What to Eat After Birth: Postpartum Nutrition and Hydration

What your body needs now

• Healing from birth, making milk if you breastfeed, and running on little sleep all take fuel. This isn't the time for strict dieting.
• Breastfeeding uses roughly 330-400 extra calories a day. Most people simply feel hungrier; eat to appetite.
• Aim for regular meals and snacks with protein, fiber and some healthy fat: eggs, yogurt, beans, lentils, nuts, fish, chicken, tofu, whole grains, fruit and vegetables.

Water

• Drink to thirst. Pale yellow pee is a good sign you're getting enough.
• Many feeding parents get very thirsty during a feed; keep a full bottle wherever you usually feed.
• Drinking extra beyond thirst doesn't make more milk.

Nutrients worth paying attention to

• Keep taking a prenatal or postnatal vitamin while breastfeeding, or as your provider suggests.
• Iodine and choline matter for the baby's brain; check that your vitamin has iodine.
• Fish: 2-3 servings a week of low-mercury fish (such as salmon, sardines, cod or canned light tuna) gives omega-3 fats. Skip high-mercury fish like shark, swordfish and king mackerel.
• Iron: if you lost a lot of blood or were anemic, ask whether you need iron and a blood test.
• Vegan or mostly plant-based: you need a reliable vitamin B12 source, since low B12 in a feeding parent can harm the baby.
• Vitamin D: breastfed babies usually need vitamin D drops; your pediatrician will advise.

Caffeine and alcohol

Moderate caffeine (about 2-3 cups of coffee a day) is generally fine while breastfeeding. For alcohol and medicines, see the breastfeeding and medicines guide.

Making it easy when your hands are full

• Prep one-handed food: wraps, cut fruit, cheese, nuts, boiled eggs, energy balls, smoothies.
• Fill the freezer in late pregnancy with soups, stews and casseroles.
• Ask friends for a meal train or grocery delivery instead of gifts.
• Eat breakfast with protein, even if it's a banana and a glass of milk while feeding.

Constipation and recovery

Fiber (fruit, vegetables, oats, beans), water and short walks help bowels after birth, especially with stitches or after a C-section.

Traditions and your plate

Many cultures have postpartum foods: warming soups, broths, porridge, ginger, a month of special meals. These can be comforting and nourishing. Keep them alongside enough protein and variety, and check any herbal remedies with your provider or pharmacist.

Weight and supply

• A slow loss of about 1 lb (0.5 kg) a week once feeding is settled doesn't usually affect supply.
• If money for food is tight, WIC provides food help and breastfeeding support for parents and babies in the U.S.

When to check in

• If you had gestational diabetes, make sure you get a blood sugar test 4-12 weeks after birth.
• Mention at your postpartum visit if you can't eat, have lost your appetite for days, feel dizzy or exhausted, or have had a history of an eating disorder.