What nutrients do you need to supplement after childbirth?

Giving birth takes a great toll on a woman's body, so after giving birth, not only should a woman take good care of her body, but her family should also pay attention to nutritional supplements for her body. Because childbirth not only causes a great loss of a woman's own qi and blood, but the nutrients in her breast milk will also be directly provided to the baby, so the nutritional intake of the pregnant woman's body is particularly important at this time. So what nutrients do pregnant women need to supplement after giving birth?

Nutrient 1: Protein

For breastfeeding mothers, sufficient amount of protein is very important for milk secretion, especially for newborn babies in the first year when they are in a period of rapid growth. Protein is the material basis of life and an important component of body cells. Therefore, breastfeeding mothers need to increase their daily intake of protein by 15 grams on top of the 50 grams for ordinary people or non-breastfeeding mothers. Another important function of protein for all postpartum women is to promote wound healing.

So where does protein come from? Foods such as chicken, lean meat, eggs, milk, soybeans, kelp, etc. are rich in high-quality protein that is easily absorbed by the human body. However, this type of food is also easy to absorb fat and cholesterol, so try to eat lean meat, less offal, and consume in small amounts.

Nutrient 2: Calcium

It is said that "giving birth to a child means losing a tooth". Although this statement is exaggerated, it also illustrates the common situation of calcium deficiency after pregnancy, so we should not relax our efforts in calcium supplementation after childbirth. In addition, the calcium in the breast milk of breastfeeding mothers can meet the needs of the baby's growth and development. Growing babies should consume 300 mg of calcium through breast milk every day.

Milk, cheese, dried shrimp, sesame, fish, seafood, and spareribs are all foods rich in calcium. Black sesame, black beans, soybeans, dried tofu, amaranth, and kale are also good choices. Calcium will be better absorbed if you take foods rich in vitamin C during or after meals.

Nutrient 3: Iron

Foods containing iron have the effect of regulating qi and blood. Non-breastfeeding mothers need to consume 15 mg of iron a day, while breastfeeding mothers need to consume 30 mg. In general, the best way to get iron is from food.

Among meats, red meat and pork liver, duck blood, pig blood and pork kidneys are beneficial for iron supplementation. Fruits such as apples, cherries, pears, bananas, longans and vegetables such as red amaranth and seaweed are all high-quality food sources of iron supplementation.

Nutrient 4: Vitamins

Vitamins are a large family, which includes members such as A, B, C, D, E, and K. In the old tradition of confinement, many people say that it is not suitable to eat fruits during confinement. Some even believe that even vegetables cannot be eaten, thinking that fruits and vegetables are cold and not good for the mother. However, these foods are a good source of vitamins.

Foods rich in vitamin A include animal foods such as liver, butter, egg yolk, and fish, and yellow-green vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, mango, asparagus, spinach, and broccoli. Vitamins

B1 is found in foods such as grains, nuts, oatmeal, lean meat, liver, milk, egg yolks, etc. Vitamin C is mostly found in green vegetables and red and yellow fruits and vegetables, such as guava, kiwi, tomato, citrus, bell pepper, spinach, broccoli, etc.

Nutrient 5: Fat

Although we say that it is not advisable to eat too greasy food after giving birth, as one of the basic nutrients, new mothers cannot ignore the role of fat.

Fat is an important component of brain tissue, accounting for about 50% of brain weight, and is a very important growth nutrient for babies. However, during pregnancy, the mother's body will automatically store about 3,000 grams of fat in preparation for breastfeeding, so postpartum mothers only need to consume a small amount of fat, not too much.