitchen and keep things handy like nuts, energy bars, fruit juices, etc. Seek help from your family in raising the child to make it less stressful for you. Go out and indulge yourself now and then to keep yourself rejuvenated and revitalized. 

Manage your stress levels to keep postpartum fatigue at bay. A Goat Yoga session provides the perfect opportunity for you to get some fresh air and a little exercise in a joyful environment surrounded by prancing baby goats! This will help to improve your physical, mental and emotional health. A Goat Yoga session also helps you meet new people and build healthy relationships within your community.