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 |
|
10-12 soaked almonds | 100 | 8 |
|
1 large gondh laddu | 100 | 2 |
|
2 teaspoons of carom seeds | – | – |
|
Breakfast (9:00 am) | |||
Ragi or vermicelli upma with cashews and carrot
1 bowl of curd |
150
75 |
4
4 |
|
OR
Omelet of 2 eggs 2 slices of toasted brown bread |
160
100 |
10
3 |
|
OR
1 bowl of vegetable oats upma |
250 | 3 |
|
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 |
–
– |
|
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 | – |
|
Afternoon Snack (4:30 pm) | |||
1 glass of warm milk | 150 | 2 |
|
1 laddoo made with almond, coconut and poppy seeds | 150 | 2 |
|
Evening Snack (6:00 pm) | |||
1 bowl of mixed vegetable soup containing carrot, bottle gourd, beetroot, tomato and tori | 100 | 1 |
|
2 pieces of Dry fruit chikki made with jaggery | 50 | 2 |
|
Before Dinner | |||
1 glass of water with soaked ajwain seeds | 40 | – |
|
Dinner (7:30 pm) | |||
1 bowl of brown rice
OR 2 phulkas |
100 | 4 |
|
1 bowl of moong and masoor daal mix with a few methi leaves | 100 | 4 |
|
Parwal/bottlgourd/ tori sabzi with some paneer | 100 | 2 |
|
1 bowl of carrot and beetroot kheer | 150 | 6 |
|
Post Dinner (10:00 pm) | |||
1 glass of warm milk | 150 | 4 |
|
10 soaked almonds | 100 | 8 |
|
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.