Confinement food is a crucial element in the confinement period, and it is the greatest determinant of your postpartum health. Therefore, you should strive to consume a healthy diet that supplies all the necessary nutrients to your body. Basically, a healthy diet is a balanced diet containing all the three food groups plus additional nutrients and minerals for perfect health. Above all, don’t forget to drink water. Make sure you hydrate every day and eat healthy foods. That said, here is what to include in your daily confinement meals.
1. Foods That Boost Milk Production
Once you give birth, it may take up to three days for your breasts to start producing milk. However, you can speed this up and even increase milk production throughout your confinement period, by just eating the right foods.
Foods such as papaya, oatmeal, garlic, and barley play a great role in promoting the production of milk. Eat as much of them as you can so that your baby doesn’t lack milk. In case you produce too much milk, you can pump and store the surplus for future feeding when you go back to work.
2. Foods Rich in Healthy Proteins
Typically, proteins are body-building foods, exactly what you need during the confinement period. When you give birth, some of your body tissues tear in the process. Proteins can help replenish such injured tissues as well as build others to promote recovery, and so, ensure you include them in your diet.
Even so, only consume healthy proteins such as lean meat, plant proteins, eggs, and sugarless dairy products. These foods contain minerals such as calcium and iron, which can go a long way in rebuilding your body.
3. Fruits and Vegetables
Confinement period or not, you can never go wrong with fruits and vegetables. Every part of your body, including your hair and skin, has something to benefit from fruits and vegetables. For instance, fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins and minerals that are useful to the body. Vitamin C helps in nourishing the skin.
Besides, fruits and vegetables have lots of dietary fiber, which aids digestion to prevent diarrhea, constipation, and stomach upsets.
4. Nutritious Herbs
During the confinement period, you need to take a lot of fluids that can hydrate your body as well as help in the recovery process. Herbs are not only helpful in bathing, but you can also drink them for more benefits.
For instance, ginger helps in promoting weight loss after giving birth and may also promote an increase in milk production. Therefore, make sure you incorporate such herbs in your diet to recover faster and have a healthier body.
5. Whole Grains
As usual, nutritional experts will always recommend whole grains over refined ones, especially for new moms who obviously want to burn baby fat. Refined carbs have lost most of their nutritional elements, and may not do much good to your body. Focus on eating whole grains such as whole wheat, and avoid refined rice and pasta.
Carbohydrates are essential to give you the much-needed energy to take care of your baby and yourself during the confinement period. Your baby also needs the carbs through breast milk to become energetic and grow up healthy.
6. Foods rich in Iron and Calcium
Iron is an important component in your blood, aiding the exchange of oxygen in the red blood cells. During childbirth, you lose a lot of blood, and as a result, lose high amounts of iron. You must regain the lost iron through eating foods rich in iron during the postpartum recovery period. Examples of sources of iron include, among others, beans, nuts, dried fruits, meat, and cereals.
Calcium, on the other hand, helps in strengthening the bones and teeth. During pregnancy, your baby exerts a lot of weight on your bones and joints. As such, make sure you replenish them through consuming calcium-rich foods such as bread, fish, dairy products, and green leafy vegetables.
Final Thoughts
For maximum health benefits and quick recovery, always know what to include in your daily confinement meals. Whatever you eat, make sure it is a balanced diet. Since you need to avoid cooking and rest adequately, if you need some help, call AGAPE Confinement Nannies for some help during your confinement period.