Postpartum Nutrition

Pregnancy Nutrition by the American Dietetic Association


Postpartum Nutrition



Whether or not you are nursing, you should wait at least 6 weeks post-delivery before beginning a weight-loss regimen that restricts calories and includes physical activity. You need all the energy you can get to recover from giving birth, deal with the needs of an infant, help manage a household, and possibly return to work, all on less sleep.

Postpartum Nutrition
You've delivered your bundle of joy, and now you want your figure back. How long will it take to shed baby weight? The good news first: you drop a significant portion of what you gained in pregnancy during the first few weeks after delivery. The not-so-great news: losing the remaining weight and getting back muscle tone can take up to a year.


A year? That's right, but don't fret. Life is hectic after baby comes. Whether or not you are nursing, you should wait at least 6 weeks post-delivery before beginning a weight-loss regimen that restricts calories and includes physical activity. You need all the energy you can get to recover from giving birth, deal with the needs of an infant, help manage a household, and possibly return to work, all on less sleep. So, cut yourself some slack. You will get your body back. For now, enjoy your little one, eat healthily, and try to fit in moderate physical activity when you can.


If You're Breast-Feeding
Breast-feeding does not magically melt away pounds, but it can help. Milk production alone requires about 800 calories daily. Stored body fat from pregnancy kicks in about 300 calories in a day for producing milk and your diet should contribute the rest. That means you need to eat an extra 500 calories to supply the necessary nursing energy. That's 200 more calories than you needed during pregnancy!


How many calories are right for you? On average, most women need about 2,700 calories a day when nursing. In your quest for fitness, you may be tempted to eat less. Health professionals warn that eating fewer than 1,800 calories a day may decrease milk production and sap the energy that you need to feed and care for an infant.


Add moderate physical activity, such as walking or following an exercise video, only when your doctor gives you the go ahead. The benefits of taking baby for regular walk are twofold; you and baby get fresh air while seeing the sights; and physical activity fosters weight loss without drastically cutting calories. If it's tough to get outside, invest in a few exercise videotapes, and let baby watch as you work out, or exercise when baby sleeps. If you find yourself losing more than about 4 pounds a month after cutting calories and adding exercise, add back some calories.


When you're breast-feeding, what you eat affects your baby's health and how quickly you recover from giving birth. For example, you can maximize the vitamin content of your breast milk by eating the healthiest diet possible. Same goes for bolstering your iron stores. It can take months to make up for the iron you lost in blood during childbirth. To replenish nutrient stores, focus on healthy eating and ask you health care provider whether you should continue taking prescribed prenatal supplements.


Fluids are central to breast milk production. To get enough, sip on caffeine-free beverages throughout the day, and try to drink 8 ounces of water each time you sit down to nurse your baby. For the most part, limit alcohol and caffeine. They make their way into your milk and they cause water loss.


If You Don't Breast Feed
Many of the same principles of weight loss apply even when you don't breast-feed. For example, you need your strength, so put off restricting calories for at least six weeks. And when you begin your weight control regimen, make sure you eat a variety of foods from all of the food groups to ensure adequate nutrients for replenishing your body's stores. When you're ready to begin physical activity, do so gradually.


How many calories for weight loss? Most women do well by consuming at least 1,600 to 1,800 calories a day along with light activity to help drop the weight and keep it off. That calorie level may sound high, especially to repeat dieters, who often eat 1,200 calories a day, or less. But eating at least a 1,600 calorie die is far more reasonable, because it gives you room to include the minimum number of servings from all five food groups, which will boost your energy level and promote good health. And 1,600 calories a day is much easier to stick with in the long run because you're less likely to feel deprived at this calorie level.