Indian Diet Plan After Cesarean Delivery (C-Section)

Recovering after your delivery is extremely crucial for you to be able to nurse your baby and take care of him or her. Especially after you have had a cesarean delivery, you need to make sure that the wounds heal fast and that you are on a faster road to recovery. Your healthy diet really matters for the fast recovery after c-sec.

Eating foods that nourish your body and help your body heal naturally will keep you feeling good from the inside out.

Knowing what foods to eat and what foods to avoid is very important for new moms after c-section. Therefore, here is a complete diet chart that will put an end to all the queries that you may have.

Understanding Nutrition Post C-Section

The first thing that you need to know before you plan your diet after a C-section is what the body really requires. For the first few days post-delivery, having a light diet will help you immensely. However, the diet should also be nutritious enough to help replenish the nutrients that your body has lost when you were pregnant. Since you are also feeding the baby, you need to load your body with the right food.

When you are lactating, it is necessary to eat every few hours. In fact, when you feed your baby after a wholesome meal, you will be able to give your baby the right nourishment too.

It is best to follow a diet that calls for small, yet frequent meals. This helps digest your food faster and easier. The ideal option is to eat every two hours, which is the frequency at which you will be feeding the baby as well. After a C-section, your bowel movements and digestion take some time before they are functioning to their full ability.

Your diet should also include foods that you can digest easily. It is important for you to watch your bowel movements after a C-section. In case it does not return to normal after three days of a C-section, make sure that you consult your doctor immediately.

How To Plan A Diet After C-Section

There are a few points that you need to consider when you are making a meal plan for post-c-section nutrition. You should include some essential nutrients in your diet:

Proteins: Proteins help your body heal faster and will help you pass on proteins to your baby to help in development and growth. Proteins are also necessary to keep your muscles in great condition after your delivery. Most natural protein sources are also loaded with nutrients such as zinc and omega-3 that are essential for lactating mothers.
Vitamins: Vitamins act as great antioxidants that will repair your tissues faster. Vitamins help the body produce collagen.
Iron: After delivery, especially after a C-section, the mother’s body loses a lot of blood. This needs to be replenished to prevent you from feeling lethargic and weak. You must also make sure that you get the right amount of iron as excessive iron leads to constipation.
Calcium: Calcium is essential for your body to produce milk. It also helps your muscle relax and restores bone health after your delivery.
Fiber: ensuring that you do not have any constipation is extremely important after a C-section. Any constipation can put a lot of pressure on the wounds.
Water and fluids: When you breastfeed, it is natural for you to feel very thirsty and exhausted. This is why you need to drink a lot of water to not only keep you hydrated but to also promote better bowel movements. Drinking many fluids will help in improving digestion as well.

Check out – Ayurvedic diet chart for weight loss

Complete Indian Diet Chart For Caesarean Delivery

This sample diet chart will help moms recover fast after cesarean delivery and provide better nourishment to the baby.

What to Eat	Calories	Protein	Why this is eaten
Pre Breakfast (7:00 am)
1 glass of hot milk	150	4	Drinking milk first thing in the morning prevents any acid rush and helps the body absorb all the nutrients better
10-12 soaked almonds	100	8	Almonds are a great source of protein and also provide you with omega-3 fatty acids
1 large gondh laddu	100	2	This is one of the oldest Indian foods given to women during and after pregnancy. It helps prevent any weakness, helps the body heal faster, and improves lactation.
2 teaspoons of carom seeds	–	–	These seeds improve digestion and help in lactation.
Breakfast (9:00 am)
Ragi or vermicelli upma with cashews and carrot 1 bowl of curd	150 75	4 4	Calcium in the cashews improves lactation and help the mother heal faster. The curd is rich in vitamin A, Vitamin D, protein, and calcium. It is one of the most beneficial foods to include post delivery
OR Omelet of 2 eggs 2 slices of toasted brown bread	160 100	10 3	Eggs are among the best sources of protein. They are also rich in zinc that is essential for lactating mothers. It provides a good amount of fiber to your body.
OR 1 bowl of vegetable oats upma	250	3	Made with several vegetables, you get several vitamins and minerals. Oats also are a good source of fiber to get your bowel movements going and to prevent constipation
Mid Morning Snack (11:00 am)
1 medium-sized pomegranate or apple 1 glass of coconut water or a glass of water with ajwain seeds	40 30	– –	These fruits are essential to keep you hydrated and to restore the pH levels of your body as well. This helps to improve digestion and prevents any heartburn or chances of a urinary infection. It will also keep your body hydrated
Lunch (1:00 pm)
2 chapatis or phulkas	200	6	Whole wheat phulkas or chapatis are a great source of fiber to prevent any digestive issues and to keep you feeling fuller till the next meal
1 bowl of stir-fried vegetables including 2 parval	60	–	Salads are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fibers. However, it is hard for the mother’s body to digest raw vegetables. A bowl of stir-fried vegetables allows the body to digest it easily and absorb all the nutrients faster.
1 cup of Masoor/ Red lentil dal with a seasoning of jeera OR 1 bowl of palak paneer	150	6	Red lentil is very useful in increasing the production of milk and in improving lactation overall. Spinach is one of the richest natural sources of iron. It is also a good food source to improve lactation to help the mother’s body produce more milk.
Post Lunch (2:30 pm)
1 glass of water with soaked ajwain seeds	40	–	It prevents any chances of heartburn or acidity and improves digestion.
Afternoon Snack (4:30 pm)
1 glass of warm milk	150	2	Milk is one of the best sources of calcium. It can also help to prevent heartburn and acidity.
1 laddoo made with almond, coconut and poppy seeds	150	2	This mixture is a great source of calcium and other nutrients that also aid in the development of the baby’s brain. This mixture helps improve lactation as well. If you are suffering from issues like a migraine or recurring headaches, then including poppy seeds in your diet can work wonders.
Evening Snack (6:00 pm)
1 bowl of mixed vegetable soup containing carrot, bottle gourd, beetroot, tomato and tori	100	1	This soup provides a good source of iron for the mother’s body. It also helps recover from the loss of blood during a cesarean delivery. The ingredients in this soup also increase lactation quite significantly.
2 pieces of Dry fruit chikki made with jaggery	50	2	Chikkis are a great combination of protein and iron.
Before Dinner
1 glass of water with soaked ajwain seeds	40	–	It is a great digestive to help prevent issues like constipation and heartburn
Dinner (7:30 pm)
1 bowl of brown rice OR 2 phulkas	100	4	It provides the sufficient amount of fiber to the body.
1 bowl of moong and masoor daal mix with a few methi leaves	100	4	This mixture gives you a great combination of iron and protein. This is not only useful in helping the baby grow but also improves the mother’s recovery process.
Parwal/bottlgourd/ tori sabzi with some paneer	100	2	These vegetables are very easy to digest and help in improving lactation. Adding paneer gives you a good source of protein and calcium as well.
1 bowl of carrot and beetroot kheer	150	6	Carrots and beetroot can improve the hemoglobin levels and also provide the Vitamin A. These nutrients are crucial for the development of the baby
Post Dinner (10:00 pm)
1 glass of warm milk	150	4	Drinking warm milk at night not only gives you a good source of nutrients but also helps you sleep better. This improves recovery as well as lactation.
10 soaked almonds	100	8	Almonds provide omega 3 and protein that help in lactation and development.

With this diet plan, you get a total of 2295 calories and 78 grams of protein, which is just right for post-cesarean delivery to recover and also to keep you feeling energetic all day.

Foods That You Should Avoid

After a cesarean delivery, your level of activity is quite low. As a result, some foods must be completely avoided to prevent unwanted weight gain. As you are lactating, you must avoid foods that may be harmful to the baby’s development. Here are some foods that you should avoid:

Carbonated drinks and drinks made from citrus fruits as they tend to cause gas and flatulence.
Caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea should be consumed in moderate form, high doses of caffeinated drinks can cause issues with the development of the baby.
Do not consume any alcohol as it can cause problems in lactation and can lead to issues with the development of your baby.
Foods that form the gas such as channa, besan, urad dal, channa, green peas, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, onions, and rajma should be avoided in the initial stages. You can include them in your diet after 40 days of delivery to ensure that they do not cause any digestive issues.
All fried foods should be avoided for the first 40 days as they can cause heartburns and severe stomach aches. These foods are very difficult to digest as well.
For the first 3-4 days after your cesarean delivery, it is best to avoid ghee and rice. You may include rice in your diet after 4 days of delivery. This is because blood sugar levels tend to be high after delivery and therefore, consuming rice can lead to difficulties in the healing of the scars.
Avoid foods or drinks that are too cold. This is a precautionary measure to ensure that the mother does not catch a cold or any other infection. This can make it hard to breastfeed as the medications consumed for these common health issues can also affect the health of the baby.

Conclusion

When you begin to follow any diet, make sure that you consult your doctor. If you are allergic to any foods mentioned above, make sure that you find the necessary replacements for them.

Post delivery, especially after a cesarean delivery, the body is very fragile and is very susceptible to infections. So before you make any changes in your routine, you need to keep your health in mind. That way, you can also be assured that you are giving your baby the best, too.