Postpartum Meal Plan for the First 14 Days
Here I will share a postpartum meal plan to follow for the first 14 days. These meals are nutrient-dense, warm and easily digestible.
Your body is healing, whether you had a vaginal birth or a caesarean section.
Postpartum is medically the first 6 weeks after birth, but it can take up to one year for a new mother to recover physically, mentally and emotionally.
In Eastern cultures, the first 40 days after birth is a time where the new mother is pampered, given time to rest properly and nourished with healing foods.
In stark contrast, paid paternity leave is brief or does not even exist and many new mothers live in isolation or away from family and friends.
Our independent society does not esteem postpartum as some eastern cultures do, and while I think there is a shift on the rise, we still have a long way to go.
What I Will Cover In This Post
- Why food is important for postpartum
- The best foods you can eat for postpartum
- Postpartum meal guide for the first 14 days
Why Food Is Important For Postpartum
Deeply nourishing food is one of the most important parts of postpartum
recovery. Nutrient-dense foods not only promote healing after birth, they can
also provide energy after long nights, support the production of breast milk, and
help rebalance hormones.
Many cultures around the world prioritise foods for the postpartum mother that are:
- Warm
- Soft
- Easily digestible
You should definitely focus on eating slow to aid digestion, eat lots of bone broths and soups during this time and reduce or restrict any cold foods, which is believed to slow down circulation.
Here are the important nutrients to consider and how they aid your postpartum body:
Carbohydrates: provide energy and help build breastmilk supply.
Protein: Helps rebuild and repair tissue and muscle.
Fat: Helps to stabilise blood sugar, balance hormones and nourish breastmilk.
The Best Foods You Can Eat For Postpartum
I have a post all about the best foods for postpartum that you can read for more details, but here are some postpartum foods that are wonderful to eat during the first 40 days after birth:
- Eggs
- Beef liver
- Fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel)
- Sauerkraut
- Plain yoghurt
- Cottage cheese
- Whole milk
- Chia seeds
- Cacao
- Red meat
- White meat
- Lentils (sprouted preferably)
There are plenty more than this, but here is a good place to start.
Postpartum Meal Guide for the First 14 Days
I don’t usually like to follow rigid meal plans, as I feel like I fail at following them to the end. But I appreciate these kinds of plans in seasons where I can’t cook much. Postpartum is definitely a great time to follow a meal plan.
If you have family or friends offering to provide you with meals, send them this guide as inspiration. Or prepare some of these dishes before you give birth and freeze them so all you have to do is defrost them and they are ready to go.
You can also get the meal plan sent straight to your inbox. Sign up below to receive it.
This meal plan focuses on warm, nutrient-dense foods and beverages. You will not find anything cold or hard to digest in this plan.
I also want to make it simple for mothers, so many of these meals are simple but nutrient-dense and they repeat for two days, so you or whoever is cooking for you can make enough to last two or more days.
Follow this guide to the tee or as loosely as you want.
Day One
Breakfast: soft oatmeal cooked with milk of choice, handful of chia seeds, cinnamon, chopped medjool dates and stewed apples.
Lunch: Vegetable omelette
Dinner: Chicken noodle soup with bone broth
Warm beverage: Chocolate mineral milk
Day Two
Breakfast: Leftover soft oatmeal
Lunch: Lentil dahl
Dinner: Left over chicken noodle soup
Warm beverage: Warm lemon water
Day Three
Breakfast: Warm quinoa porridge with pears, cinnamon, flaxseed and maple syrup
Lunch: Leftover lentil dahl
Dinner: Hearty beef and vegetable stew
Warm beverage: Chocolate mineral milk
Day Four
Breakfast: Leftover quinoa porridge
Lunch: Scrambled eggs with sauteed spinach on sourdough bread
Dinner: Leftover beef and vegetable stew
Warm beverage: Rooibos tea
Day Five
Breakfast: Overnight oats gently warmed, topped with nut butter and banana
Lunch: Vegetable omelette (recipe in day one)
Dinner: Chicken congee
Warm beverage: Fennel tea
Day Six
Breakfast: Leftover oats
Lunch: Beef bone broth with noodles, shredded greens and ginger
Dinner: Leftover chicken congee
Warm beverage: Chamomile tea
Day Seven
Breakfast: Soft boiled eggs, sauteed mushrooms and sourdough toast
Lunch: Leftover beef bone broth
Dinner: Chickpea and chicken stew
Warm beverage: Warm lemon water
Day Eight
Breakfast: Warm apple cinnamon baked oatmeal
Lunch: Potato and leek soup
Dinner: Leftover chickpea and chicken stew
Warm beverage: Chocolate mineral milk (recipe from day one)
Day Nine
Breakfast: Leftover apple cinnamon baked oatmeal
Lunch: Leftover potato and leek soup
Dinner: Slow cooked lamb shanks with pumpkin mash
Warm beverage: Ginger and lemon tea
Day Ten
Breakfast: Vegetable omelette (recipe from day one)
Lunch: Postpartum soup: Chicken bone broth, ginger, garlic, turmeric, greens and rice
Dinner: Leftover lamb shanks
Warm beverage: Rooibos tea
Day Eleven
Breakfast: Warm quinoa porridge with pears, cinnamon, flaxseed and maple syrup
Lunch: Lentil dahl (recipe from day two)
Dinner: Leftover postpartum soup
Warm beverage: Fennel tea
Day Twelve
Breakfast: Overnight oats gently warmed, topped with nut butter and banana
Lunch: Leftover dahl
Dinner: Beef and vegetable stew (recipe from day three)
Warm beverage: Lemon balm tea
Day Thirteen:
Breakfast: Poached eggs on sourdough toast with sliced avocado
Lunch: Minestrone soup
Dinner: Leftover beef and vegetable stew
Warm beverage: Turmeric latte
Day Fourteen
Breakfast: soft oatmeal cooked with milk of choice, handful of chia seeds, cinnamon, chopped medjool dates and stewed apples.
Lunch: Leftover minestrone soup
Dinner: Slow cooked chicken curry
Warm beverage: Turmeric latte (recipe from day thirteen)
Staples to keep on hand:
- Oats, rice, quinoa
- Chicken, beef, lamb, salmon, eggs
- Lentils, chickpeas, beans
- Sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, zucchini
- Apple, pear, banana, dates, berries
- Yoghurt, milk, cheese (but not served cold)
- Nuts, seeds, nut butters
- Ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, onion, garlic
- Herbal teas like rooibos, chamomile, lemon and ginger, fennel.
