You have your diaper bag. The car seat is properly installed. You have given your baby lots of snuggles, naturally. With all that said, one could say that you are crushing the role of parent already. The only thing left for you to do is tackle the responsibility of getting your diet under control.
Diet is usually the last thing on new parents’ minds. Some people get very lucky and they have lots of friends and family make them meals that they can easily heat up. Are all of these meals healthy? It’s not often that they are, but those meals keep you fed and sane. While enjoying whatever food you can shovel in your mouth while you aren’t breastfeeding, sleeping, or cleaning, you may also be required to take vitamins.
Some doctors also instruct new mothers to continue taking their prenatal vitamins. The birth of your baby should not stop you from doing that. Prenatal supplements work to support a healthy pregnancy, but a lot happens to the body during those nine months, the biggest of which is the birth of your baby. Your body was doing a lot during pregnancy, and it still requires nutrients postpartum. A nutritious diet is ideal, but not always easy with all the other baby responsibilities. That’s why postnatal vitamins may help fill in the remaining gaps. When shopping for those vitamins, make sure to look for the following ingredients.Â
Vitamin D
Whether you choose to breastfeed or not, vitamin D proves to be an integral nutrient post-birth. According to health experts, there should be a minimum of 2,000 IU in your postnatal vitamin. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to postpartum depression. For that reason, doctors recommend vitamin D as one of the many supplements to help alleviate symptoms of depression, in addition to supporting immune function.Â
DHA
Omega-3 fatty acids not only benefit your health, but also your baby’s health. These fatty acids work to support brain development in your baby if you are breastfeeding or chest feeding, according to researchers. Your DHA needs increase during pregnancy, and they don’t immediately decline postpartum. In fact, they remain about the same during lactation. If you enjoyed a particular omega-3 supplement during pregnancy, you can continue taking that.Â
Calcium
Calcium is a mineral found in dairy products, fortified foods (breakfast cereals and juice), and some plant-based foods. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that the calcium found in breast milk is sourced from your own stores, primarily bones. That’s why health experts recommend breastfeeding mothers to get at least 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day. That amount helps ensure that your bones will remain strong after you’ve weaned your baby off breast milk to other foods and beverages.
Iron
The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that an iron supplement, taken by itself or with folic acid, helps to reduce the risk of anemia in the six- to 12-week period after giving birth. The body’s iron needs end up decreasing during the postnatal period, so most postnatal supplements do not have a large amount of iron. Researchers suggest that there is more iron in a prenatal vitamin than you will need in postnatal life, but it may be valuable immediately after giving birth. Most women lose a lot of iron during birth, so it becomes a valuable mineral for new moms. That is particularly true if you do not usually get enough iron in your diet.Â
Folate
Your folate needs continue during the postpartum period, but the type of folate you take is not as important as it is in prenatal vitamins. Folate in the form of folic acid primarily serves to prevent neural tube defects in the developing infants during pregnancy. In the postnatal period, all types of folate are acceptable to keep your folate levels up. You might see folic acid, whole-food folate, or methylfolate as forms of folate in postnatal supplements.
