It’s especially important in the first few weeks after the birth to make sure you stock up on energy. Pregnancy puts a huge demand on our bodies and the birth can really take it out of us. That’s why we need to replenish our energies and eat the right diet. I got a great tip from my German midwife #SissiRasche for the puerperal period: A hearty chicken broth or a nourishing Chinese soup – we’re talking more healing broths than traditional soups, though. Well, what can I say? I absolutely loved it and it really pushed up my energy levels just after the birth. It’s super important to watch what we eat and make sure it’s doing us good. Following a strict diet in the puerperal period is totally inadvisable, because breastfeeding increases your dietary needs ‒ and most people find that the pounds drop off through that alone. Not that this means you should be wolfing down two bars of chocolate every day. It’s about you, and nourishing your body with vitally needed ingredients. This lays the foundation for your body to continue recovering and healing well.
A wholesome soup is fantastic: Preferably freshly made, but you can still cook it in advance and freeze it (very useful in the puerperal stage); you can vary the ingredients depending on what your particular requirements are, or if you’re suffering from a particular issue. What else is it good for? It can help support milk production, prevent depression and generally helps you regain your strength.
Recipes
I’ve found a great recipe for you here:
- https://www.zietenapotheke.de/chinesische-kraftsuppen.html
- http://www.china-park.de/tcm/chinesische-kraftsuppe/
Vegan variant:
- https://www.chefkoch.de/rezepte/1472551252218376/5-Elemente-Kraftsuppe-ohne-Fleisch.html
- https://www.tcm-am-see.de/lesestoff/kraftsuppen/
Cook up a storm! And may it last far beyond your recovery period,
Love, Birte
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