There is plenty of information out there about what and what not to eat while you're pregnant, but much less about healthy eating post-partum.
It will take time to recover from labor and birth. This period of time is called "postpartum" and means "after birth."
The postpartum period is a special time of adapting to parenthood as well as physical recovery. It takes months, not weeks.
Today we talk with Dr. Melanie Christofferson, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Allina Health Cambridge Clinic, who will guide you through making the right choices after baby.
Selected Podcast
What Do I Eat? Post-Baby Nutrition For Mom
Featured Speaker:
Learn more about Dr. Melanie Christofferson
Melanie Christofferson, DO – Ob/Gyn
Dr. Melanie Christofferson is an obstetrician and gynecologist at Allina Health Cambridge Clinic. Her professional interests are in preventive medicine and health maintenance, general obstetrics and high risk pregnancy, abnormal bleeding and minimally-invasive and robotic surgery. Dr. Christofferson, originally from El Paso, Texas, has wanted to be a physician since she was a little girl.Learn more about Dr. Melanie Christofferson
Transcription:
What Do I Eat? Post-Baby Nutrition For Mom
Melanie Cole (Host): The post-partum period can be an exciting and challenging time for new parents, but with all of the adjustments and a new baby in the home, women can sometimes feel unsure and insecure about their bodies and what they should be eating. They’re trying to lose that baby weight and nursing at the same time. It can be a very confusing time. My guest today is Dr. Melanie Christofferson. She’s an obstetrician/gynecologist who practices in Cambridge Minnesota at the Allina Health Cambridge Clinic and Medical Center. Welcome to the show, Dr. Christofferson. Tell us first, as women, while we are nursing a new baby, what do you think is the best advice to lose that baby weight and eat healthy at the same time?
Dr. Melanie Christofferson (Guest): That’s a tough question. I think the post-partum period, like you said, is pretty hard for new moms and there’s a lot going on. I think it’s important to focus on good nutrition and exercise immediately post-partum. You’re not trying to lose that baby weight all at once. It’s going to be a gradual loss just like you gained weight over those nine months. You’ve got to give your body time to lose weight the healthy way.
Melanie: Are there some foods that you want women to stay away from while there are nursing?
Dr. Christofferson: While they are nursing they can eat most foods just like they did before pregnancy. So, stinky cheeses are okay. You’re not going to pass any bacteria through the breast milk. One thing that you do need to watch for is your seafood or fish consumption. Like we know, seafood has mercury and then it also has some industrial pollutants that are called “polychlorinated biphenyls”--just PCB’s for short. Those are both secreted into mom’s breast milk and they can have a harmful effect on the baby’s neurologic development. Of course, there’s a flip side. So, fish and seafood both have significant health benefits for mom and baby and Omega 3 fatty acids have been associated with favorable neurologic development outcomes for infants, so I don’t want moms to steer clear of them completely. They just need to watch out for how much they’re eating. You can eat about two servings a week of the low mercury fish; that includes chunk light tuna, tilapia and shrimp. I just want moms to steer clear of the fish known to have high mercury levels such as sword fish, king mackerel. If moms have a question, the Minnesota Department of Health has a great website where they can look up more information and it even includes details about fish caught locally. So, if you are going fishing for a weekend and want to eat what you caught, they will give you guidelines as to how much is safe and how often you can eat it.
Melanie: What about alcohol and coffee? Beverages?
Dr. Christofferson: Coffee is definitely okay. New breast feeding moms can have one or two cups a day. If you’re drinking more than one cup, spread it out throughout the day. Just like in pregnancy, you kind of need to monitor your consumption because caffeine can be secreted into the breast milk and over time, it can make its way to baby. Really, moms should just kind of take a watchful eye as to how it’s affecting their baby. Make sure baby isn’t getting real irritable and is sleeping well. If she notices that baby is having any problems, maybe it’s a good idea to cut back. As far as wine goes, moms who aren’t breast feeding don’t need to worry but those moms who are really need to watch their intake. Unfortunately, alcohol is secreted into the breast milk in small amounts. So, one drink or less per day has not been proven to have any adverse effects for baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs actually considers it to be compatible; however, they note that large quantities can cause drowsiness, weakness and can even impact the baby’s growth and weight gain. So, if you are really concerned about its effects on baby, you can plan ahead. Just breast feed right before drinking and then pump and dump for about 2-3 hours after drinking. That’s the average amount of time it will take the alcohol to clear mom’s system after one serving. Once that’s out of mom’s system, she can resume feeding like normal.
Melanie: What about supplementation, Dr. Christofferson? If women should only eat fish twice a week and they have to be careful about certain other things, what about taking a multivitamin or fish oil? Can they continue with their supplements while they’re nursing?
Dr. Christofferson: For the most part, supplements are a great idea, especially if they are concerned that they are not getting the well-rounded, balanced diet, which can be hard when you’re sleep deprived and just getting by. Supplements are a good idea – the pre-natal. If you lost a lot of blood at the time of delivery, your provider might mention that he or she wants you to start an iron supplement. Omega 3 supplements are generally safe. Sometimes mercury is in those supplements, so just be careful about that one.
Melanie: We see in the magazines so many celebrities who’ve lost their baby weight in two weeks and, of course, they may be working with a trainer six hours a day or eating just like a bird. What do you say to people when they ask you that same question?
Dr. Christofferson: Well, really, post-partum weight change is variable from person to person. Like you said, those celebrities have trainers. They are working out for hours on end. They have chefs who are preparing these diets that are very limited on calories. That probably isn’t realistic for the average mom and it probably isn’t even healthy. I would tell her to be patient. During the first six months post-partum, she could expect to lose about a quarter of a pound up to just under two pounds per month depending on her diet and her level of physical activity. Really, it’s important to focus on gradual healthy change rather than very, very fast weight loss.
Melanie: Give us your best advice on losing that pregnancy weight and even restarting an exercise program because you have to be careful for those first few weeks, depending on how you delivered.
Dr. Christofferson: Right. I would kind of listen to your body. Don’t overdo it. You don’t need to jump back into a vigorous exercise route immediately. Eating well balanced meals, making sure you’re getting adequate healthy proteins, lean fats, lots of fruits and veggies just because you want to make sure you’re getting all those minerals and vitamins you need and, if you’re not, taking those supplements. Moms who are breastfeeding are going to be burning more calories and so they need about 300-330 extra calories a day. About 170, additionally, will come from mom’s tissue stores. So, that’s going to help her lose a little bit of the weight. Once she gets through that immediate post-partum period, she can start picking up her activity as tolerated. Even as her baby gets a little bit older, try things such as the mommy work out videos. You can find lots of those online. Those are nice because they let mom work out with baby. She doesn’t need to find healthcare and it’s kind of a neat bonding time.
Melanie: What do you tell people, Dr. Christofferson, about the stress of having a new baby and sometimes women use food as comfort trying to stay awake or getting up in the middle of the night and what do you tell them about stress eating?
Dr. Christofferson: Stress eating is very common and it’s easy to confuse being exhausted or being dehydrated with feeling hungry. Oftentimes, mom will report they crave sweets; they crave fatty foods. It’s really, really important to watch what you’re eating. I would recommend having healthy snacks on hand--things that you can easily grab that don’t require a lot of preparation but that aren’t going to allow you to indulge in the things that are less healthy. Don’t deprive yourself completely but make sure, for the most part, you are snacking healthily.
Melanie: So, give us an example of snacking healthily and what you want people to be doing so that it is a gradual weight loss but yet still really good for the baby and for nursing.
Dr. Christofferson: Sure. I would recommend moms picking those little nut packs or you can make your own with almonds, walnuts--things that are healthy. You can do the little pre-packaged veggies or get a thing of carrots and dip it in whatever your dip of choice is. Just make sure you’re not getting more dip than carrot. Veggies, fruits, anything you think of as healthy when you’re not actually eating a meal and try to keep your meals healthy, three times a day.
Melanie: In just the last minute, Dr. Christofferson, give your best advice to women post-partum for foods and post-partum nutrition to help them lose the baby weight even possibly fight off depression, help them with their stress. Just give us your best advice.
Dr. Christofferson: My best advice to new moms and their post-partum nutrition weight loss would be to give yourself time to appreciate your body and give it the tender loving care that it needs. It provided you your beautiful baby and this is the time to focus on being healthy, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and achieving healthy, gradual weight loss. Don’t have unrealistic expectations. Also, exercise. It’s a natural mood booster. It’s going to be wonderful to get outside and ward off those baby blues. Walking is a wonderful way to do light activity that you can start almost immediately post-partum. Really, who doesn’t need a pick me up every now and then and that extra exercise might be what it takes.
Melanie: Thank you so much. It’s great information. You’re listening to The WELLCast with Allina Health. For more information, you can go to AllinaHealth.org. That’s AllinaHealth.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
What Do I Eat? Post-Baby Nutrition For Mom
Melanie Cole (Host): The post-partum period can be an exciting and challenging time for new parents, but with all of the adjustments and a new baby in the home, women can sometimes feel unsure and insecure about their bodies and what they should be eating. They’re trying to lose that baby weight and nursing at the same time. It can be a very confusing time. My guest today is Dr. Melanie Christofferson. She’s an obstetrician/gynecologist who practices in Cambridge Minnesota at the Allina Health Cambridge Clinic and Medical Center. Welcome to the show, Dr. Christofferson. Tell us first, as women, while we are nursing a new baby, what do you think is the best advice to lose that baby weight and eat healthy at the same time?
Dr. Melanie Christofferson (Guest): That’s a tough question. I think the post-partum period, like you said, is pretty hard for new moms and there’s a lot going on. I think it’s important to focus on good nutrition and exercise immediately post-partum. You’re not trying to lose that baby weight all at once. It’s going to be a gradual loss just like you gained weight over those nine months. You’ve got to give your body time to lose weight the healthy way.
Melanie: Are there some foods that you want women to stay away from while there are nursing?
Dr. Christofferson: While they are nursing they can eat most foods just like they did before pregnancy. So, stinky cheeses are okay. You’re not going to pass any bacteria through the breast milk. One thing that you do need to watch for is your seafood or fish consumption. Like we know, seafood has mercury and then it also has some industrial pollutants that are called “polychlorinated biphenyls”--just PCB’s for short. Those are both secreted into mom’s breast milk and they can have a harmful effect on the baby’s neurologic development. Of course, there’s a flip side. So, fish and seafood both have significant health benefits for mom and baby and Omega 3 fatty acids have been associated with favorable neurologic development outcomes for infants, so I don’t want moms to steer clear of them completely. They just need to watch out for how much they’re eating. You can eat about two servings a week of the low mercury fish; that includes chunk light tuna, tilapia and shrimp. I just want moms to steer clear of the fish known to have high mercury levels such as sword fish, king mackerel. If moms have a question, the Minnesota Department of Health has a great website where they can look up more information and it even includes details about fish caught locally. So, if you are going fishing for a weekend and want to eat what you caught, they will give you guidelines as to how much is safe and how often you can eat it.
Melanie: What about alcohol and coffee? Beverages?
Dr. Christofferson: Coffee is definitely okay. New breast feeding moms can have one or two cups a day. If you’re drinking more than one cup, spread it out throughout the day. Just like in pregnancy, you kind of need to monitor your consumption because caffeine can be secreted into the breast milk and over time, it can make its way to baby. Really, moms should just kind of take a watchful eye as to how it’s affecting their baby. Make sure baby isn’t getting real irritable and is sleeping well. If she notices that baby is having any problems, maybe it’s a good idea to cut back. As far as wine goes, moms who aren’t breast feeding don’t need to worry but those moms who are really need to watch their intake. Unfortunately, alcohol is secreted into the breast milk in small amounts. So, one drink or less per day has not been proven to have any adverse effects for baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs actually considers it to be compatible; however, they note that large quantities can cause drowsiness, weakness and can even impact the baby’s growth and weight gain. So, if you are really concerned about its effects on baby, you can plan ahead. Just breast feed right before drinking and then pump and dump for about 2-3 hours after drinking. That’s the average amount of time it will take the alcohol to clear mom’s system after one serving. Once that’s out of mom’s system, she can resume feeding like normal.
Melanie: What about supplementation, Dr. Christofferson? If women should only eat fish twice a week and they have to be careful about certain other things, what about taking a multivitamin or fish oil? Can they continue with their supplements while they’re nursing?
Dr. Christofferson: For the most part, supplements are a great idea, especially if they are concerned that they are not getting the well-rounded, balanced diet, which can be hard when you’re sleep deprived and just getting by. Supplements are a good idea – the pre-natal. If you lost a lot of blood at the time of delivery, your provider might mention that he or she wants you to start an iron supplement. Omega 3 supplements are generally safe. Sometimes mercury is in those supplements, so just be careful about that one.
Melanie: We see in the magazines so many celebrities who’ve lost their baby weight in two weeks and, of course, they may be working with a trainer six hours a day or eating just like a bird. What do you say to people when they ask you that same question?
Dr. Christofferson: Well, really, post-partum weight change is variable from person to person. Like you said, those celebrities have trainers. They are working out for hours on end. They have chefs who are preparing these diets that are very limited on calories. That probably isn’t realistic for the average mom and it probably isn’t even healthy. I would tell her to be patient. During the first six months post-partum, she could expect to lose about a quarter of a pound up to just under two pounds per month depending on her diet and her level of physical activity. Really, it’s important to focus on gradual healthy change rather than very, very fast weight loss.
Melanie: Give us your best advice on losing that pregnancy weight and even restarting an exercise program because you have to be careful for those first few weeks, depending on how you delivered.
Dr. Christofferson: Right. I would kind of listen to your body. Don’t overdo it. You don’t need to jump back into a vigorous exercise route immediately. Eating well balanced meals, making sure you’re getting adequate healthy proteins, lean fats, lots of fruits and veggies just because you want to make sure you’re getting all those minerals and vitamins you need and, if you’re not, taking those supplements. Moms who are breastfeeding are going to be burning more calories and so they need about 300-330 extra calories a day. About 170, additionally, will come from mom’s tissue stores. So, that’s going to help her lose a little bit of the weight. Once she gets through that immediate post-partum period, she can start picking up her activity as tolerated. Even as her baby gets a little bit older, try things such as the mommy work out videos. You can find lots of those online. Those are nice because they let mom work out with baby. She doesn’t need to find healthcare and it’s kind of a neat bonding time.
Melanie: What do you tell people, Dr. Christofferson, about the stress of having a new baby and sometimes women use food as comfort trying to stay awake or getting up in the middle of the night and what do you tell them about stress eating?
Dr. Christofferson: Stress eating is very common and it’s easy to confuse being exhausted or being dehydrated with feeling hungry. Oftentimes, mom will report they crave sweets; they crave fatty foods. It’s really, really important to watch what you’re eating. I would recommend having healthy snacks on hand--things that you can easily grab that don’t require a lot of preparation but that aren’t going to allow you to indulge in the things that are less healthy. Don’t deprive yourself completely but make sure, for the most part, you are snacking healthily.
Melanie: So, give us an example of snacking healthily and what you want people to be doing so that it is a gradual weight loss but yet still really good for the baby and for nursing.
Dr. Christofferson: Sure. I would recommend moms picking those little nut packs or you can make your own with almonds, walnuts--things that are healthy. You can do the little pre-packaged veggies or get a thing of carrots and dip it in whatever your dip of choice is. Just make sure you’re not getting more dip than carrot. Veggies, fruits, anything you think of as healthy when you’re not actually eating a meal and try to keep your meals healthy, three times a day.
Melanie: In just the last minute, Dr. Christofferson, give your best advice to women post-partum for foods and post-partum nutrition to help them lose the baby weight even possibly fight off depression, help them with their stress. Just give us your best advice.
Dr. Christofferson: My best advice to new moms and their post-partum nutrition weight loss would be to give yourself time to appreciate your body and give it the tender loving care that it needs. It provided you your beautiful baby and this is the time to focus on being healthy, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and achieving healthy, gradual weight loss. Don’t have unrealistic expectations. Also, exercise. It’s a natural mood booster. It’s going to be wonderful to get outside and ward off those baby blues. Walking is a wonderful way to do light activity that you can start almost immediately post-partum. Really, who doesn’t need a pick me up every now and then and that extra exercise might be what it takes.
Melanie: Thank you so much. It’s great information. You’re listening to The WELLCast with Allina Health. For more information, you can go to AllinaHealth.org. That’s AllinaHealth.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.