Nourishing the New Mom

I have a special place in my heart for this phase of life. This is where it all begins—in utero, and then in those first precious days and weeks spent nursing while gazing into your little miracle. Making milk is truly an incredible process. I remember the first sensations of my milk coming in with my firstborn—the tingling, the fullness—and then the gulping, eyes rolling back... “punch drunk on mommy’s milk,” Tom would say.

I didn’t know I had it so easy. Lily latched on immediately without any trouble. My milk came in quickly. She hardly cried—until I ate broccoli soup, that is. I was well nourished. My mom was there to care for me and cook for me. Breakfasts arrived on a tray with a flower: sweet rice cereal, toast with almond butter, and sliced fresh fruit in a bowl. Lunches were homemade chicken noodle soup packed with kale. Dinners featured wild salmon, beets, yams, sautéed greens, and quinoa. These are the kinds of deeply nourishing, milk-promoting foods new mothers need.

New moms need to be taken care of.
They need to feel safe and supported so they can do the most important thing in the world—care for their new baby.

My mom was there for all of my births and stayed for weeks after each baby arrived, cooking and cleaning every day. When our twins were born, she added “playing with the girls” to the list. Rest, hydration, and nutrient-dense food are the three most essential factors for getting milk flowing. Certain foods can help support lactation. My understanding comes from both personal experience and a growing body of research on using food as medicine—particularly for rebuilding blood (especially important after excess blood loss), restoring postpartum energy, and supporting hormone clearance in the postpartum period.

Some foods, however, can cause digestive distress in newborns. There are ingredients that are best avoided during the early months of breastfeeding. Below, I’ve included a list of the top foods I recommend for new mothers, and foods that may be problematic during the first three months.

Just yesterday, we got a call from a dear friend who had given birth to a beautiful baby girl via emergency c-section. She needed support getting her milk to come in. It was my time to pay it forward. Friends cooked for me for four months after my twins were born, showing up meal after meal, even with my long list of food restrictions.

So the girls and I got to work. We made a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup, red lentil soup, brown rice, roasted yams, sesame-crusted halibut, a baby green salad with grated raw beets, ginger salad dressing, hummus, and a platter of raw veggies. Grace and I delivered the food just in time for dinner—and were lucky enough to meet the sleepy new baby.

Good Foods to Nourish a Postpartum Mom:

• Plenty of purified water
• Wild salmon (avoid farmed salmon)
• Sea vegetables
• Lentils
• Carminative herbs and spices (cumin, cardamom, fenugreek, ginger, mint, fennel seeds)
• Raspberry leaf tea (helps tone the uterus, especially with fennel)
• Nettle tea (enriches and supports milk production)
• Healthy fats (avocado, extra virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil, chia seeds, fish oil or fatty fish)
• Organic chicken and vegetable soup with plenty of fresh herbs
• Bone broths
• Lamb
• Leafy greens! Fresh salad greens, dark leafy greens, and green smoothies
• Sweet vegetables (yams, squash, carrots, beets)
• Raw nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
• Raw almond butter
• Whole grains (quinoa, amaranth, oats, sweet brown rice, millet, teff)
• Organic berries
• Cooked fruits like stewed apples and pears or fruit crisps with an oat topping

Foods to Possibly Avoid During the Early Postpartum Period (may cause digestive upset in the baby):

• Dairy products
• Citrus fruits, especially juices
• Wheat / gluten
• Refined soy products
• Caffeine (coffee, tea, soda)
• Chocolate
• Prenatal vitamins (the iron content can be irritating for some babies)
• Peanuts
• Heavily spiced foods
• Raw garlic and onions
• Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage)

I’ve also included a recipe here that would be nourishing for a new mom—but truthfully, it’s a lovely, simple meal for anyone navigating a full life. If you have meals or foods that supported you during this sacred phase, I’d love to hear your story. Please share below.