Vitamins and Mineral Levels

Here is my third installment from the “17 mind-blowing ways your body changes after giving birth,” article written in “Today’s Parent,” by Bonnie Schiedel.

The wider variety of food you can eat, the better for recovery from exhaustion after delivery.

It is very easy to pick up your phone, and order through many of the food delivery apps. You can use that to your advantage if you have no one to help provide nourishing meals. The wisest food choices in these instances include food items that are listed below.

If you do have someone who can prepare meals for you, ask them to review this list.

Here’s Bonnie:

Feeling shaky and exhausted is pretty common in the first few weeks after delivery (hello, multiple wake ups every night), but these symptoms can also be linked to low iron levels. “New moms are at higher risk of iron deficiency following childbirth, due to blood loss during delivery,” says Sarah O’Hara, a Calgary registered dietitian who specializes in pre- and postnatal care. Her advice: Keep taking a prenatal multivitamin with iron for the length of time you’re breastfeeding, or if you’re not breastfeeding, for as long as you have post-delivery bleeding. Plus, eat iron-rich foods, such as red meat, fortified whole-grain products, beans, lentils and leafy greens. You should feel better within a couple of weeks of boosting your iron intake, but more severe deficiencies (indicated by shortness of breath, pale skin, dizziness, a swollen tongue, cold hands and feet or cravings to eat non-food items like ice cubes) may take longer to sort out. You can ask your doctor to order a blood test to check your iron levels.

If you’re breastfeeding, you need vitamins A, E, C and B complex, choline, chromium, copper, iodine, selenium and zinc, says O’Hara. “The best and simplest approach is to eat a variety of healthy foods and aim to eat some protein paired with complex carbohydrates, such as fruit, veggies, pulses like beans and lentils, and whole grains.” Some research suggests vitamin D deficiency may lead to a higher risk of postpartum mood disorders, but it isn’t conclusive, so ask your doctor about taking supplements.