What did I eat post baby S’s arrival?

I do what I do knowing that it’s making a difference in someone’s way of life! Post publishing my birth and breastfeeding journey , I was constantly asked about the meal plan I followed post the arrival of baby S and I finally found some time to share my experience!

While the doctors or lactation consultants do not place any restrictions on the kind of food to be consumed, the elders at home have a different tale to tell. While this isn’t mandatory, it aids in faster healing of the body , helps in better milk production and aids the recovery process. Who would say no to these benefits?

While we can eat anything, there are some foods which actually make us feel better. This reminds me of an anecdote shared by my lactation consultant during the breastfeeding session – There was a mom who had just delivered a baby and wanted to have vatha kuzhambu and potato fry which shocked her mom. My lactation consultant calmly asked the mother to offer it to her daughter because she clearly knew that she wouldn’t be able to relish it and the spice content won’t suit a new mom. The exact thing happened and this is why the ‘pathiyam saapadu’ is recommended for the initial months.

Let me give you a sample meal plan post in which we’ll discuss about foods to be avoided in the initial 3 months.

6am – 2 glasses of water

6.30 am – A glass of warm milk – either plain or with mother’s Horlicks or any other non-sugar protein powder.

8 am – Breakfast – Idli / dosa / khichdi / upma / paratha / pongal and a fruit.

10am – Soup – Broccoli / Bottle gourd / baby corn / drumstick – Mom made sure I had these since these veggies are said to increase the milk supply and I started loving them especially the broccoli soup.

In the initial 22 days , I skipped the soup and had lunch directly.

11.30 am – 12pm – Lunch – White rice with a small spoon of ghee , loads of veggies like broad beans , carrots , bhindi , snake gourd, dhal/keerai/ poricha kootu (vegetable and moong dhal tempered with loads of pepper and jeera – Google the recipe) , garlic rasam and a bowl of curd. For those who dislike garlic like me , boiling them while preparing the usual tomato rasam is a good alternative.

2pm – One fruit – Apple/Orange/pomegranate/pear (either whole fruit or as a juice or milkshake (without sugar))

4pm – almonds and dates and a fruit.

5.30pm – Parboiled rice porridge (recommended by my gynaecologist to establish a good supply)

7pm – Dinner (initial 22 days I had hot rice with vegetables and post that had roti with dhal/ sauteed paneer or veggies and a bowl of freshly made curd).

9pm – A glass of milk.

– Through the day , aim for atleast 3 liters of water and 3 glasses of milk.

– I consumed something known as ‘legiyam’ which aids the digestion process. This is commonly made during diwali in South Indian homes and is called diwali marundu.

– Coconut is known to cause spit ups in babies. Don’t know how far it’s true since it’s said that the milk gets only smell and taste of the foods we consume and not the properties but I started including it in my diet post 3 months only.

– Tur dhal and bengal gram dhal (causes gas) were avoided and instead moong dhal was consumed as it’s known to boost milk supply. After a couple of months you can slowly start including it in your diet and see how it works for you.

– Sugar was avoided for obvious reasons (that’s the main reason for fat accumulation and no one likes that right?)

– Have pepper , jeera , ginger, almonds , oats , methi and garlic in the foods you take. These act as good supplements for lactacting mothers.

– Avoid maida , processed foods , oil , pickles.

– Vegetables like potato, yam , colocasia , brinjal , radish were avoided for the first three months.

– Avoid red chillies and opt for green chillies .

– Cold foods were avoided so that the new mom doesn’t catch a cold.

– Aim at having 3 portions of fruits per day.

For the first 3 months I followed this religiously, thanks to amma who made sure I ate the right thing at the right time. Till date, she’s been one of the strongest support I have in this journey of motherhood. Post that, I slowly included all the foods one by one and today when my boy is almost 6 months old , I eat all kinds of food but in moderation.

There are people who do not want to follow this stating reasons like ‘oh I have just delivered a baby. I can’t go through this’. While this ran in my head too , today I can confidently say that I’m glad I followed this traditional meal plan with newer additions like paneer and roti and this helped me bounce back to normalcy very soon.

Each family has their own versions of this. Speak to your mom or grandmom to know more!

Breastfeeding is challenging yet absolutely fulfilling. Diet plans like these ease the process and help in facing hiccups like inadequate supply , weakness and tiredness.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any more queries 🙂

Wishing you a happy motherhood!