Food can be the best medicine, especially in the tender weeks after giving birth. Pregnancy, labour, and breastfeeding place huge demands on the body. Without intentional nourishment, it’s easy for new parents to slip into depletion.

During postpartum, new families need lots of nourishment. But they are also really short on time. Good nutrition can be one of the first things to fall to the wayside.

 

After supporting Northern Rivers families as a doula, masseuse, and lactation counsellor for 15 years, I saw this pattern again and again: mothers wanting to eat well, but lacking the time and energy to prepare healing meals.

This blog is a blend of where I’ve come from and where my work has naturally evolved. From cooking for families in my Doula Wisdom days, to now creating Wisdom Formulas and Vitality Pills. These are an awesome whole-food iron supplement that supports energy, mood, and postpartum recovery.

And yes… my dear friend Mish from Mother Nuture is still creating beautiful postpartum meals, and I’m thrilled to continue recommending her.

 

Food as medicine in the postpartum period

Food can be so healing and help the new mother to restore lost nutrients, help with recovery and boost breastmilk supply. We know that easy-to-digest meals are best during postpartum. Mish makes delicious soups, broths and curries and other yummy treats that help with lactation/breastfeeding and healing.

Studies have shown that pregnancy and lactation can deplete nutrients that are also critical for mental health. This is one of the reasons why postnatal depression is so common in the year after birth. Replenishing these nutrients with wholesome food can alleviate many ailments.

Receiving proper nutrition and care can decrease the risk of depression and promote physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and healing.

The postpartum body has unique nutritional needs. After birth, the body is busy:

• rebuilding blood and nutrient stores
• repairing tissues
• producing breastmilk
• supporting hormonal shifts
• recalibrating digestion
• nourishing the mind and emotional body

It’s a dance of restoration and it requires far more nutrition than most new parents realise.

Warm, simple, easy-to-digest meals can be genuinely healing. They ease the load on digestion and deliver nutrients directly where they’re needed. 

 

Why iron matters after birth

Something I saw constantly as a doula, and still see today as a nutritionist, is postpartum iron deficiency.

Every birth involves some blood loss. Add pregnancy, breastfeeding, broken sleep, emotional load, and nutrient depletion… and the need for iron skyrockets.

Low iron can look like:

• exhaustion
• brain fog
• anxiety or low mood
• headaches
• increased stress
• low milk supply
• feeling “not quite yourself”

 

Vitality Pills help during postpartum

Back in 2013, I began making small-batch, organic chicken liver capsules. So many mums struggled with iron supplements that caused constipation or nausea. The whole-food, heme iron in Vitality Pills is gentle, natural, highly absorbable, and supports:

• energy production
• mood stability
• healthy milk supply
• nutrient restoration
• clarity and resilience during the fourth trimester

Many women tell me that once their iron replenishes, they feel their spark returning.

Warm meals + whole-food iron = a powerful foundation for postpartum healing.

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Postpartum nutrition guidelines 

(inspired by The First Forty Days book by Heng Ou)

Below are some of my favourite guiding principles for postpartum meals. These are ones I followed closely when cooking for families during my Doula Wisdom years.

1. Food should be easy to digest

During pregnancy, the abdominal organs are compressed, often slowing and weakening digestion. After birth, gentle meals like soups, stews, slow-cooked meats and broths are easier to digest and increase nutrient absorption. Soup is considered a ‘go-to’ meal when convalescing or recovering and healing.

2. Food should be warm

In order to ‘warm the digestive fire’, foods should also be served warm or hot. Try to avoid having cold drinks or food from the fridge. Let it warm to at least room temperature first. Warming foods help improve blood flow to the vital organs and decrease any after-pain cramping.

3. Include good fats

Good fats enrich breastmilk and support hormonal balance, immunity, moods, and baby’s brain and nervous system development.

Beautiful postpartum fats include:

• avocado oil
• coconut oil
• sesame oil
• grass-fed butter
• oily fish
• organic meats (including nutrient-dense organs)

4. Let your village cook

Some of the common ‘postpartum protocols’ that new parents should follow are; rest, have proper nutrition and outsource usual responsibilities. This includes saying yes to help. During the first six weeks, ideally the mother is resting and meals are cooked for her. This is not something she should be trying to do herself one-handed and exhausted.

There’s no doubt that caring for a newborn makes it harder to find time for meal planning and cooking. But good nutrition is vital for the long term health of parents and babies. So, say yes to help during this crucial time in your life. Food can be your medicine during postpartum as well as bringing you more pleasure and vitality. Eating food that has been made with love, will heal you on so many levels.

 

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Postpartum meals by Mish at Mother Nurture

Mish is an amazing nutritionist and chef. She creates whole-food, deeply nourishing postpartum meals. 

Her meals are:

• nutrient-dense
• warming
• delicious
• perfectly suited for new parents

Explore Mish’s Postpartum Menu here → https://cookaborough.com/mother-nurture

 

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🌱 A note from me...

Even though I no longer work hands-on as a doula or cook meals for families, that season of life still feels special to me. Vitality Pills grew during those years. From witnessing depletion, exhaustion, under-nutrition, and how much better women feel when their bodies have the resources they need.

If you’re in the postpartum chapter (or supporting someone who is), know this:

Food can be your medicine.
Warmth is comforting.
Rest can be your reset.
And replenishing your iron can be a profound act of self-care.

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Learn more

✨ Shop Vitality Pills HERE

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