ServicesBenefitsMy TrainingSuggestionsHome

A few suggestions for new mothers:

• Get rest whenever you can. Rest mentally and physically nap when baby naps.  Do this even if you had an easy birth and feel good.  What you do now influences your recovery later
• Accept help from others such as housecleaning, childcare, meals etc.
• Do very little cooking or housework. In particular, when you first get home, don't do any.  This is a great time to accept offers of meals and housecleaning
• Schedule time for yourself
• Keep visitors to a minimum and limit visiting time
• Eat! Your body requires 500 - 1,000 extra calories a day to produce milk.  Make it healthy and follow the guidelines of food that I have listed
• Drink plenty of liquids. Water is the best, be sure it isn't iced. Warm fluids are recommended.  Stay away from coffee, sodas and black tea as they dehydrate you and can be hard on yours and the baby's delicate nervous and digestive systems at this time
• Don’t jump into an exercise routine or diet right away
• Keep your home, yourself and the baby warm and stay in seclusion for the first few weeks.  Be easy on your self, allow for things to take time and effort.

Examples of foods to favor for maximizing comfort and rejuvenation:

Basmati rice, butter, kichari, asparagus, beets, yams, cottage cheese, sesame oil, olive oil or ghee, fresh warm sweet rice pudding, soups, avocado, lime, lemon, fresh sweet fruits, stewed dried fruits, cooked vegetables, ricotta cheese, baked winter squashes, browned minced fresh garlic, warm organic milk with ghee, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, flax oil, 10 soaked and skinned almonds, whipping cream, pasta, unleavened breads and flour tortillas, oatmeal.

Make sure food is warm, wet or moist, salty, sweet (not sugar sweet), sour, oily, fresh.

Examples of foods to minimize to avoid gas, constipation, colic, and for best lactation and rejuvenation:

Ice cream, iced foods and drinks, fresh, dried or lightly cooked garlic, onions, radishes, chilies, cruciferous veggies, tomatoes, red meats, eggs, nuts, sour cheeses, dried foods such as toast, crackers, dried fruits that aren’t cooked, fried foods, cold milk, coffee, chocolate, sodas, fermented condiments and foods, leftovers past 6 hours old ideally. Decrease foods that are pungent (spicy), bitter, astringent, dry, cold, and light.

Recipe for hot milk tonic:

This is great right before bedtime.
Put 1½ sticks cinnamon, 5 cloves, 5-7 peppercorns, 1 tsp whole cardamom seeds (no skins), 1 inch chopped fresh ginger to about 2 cups water and boil down to ½ -1 cup.  Optionally ¼ tsp turmeric, anise seeds or fennel, or pinch of saffron threads (at the end).  Add 1 qt whole milk and bring back to a boil.  Serve warm, with honey (add after cooking) or maple syrup and 1-2 tsp. ghee per cup.