Foods You Should Eat After A C Section
Having a C-Section is no joke -- and it’s definitely not a “quick and easy” way to have a baby. If you’ve had one, we definitely don’t need to tell you this! What we are here to tell you, though, is what you can do to heal from it. While we recommend using topicals, such as our perennial balm, to help soothe the actual wound, we want to bring some focus to the most important aspect of healing. Hint: it comes from the inside.
Nutrition is huge after surgery and it should be the same after a c section. And while many of us glaze over this, we are here to tell you just how important food is. Everything we put in our bodies is doing one of two things: healing us, or hurting us. There are no “neutral” foods.
Everything we put in our bodies is doing one of two things: healing us, or hurting us. There are no “neutral” foods.
When you’re in a place of optimal health, it’s easy to let things slide and indulge in treats, or skip a meal because you have a busy morning. And although society might want you to FEEL like you’re back to normal after a C-Section, we’re here to tell you that you’re not. A Cesarean section is a major bodily trauma, and should be treated as such. What do doctors usually recommend after a major trauma?
Rest and medicine.
In this case, think medicine = healthy foods. The food, that you’re putting into your body, is your medicine. The vitamins, nutrients, proteins, and fats within your food are going straight into your cells to help rebuild yourself from the inside out. With this knowledge, aim to be more intentional about everything you eat (and don’t eat.)
What Not To Eat After a C-Section (And What To Eat Instead)
As you already know, a C-section is a pretty big deal. You might find yourself wondering what to eat after a C-Section, and we’ve got plenty of great advice compiled here for you! If you’re reading this, you might be fresh out of a C-Section and feeling...well, all kinds of feelings. Regardless of whether your C-Section was a surprise or not, you find yourself needing tips on how to best take care of this new body of yours.
We’ve split up our advice into two main sections: firstly, the immediate diet. This is for those first several weeks when you’re possibly on bedrest and just doing your best to make it around. Your body is extra sensitive during these first several weeks, so our nutrition tips cater to that.
The second section will be “recovery and beyond.” Meaning, moving forward. Though you might get some more mobility back, and your visible wound will begin to heal, your overall health journey will be ongoing. Internal recovery is hard to gauge, but understand that your body has a lot to recover from. Including the pregnancy itself! It’s important to continue to feed your body strength-building nutrients, even after the initial pains have worn off.
In the first several weeks:
As we mentioned before, the first several weeks of your C-Section recovery are the toughest, and it’s important that you know what to eat after a C-Section. It’s also important to know what not to eat.
DO EAT: Warm liquids also known as warming foods. Things like bone broth, stews and soup are going to go down easily, and feel soothing and comforting as you heal. You can add proteins like beef and chicken for even more comfort.
DO EAT: Vitamin-rich foods. Things like blueberries, fruit, vegetables, and cacao all are high in antioxidants, which help rebuild tissue and muscle in your body. These are great things to eat after a C-Section, because. . . guess who’s trying to rebuild torn tissues and muscles! You are :)
DO EAT: Fiber-rich foods. Basically everything mentioned above: the blueberries, fruits, veggies, as well as oatmeal (also a nice, soft, comforting food!) are rich in fiber which will help combat constipation. You’ve heard of the first postpartum poop, yes? Well, it’s a little bit scarier when you have a Cesarean wound, and can be painful. Blending all of these things together into a smoothie would be a great way to enjoy a delicious, nutrient-dense meal. Not to mention, there’s way less dishes to do with smoothies! That’s always a plus when you’re looking for what to eat after a C-Section.
DO EAT: Iron-rich foods. You lose double the amount of blood after a c section than vaginal birth. So it makes sense to load up on iron. Iron moves oxygen throughout your body via hemoglobin which is a huge part in healing. Think foods like; beef, cow’s liver, oysters, dark chocolate - yes chocolate, lentils, white beans. Beans can cause gas and constipation which are two of the biggest concerns post-Cesarean. So ease into these more slowly or wait until your scar is further along in healing.
DON’T CONSUME: Caffeine. We’ll expand on this a little more in the next section, but we wanted to make sure it got into this top section, in case that’s all you read! Caffeine is a big no-no for a healing body, as it leads to dehydration and can greatly impede the healing process. Stay hydrated! Drink water!
As you continue to recover:
Even beyond the first several weeks of initial healing, it’s still important to know what to eat after a C-Section. While you may not feel pain, your body is still working to recover from two major events: the pregnancy itself, and the Cesarean surgery. Both events place a great deal of stress on your body, and there are real injuries to heal from here. While our bodies are amazing and beautiful, and have the capability of healing on their own, it’s imperative that we give them the right tools to do so.
Good nutrition, including all of the big building blocks of health, should be practiced always. However, it’s even more crucial to understand what to eat after a C-Section. Giving your body healthy fats, fiber, and vitamins will shorten your healing time and have you feeling not just better, but great.
As a new mom, you’ve only just begun. You successfully made it through pregnancy, and through a Cesarean delivery. Now, you have at least a year ahead of taking care of a brand-new life form. Feeding your baby, waking up in the middle of the night, etcetera, will all be rewarding, but taxing. Feed yourself the good stuff! Because you absolutely, positively, deserve it.
DON’T CONSUME: Caffeine
Trust us, we know. Some moms love their coffee. While this is a hard pill to swallow, caffeine is one of the worst things you can give your body when it’s trying to heal.
Coffee, while we think of it as a diuretic, is actually a toxin. Every cell in your body attempts to expel the caffeine from your system, and in doing so, they expel water and fluids, leaving your cells dehydrated. Like plants, we need water to survive. If our cells are busy fighting toxins and losing water in the process, our healing process will go much, much more slowly.
INSTEAD: For an energizing feeling: go for citrus fruits like pineapples and oranges, antioxidant-filled cacao (which has a small amount of naturally absorbable caffeine in it!), and other nutrient-dense foods to fill you with real energy, without the crash.
DON’T CONSUME: Alcohol
Same idea as with caffeine: it’s dehydrating and toxic. Though we may be tempted to combat stress with a glass of wine (or more) in the evenings, alcohol will put stress on your system, dehydrate you, and slow down healing. Additionally, even the smallest amount of alcohol per week can stay in your bloodstream and cause issues breastfeeding. It’s best to avoid alcohol altogether for the first year.
DON’T CONSUME: Low-Anything Diets
The absolute worst thing you can do for your healing body is to go on a diet. Any kind of diet. The most popular ones that come to mind are: low fat diets, low carb diets, low sugar diets. Any and all of these diets are unhealthy and unnatural, and should be avoided at all costs. As a new mom, it’s easy to fall into the idea that you need to lose weight fast, or “bounce back.” Get that OUT of your head, mama! Society is trying to stifle your power. Don’t let them.
Low-fat diets: these literally suck energy from your brain and make your life much, much harder. Keeping your body from having the fat it needs can cause brain fog, fuzziness, poor concentration, memory issues. . . basically all of the things that sleep-deprived mamas feel anyway. Don’t make it worse! Eat fat!
Instead, eat good fats: If you don’t know, now you know. Oils are your best friend. Sunflower oils, flaxseed oils (also good for lactation!), avocado oils, sesame oils are all great sources of omega fatty acids. All of these are high in healthy fats that make your body WORK. Seriously. Your brain and body will thank you. Be sure to buy these in liquid form, usually in the refrigerated section at health food stores. Use these in a smoothie or have a spoonful a day, but make sure not to use them for frying, as all of the nutrients will be lost.
Now that you know what to eat after a C-Section, how does this compare to how you normally eat? Are you giving your body the nutrition it needs? Send us a message and tell us about your C-Section recovery journey, and what foods helped you heal the most!
