Foods You Can Consider For The Ultimate Post Natal Diet

Chinese confinement foods are popular in Singapore; however, we seldom take time to understand their nutritional content. Consequently, we end up eating only specific types of these meals and sometimes miss to take in essential nutrients.

If you are a new mom or soon-to-be mom, it helps for you to learn about what is the best and suitable food for postnatal mother.  Consuming these foods helps you to revitalize your body, give you strength, rebuild your body, as well as help your baby to grow.

Foods That’ll Revitalise Your Body and Mind

Most confinement meals in Singapore are prepared using sesame oil. Traditional Chinese and Malay healers have used sesame oils for centuries to aid in treating conditions such as inflammation and constipation. These oils are also rich in vitamin E and are believed to have anti-depressant qualities.

Also, traditional confinement herbal soups made using ingredients such as ginger, red dates, Chinese wolfberry are known for their anti-oxidant and body revitalizing qualities. These ingredients are rich in essential vitamins and minerals such as iron and zinc and selenium which play an important role in the proper functioning of the thyroid gland, which controls metabolism.

Foods That Give You Strength

As a new mother, you need an additional 500kCal per day just to produce sufficient breast milk to feed your little one. You’ll notice that you have an increased appetite for energy-giving foods and fluids. Therefore, traditional confinement soups are an important part of any confinement meal menu.

Moreover, you need excellent energy boosters in your confinement meal.

Foods such as oatmeal, various types of meats, and brown rice are perfect ingredients for energy supply. In addition to being energy foods, ingredients such as oatmeal and brown rice contain high levels of dietary fiber, which helps to fight constipation. Brown rice also helps in stabilizing mood swings. Meanwhile, oatmeal and various types of meat are also packed with protein, which is essential in the rebuilding of the body. All these are essential parts of the diet for postnatal mother.

Foods that Rebuild Your Body and Help Baby’s Development

During pregnancy, the mother supplies nutrition to her unborn child, and her body, including the ecosystem that sustains the fetus. During delivery, a lot is taken away from the mother, and there’s often a substantial loss of blood. It’s not a surprise that new mothers need plenty of time to recuperate.

However, at the same time, new mothers breastfeed their infants who grow by at least 2.5 centimeters and gain 800grams to 1000grams each month.

Therefore, many confinement food are often packed with foods rich in protein and calcium-rich and iron-rich foods. One ingredient often found in Chinese confinement foods in Singapore that stands out due to its ability to supply all these vital nutrients is black beans. Fish meats such as salmon are also popular in confinement meal menus. They are rich in omega 3 and supply healthy protein to your confinement food menu.

You May Also Read this : The Perfect Confinement Menu for Recovering Mothers

Lastly, Foods to Avoid

During confinement, the above foods will aid the recovery of the mother and the development of the baby. However, certain foods would be detrimental to your health or that of the baby. If you have a confinement nanny, discuss with her on developing a balanced and healthy menu plan for postnatal mother, and exclude these foods from your confinement menu. Beverages with high caffeine levels, carbonated drinks, junk food, and alcoholic beverages are not suitable for recuperating mothers.