The C-Section Diet – What to Eat & Avoid

Are you looking for the best diet plan after the C-section or cesarean delivery? This article will give detailed information about the do’s and don’ts. Here’s a list of different types of food to use and products to avoid after cesarean. Create your personal diet plan.

Kids come to this world in different ways. C-section delivery means that there were some complications during pregnancy or unexpected sequelae in the delivery process. Anyway, a mother should get all possible care after such a difficult surgery. It may take about the whole year for the muscles to recover. The best way to come in the previous form as soon as a mother can is to perform a post-C-section diet and exercise. This article will provide you the C-section diet plan and the list of suitable products and their combinations.

The main rule you have to remember is that you need about 2500 calories per day if you breastfeed your baby. If you keep a strict diet, it would be harmful to your health and milk supply. Find the balance of what you eat, how much you move, and how much milk your child absorbs.

Drink enough water

Body after C-section delivery requires more water than the usual woman’s body. A woman also has to drink liquids for easier milk production. The best C-section tip is that the more water you drink, the more milk your child will get. Breastfeeding is an ideal way to nourish your baby and lose lots of calories at the same time. The process may burn from 300 to 500 calories every day. This is the obvious way how drinking liquids lead to losing calories. Not all liquids are suitable for breastfeeding mothers. It is better to avoid juices that contain sugar, carbonated drinks, and caffeinated liquids. Stay away from alcohol. Fresh made citrus juices, antioxidant-rich berry juices are recommended as a source of liquid and Vitamin C.

Consume food containing iron

Iron-rich food is responsible for hemoglobin blood levels of the newly arrived mom and the baby. Hemoglobin transfers oxygen around the body of the mother-to-be and the baby. So you should include iron-rich products even to your pregnancy diet, not only when you are preparing for a C-section diet. Dry fruits, beef, and other red meat, oysters, and egg yolks can help to regain the blood lost during the delivery process. When your body is recuperating, you have to care about personal hygiene as well. Get the best tampons suitable for you when you are totally renewed for an active life. Be careful with your health and ask the doctor if you doubt about anything.

Eat whole grain food after C-section

Whole-grain foods as a part of the C-section mother diet should be in the mother’s menu every day. Brown rice and bread, pasta from durum wheat are rich in useful carbohydrates that are able to accommodate more energy from the food. They contain folic acid, fiber, and iron vital for baby development and breast milk production. If you feel postpartum depression, Vitamin B, and D in those products will help to conquer the mood problem. Start your day with whole-grain products.

Add Calcium-rich foods in your Diet

The diet after C-section delivery should include calcium-rich products. Calcium is an important mineral responsible for strong teeth and bones both for mom and the kid. It prevents osteoporosis problems as the mom’s bones can become weak, losing too much calcium for performing milk. Calcium is also essential for blood coagulation and muscle relaxation. That is why it is recommended to add low-fat milk products and other calcium-rich products to the diet after C-section in the hospital. Low-fat yogurt, skimmed milk, cheese, dried peas, and different beans are rich in useful minerals and protein. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends consuming daily 500 mg of dairy products.

Products to avoid after C-Section Surgery

Here’s the list of food to avoid during pregnancy or after cesarean.

Junk Food

If you are a newly arrived mother and consider smart food consumption, you should add new products, not avoid them. However, if you are after C-section, stop eating all types of junk food. Here is a recommendation to follow.

Carbonated drinks and caffeine

Carbonated drinks and caffeine may cause gases and constipation. Sometimes constipation occurred for psychological reasons, so to be sure that it is a real problem, cut off bad food usage. Gas-forming food like red kidney beans, green peas, most types of cabbage, and onions are better to be postponed till the full recovery.

White rice

White rice contains high levels of sugar, which may cause prolongation of stitches recovery after surgery. So do not eat white rice at least a few days after C-section delivery.

Cold beverages

Do not drink extremely cold beverages to catch unpleasant cold or fever. It would be hard for you to recover without any harmful remedies used.

Too many don’ts is a result of the experience of many generations and is usually supported by the doctor’s advice. If you hesitate about your food choice, always feel free to ask your doctor.

Products to include into a Cesarean Diet

To consume the list of useful products, ACOG recommends the following diet.

• Eat low-fat dairy products and whole-grain food.
• Proteins and minerals are also very important for health recovery after the C-section.
• Iron and vitamins are essential for blood and bones.
• If you have a balanced diet, you will probably have nice rest and sleepless nights.

Finals

To draw the right picture of the C-section diet for any woman can be easily done by the personal doctor. You can read the general recommendations, but you have to create your personal plan with your gynecologist or breastfeeding consultant. All you have to remember that the diet should be nourishing for the child and healthy for the mother. When you recover from C-section, not eating almost any food is not the right choice. Be careful, but consume thoughtfully. Add some exercises to the diet when you feel better, sleep enough, avoid working too much, and you will be lucky to pass this new period of life without complaints.