Postpartum Nutrition: A Practical Guide to Eating After Giving Birth

Throughout pregnancy, you probably spent plenty of time thinking about what to eat and which supplements to take to support your growing baby. But now that baby has arrived, you may find yourself so busy with feedings, diaper changes, and interrupted sleep that you realize it’s lunchtime and you haven’t even eaten breakfast.

After giving birth, taking care of yourself can easily slip to the bottom of the priority list, behind taking care of baby, other children, and the growing pile of laundry in the corner. Advice to “eat a balanced diet” may feel unhelpful when you need something you can throw together in five minutes or eat with one hand.

As a registered dietitian and mom, I know nutrition advice needs to work in real life. This guide covers the nutrients worth paying attention to after giving birth, simple meals and snacks, and when supplements may be helpful — whether you’re breastfeeding, formula feeding, or both.

Remember, you don’t need a perfect eating routine. Start with simple ways to make sure quick, healthy food is always available and find a few meals that work for you.

Find the Advice You Need

Whether you’re having trouble fitting meals in, unsure about supplements, or concerned about your changing body, you don’t need to solve everything at once. Start with what would help most today:

• Frequently missing meals? See A Simple Way to Build Postpartum Meals and Eating When Time and Appetite Are Limited.
• Breastfeeding and always hungry? Start with What Does Your Body Need After Giving Birth?
• Unsure about supplements? Read Nutrients Worth Paying Attention To and Do You Need a Postpartum Supplement or Protein Shake?
• Food feels unappealing? Try the suggestions under Eating When Time and Appetite Are Limited and learn when to contact your care team.
• Concerned about weight? See What If You Are Concerned About Weight?

What Does Your Body Need After Giving Birth?

Your body’s nutrition needs are as individual as you and your baby. Your appetite, activity level, medical history, and whether you’re breast or formula feeding all matter. Someone recovering from significant blood loss may need a different plan from someone whose main challenge is finding time for lunch.

While there’s no single postpartum menu that fits everyone, certain nutrients are important for everyone recovering from giving birth. And there are general postpartum calorie guidelines depending on how you’re feeding your baby.

If You Are Breastfeeding or Pumping

Making breast milk is energy intensive. In fact, your body’s calorie needs are higher when you’re breastfeeding than practically any other time in your life.

The CDC recommends consuming around 330 to 400 additional calories per day for well-nourished breastfeeding mothers compared with their intake before pregnancy. Your body’s needs also vary with body size, activity, age, and whether your baby consumes breast milk exclusively or alongside formula.

Use this estimate as context rather than a limit. If you’re hungry, try larger meals or more frequent snacks. A registered dietitian can help personalize your intake if you want further guidance.

If You Are Using Formula

The additional calorie recommendation for lactation doesn’t automatically apply if you aren’t producing breast milk. That said, your nutrition is still important. Build your eating routine around your appetite, recovery, and medical needs rather than copying a breastfeeding meal plan.

A Simple Way to Build Postpartum Meals

Rather than calculating every nutrient, use this as a flexible starting point for your meals and snacks. Start with a protein food, add a complex carbohydrate, fruits or veggies, plus healthy fats.

Protein helps your body repair cells and make new ones. Good sources include eggs, yogurt, beans, lentils, tofu, fish, poultry, and meat. Include a protein-rich food in meals when you can, alongside other foods you enjoy.

For example:

• Eggs and toast with fruit and avocado
• Rice with beans, vegetables, and salsa
• Chicken or tofu with noodles, vegetables, and peanut sauce
• Greek yogurt with oats, berries, and nuts or seed butter

This is a useful framework, not a rule for every plate. And if a meal leaves you hungry, have more or add something easy, like bread with soup, rice with a salad, or yogurt alongside toast. Canned beans, frozen veggies, microwave grains, and prepared meals can all help make eating more manageable when you’re short on time.

Nutrients Worth Paying Attention To

A varied diet provides a range of nutrients. A few deserve particular attention after birth, especially if you’re breastfeeding or have an identified deficiency. The daily amounts below refer to total intake from food and supplements combined, unless stated otherwise.

Iron: Especially If You Had Anemia or Significant Blood Loss

When you were pregnant, your blood volume increased, which is one reason iron was so important. But iron deficiency during pregnancy and blood loss during delivery can contribute to postpartum anemia. And if you weren’t tired enough from all of the middle-of-the-night feedings, low iron levels can drag you down even further, leading to significant fatigue.

If you had significant bleeding or were told you had anemia during pregnancy, ask about testing to see if you need a supplement. But all postpartum moms can benefit from eating more iron-rich foods.

Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in your blood. The best food sources of iron include meat, seafood, beans, lentils, and iron-fortified cereals. Dried apricots are another great plant-based source that are easy to snack on for boosted iron intake. And pairing vitamin C-rich foods with plant-based iron sources is a great way to increase absorption — think lentils with tomatoes, or black bean quesadillas with lime.

Include iron-rich foods regularly, but don’t rely on food alone to treat diagnosed anemia. Some people need oral or intravenous iron. If iron tablets cause nausea or constipation, ask your healthcare provider about options rather than stopping prescribed treatment on your own.

Calcium and Vitamin D: Support for Bone Health

During breastfeeding, some calcium moves from your bones to support milk production. Bone density typically recovers after pregnancy and during or after weaning, but getting enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet is important for replenishing your stores.

Most adults ages 19 to 50 need 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily, including during breastfeeding. Milk, yogurt, cheese, calcium-fortified orange juice, sardines with bones, and tofu made with calcium salts are all good sources.

When people think about bone health, they often think of calcium. But vitamin D is also incredibly important. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. Adults ages 19 to 50, including breastfeeding moms, need 600 International Units (IUs) daily.

Few foods are naturally good sources of vitamin D. While fatty fish, mushrooms exposed to UV light, and fortified foods are among the best dietary sources, your skin makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. For those with limited sun exposure, or who live in high latitudes during winter months, a supplement may be necessary.

Iodine and Choline: Higher Needs During Lactation

Lactating mothers need more iodine and choline. Iodine helps your body make thyroid hormones, which are also important for infant brain development. Choline, a nutrient not found in many multivitamins (including prenatal multivitamins), supports baby’s brain cell formation, memory, and cognitive growth.

The recommended iodine intake during breastfeeding is 290 micrograms daily. Iodized salt can contribute, but don’t assume it will fully meet your needs. And keep in mind, many specialty salts, like sea salt, aren’t iodized. Other sources include dairy foods, eggs, seafood, and seaweed.

Most people in the U.S. don’t consume enough choline. And during breastfeeding, you need even more to help maintain cell membranes and support your and your baby’s nervous system — 550 milligrams of choline daily. Eggs, meat, fish, and soybeans are all rich sources.

Vitamin B12: Important With a Vegan Eating Pattern

Vitamin B12 is important for your baby’s brain development and producing healthy red blood cells. It occurs naturally in animal foods and is added to some fortified foods. Plant-based foods do not naturally contain vitamin B12. So, those following a vegan diet need a supplement to avoid deficiency. Talk with your healthcare provider to determine an appropriate dose for you.

Omega-3s From Low-Mercury Fish or Plant-Based Sources

Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA, play important roles in infant brain, eye, and nervous system development. Getting enough omega-3s is especially important during breastfeeding because the fatty acid composition of breast milk is influenced by maternal intake. There’s also some evidence suggesting that getting enough omega-3 healthy fats is associated with better maternal mental health. 14

While fatty fish is an excellent source of omega-3s, it’s important to choose lower mercury options if you are breastfeeding. The FDA recommends two to three 4-ounce servings of fish per week from its “Best Choices” list, like salmon, sardines, herring, or trout.

Walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds provide ALA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid. Your body converts only limited amounts of ALA into EPA and DHA, so these foods aren’t equivalent sources of the omega-3s found in fish. If you don’t eat fish, ask whether an algae-based DHA supplement would be useful.

Fluids and Constipation After Birth

Breastfeeding significantly increases your body’s fluid needs, since breastmilk is largely composed of water. Ensure you’re drinking enough by keeping a large water bottle wherever you spend time — beside your bed, near your feeding chair, or with your meals. Water is a simple choice, but all fluids and fluid-containing foods contribute to your body’s needs.

Getting enough fluids doesn’t just help your body produce enough breastmilk and stay hydrated, it also helps avoid constipation, which can be an uncomfortable reality after giving birth, whether you’ve had a vaginal delivery or a C-section. Constipation can also be exacerbated by iron supplements, pain medications, and reduced physical activity.

Avoid constipation by drinking plenty of fluids and eating plenty of fiber-rich foods, like whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Try starting your day with oatmeal topped with walnuts and berries to kick-start your fiber intake, and snack on nuts and dried fruit. If constipation persists, talk with your care team about whether a fiber supplement or laxative may be appropriate.

Common Questions About Eating While Breastfeeding

Do You Need to Avoid Certain Foods?

Most people do not need to avoid specific foods while breastfeeding. The CDC encourages a varied diet while being mindful of high-mercury seafood and caffeine. If you suspect a food is affecting your baby, discuss the symptoms with their healthcare provider before removing foods from your diet.

Can You Have Coffee?

The CDC describes 300 milligrams of caffeine (about two to three cups of coffee) or less daily as a low-to-moderate intake during breastfeeding. Younger and premature babies break caffeine down more slowly, so a lower intake may be helpful. Remember, caffeine isn’t found only in coffee. Count caffeine from all sources, including tea, energy drinks, and chocolate.

What About Alcohol?

Avoiding alcohol is the safest option during breastfeeding. If you have one standard drink, the CDC advises waiting at least two hours before nursing. More alcohol requires more time, and pumping and discarding milk doesn’t speed alcohol clearance.

Do You Need a Postpartum Supplement or Protein Shake?

If you’re having trouble meeting your needs through food alone, supplements or shakes can be easy, convenient ways to boost your nutrition intake. Supplements can help fill nutrient gaps, but cannot replace a varied, balanced diet.

That said, a protein shake, bar, or fortified snack can be a convenient option when you want something portable or easy to drink. And if you choose to use them, be sure they are dietary additions rather than meal replacements. For example, if you’re short on time and choose a shake for lunch, pair it with fresh fruit, veggies, whole grain toast, or nuts for a more complete meal.

Whether you need a postpartum supplement depends on your diet, medical history, and whether you’re breastfeeding. Some people benefit from continuing a prenatal or taking a multivitamin after delivery, while others may need specific nutrients, such as iron, vitamin B12, iodine, or vitamin D. However, not all prenatal or postpartum supplements contain adequate amounts of every nutrient, and more isn’t always better.

Always examine the Nutrition Facts or Supplement Facts panel and ingredient list so you’re aware of added vitamins, herbs, or other ingredients that may overlap with supplements you take. And if you’re breastfeeding, review unfamiliar supplement ingredients with your clinician or pharmacist.

Eating When Time and Appetite Are Limited

Choose a few easy default meals so you don’t have to make a new decision every time hunger strikes.

• Breakfast in minutes: Instant oatmeal with a spoonful of Greek yogurt, chia seeds, walnuts, and/or dried fruit
• Lunch without cooking: A hummus, chicken, or cheese sandwich with baby carrots and mixed greens
• A warm meal: Microwaved bean and cheese quesadillas on whole wheat tortillas with fresh fruit
• Low-prep dinner: A frozen entrée with an easy side, or prepared soup with bread
• Hands-free snack: A smoothie made with yogurt or fortified soy milk, fruit, and nut butter

If your appetite is low, try eating smaller amounts more frequently rather than forcing yourself to finish large meals. Smoothies, yogurt, soups, and other easy-to-eat foods may be more manageable when you don’t feel particularly hungry.

What If You Are Concerned About Weight?

Your body goes through many changes during and after pregnancy. Allow time to recover before trying to lose weight, and avoid rapid weight loss. If you are breastfeeding, substantially cutting calories too soon can affect your milk production.

In the fourth trimester, and while breastfeeding, focus on eating a balanced diet to meet your and your baby’s nutrition needs. If you choose to pursue weight loss later, consult a registered dietitian or other healthcare professional to develop a personalized approach that considers your individual needs and health.

Make Practical Help Specific

After you give birth, you may receive offers of help from friends and loved ones. This is the time to take advantage of that help. But be specific in your ask. For example:

• “Could you bring a dinner that makes enough for leftovers?”
• “Could you make sandwiches for tomorrow and put them in the fridge?”
• “Could you pick up these groceries or hold the baby while I eat?”

A helper can take responsibility for shopping or meal preparation so you don’t have to coordinate every detail. Grocery pickup, washing and portioning fruits and veggies, or baking some muffins and putting them in the freezer for quick snacks all go a long way towards helping meet your nutrition needs during the demanding postnatal days.

When to Contact Your Care Team

Ask for help if you are consistently struggling to eat, have persistent constipation, or notice concerning appetite or unplanned weight changes. Appetite changes can occur with postpartum depression and mood changes, and these deserve assessment. Alert your care provider to any persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, or loss of interest.

Seek immediate medical care for urgent postpartum warning signs, including chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, severe or worsening abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, a severe persistent headache, inability to keep fluids down, or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. Serious pregnancy-related problems can occur up to a year after delivery.

Start With Your Next Meal

You don’t need to put every suggestion into practice right away. Pick one thing that would make eating easier — order groceries, put a sandwich in the fridge for later, keep a snack and water bottle nearby, or ask a friend to bring dinner.

Your meals deserve space alongside your baby’s feeds. A practical postpartum eating routine starts with making that space possible.

References

14. Hamazaki K, et al. Dietary intake of fish and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and risk of postpartum depression: the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS). Psychological Medicine. 2020;50(14):2416–2424. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31535610/