Post-delivery care of the mother is very crucial. This Indian Diet Plan For Mothers After Cesarean Delivery will help you understand the diet pattern to be followed after a C section. What to eat, what to avoid and how to care for the mother. Your search ends here.
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When planning their delivery, most women aim to have a normal delivery but many a time, due to certain complications and/or conditions, a c-section becomes inevitable. Low lying placenta, breech position, chord around the neck, high blood pressure as well as growth issues in the baby are some of the reasons that lead to a c section. A cesarean section makes a woman really weak and vulnerable. It is a real challenge to get up and walk with the stitches on your lower abdomen. Post-delivery, the uterine lining, and blood are eliminated from the body and this process makes take anywhere between 10 – 40 days.
The birth of a baby changes a woman’s life entirely. She enters a new phase of life as well as has to enact a new role as a Mother. She goes through a lot of emotional changes and physical changes after a c-section. Hence proper rest, proper food and proper care is a must. Here is an Indian Diet Plan For Mothers After Cesarean Delivery that you can refer to and plan your postnatal care accordingly.
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Care after c-section
After any surgery, a person is supposed to take a lot of rest but after a c-section, a mother has to take care of her little one as well. A lot of precautions need to be taken post-delivery. Post-c-section, a woman needs to take great care while sitting as well as while getting up from the bed or chair. She should move around slowly. She must not climb stairs. The incision on her abdomen needs to be protected at all times since the wound takes time to heal. All women are advised to take rest for 40 days. Although the woman should not pick up any weights, she needs to hold her baby as often as required.
Body Massage after C section
Body Massages for 1 month after delivery is a common practice in India. Although a lot of women are confused when it comes to massages after c sections. In General massages post delivery help a great deal in recovering, healing the body, relieving pain in the lower body, and helps in revitalizing the entire body.
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Most doctors ask to delay body massages for the initial 2 weeks after cesarean delivery, But you can start after 3 days. Just make sure you hire an experienced and special masseuses. avoid the abdomen area massage. Let your surgery scar heal. Start with legs, feet, arms, hands, and head. Back massage can put pressure on the scar area if you lie down on your tummy. hence it should be avoided. If you are in too much pain, light strokes of massage while you are sitting, or lying on your sides will do. Once your scar heals as well as the doctor gives a green signal, you can go for light strokes of massage around your abdomen and scar area too. But make sure you take your doctor’s permission before doing so.
Nutrition after c-section
Before we see the Indian Diet Plan For Mothers After Cesarean Delivery, We first need to understand the nutrient requirement of women after c section. In the first few days after delivery, a very light diet should be taken. However, the mother would need to resume her regular diet with lots of nutritious foods since she needs to replenish the nutrients that she has lost during pregnancy and she also needs to feed her little one. In fact, it is said that if the mother feeds her baby immediately after having a meal, the baby gets a wholesome meal too!
A mother should eat every few hours during lactation. Small frequent meals are advised since her stomach might not be able to digest huge quantities easily. The digestive system and bowel movements take some time to start functioning to their full capacity. Eat foods that are easily digested. Usually, bowel movements get back to normal 3 days after delivery but if that doesn’t happen, one should consult a doctor. It is advisable to eat something every two hours as that’s the duration after which you need to feed the baby!
Here is the detailed video on the Indian Diet Plan For Mothers After Cesarean Delivery. After watching this video, you can also take a screenshot of the diet plan given below and print it for further use.
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Menu planning for a mother after c-section
Indian Diet Plan For Mothers After Cesarean Delivery is made after considering the following points. The menu for a mother after a c-section is planned after taking into consideration the needs of the mother and the child. The meals should consist of the following nutrients:
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Proteins
Eating a protein-rich diet is a great way of healing the tissues and it is very important for the healthy growth of your baby. Proteins also help in maintaining the muscles after the surgery. Eggs supply zinc and proteins to your body. Fish is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are very beneficial for your health.
Vitamins
Vitamins should be taken in sufficient quantity since they contain a lot of antioxidants that help in repairing tissues. It also helps in producing collagen in the body which helps to build new scar tissues, tendons, and skin.
Iron
The mother loses a lot of blood during and after childbirth and thus the iron reserve in the body needs to be replenished. Lack of iron can make you weak and lethargic. Eat foods that are rich in iron. Take care not to eat excessive quantities of iron since it can lead to constipation.
Calcium
Calcium helps in relaxing the muscles, promoting bone and teeth health, in blood coagulation and in preventing osteoporosis. Milk should be had sparingly since it is a very good source of calcium and facilitates the production of milk for the baby. Yogurt is another way to supply calcium to your body. Yogurt also contains zinc and the most advantageous thing about it is that it can be consumed with a variety of dishes.
Fiber
Fiber is required so that you do not suffer from constipation. Constipation can put undue pressure on the wounds. Fibrous fruits are not only very nutritious, but they also help to avoid constipation.
Water and fluids
Breastfeeding can make you exhausted and thirsty. The mother should take plenty of fluids in order to ease bowel movements and to produce a sufficient quantity of milk for the little one. You can drink low-fat milk since it is easier to digest. Take special care to avoid caffeine. caffeinated drinks include cold drinks, coffee, energy drinks, tea, carbonated drinks.
Foods that increase Milk production in mothers
Garlic (lehsun), Fenugreek leaves and seeds (Methi), fennel seeds (Saunf), Cumin seeds (Jeera), Sesame seeds ( Til), Almonds (Badaam), Bottlegourd (Lauki), Ridge Gourd (Tori), Spinach (Palak), Orange Lentils (Masoor dal), Oats and Daliya.
Foods to avoid after c-section
The activity level is low after delivery since you are advised to rest. Avoid all fatty foods and junk foods. These will only add on to the weight. Avoid eating spicy foods since they can cause gastric trouble. Your baby might also get the flavor in his milk.
- Citrus juices and carbonated drinks should be kept at bay since they can cause flatulence and gas.
- Caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee should be taken in moderation only since these are diuretics. These drinks are high in caffeine and can cause problems in your baby’s growth.
- It is better to stay away from alcohol as it can impair the mother’s ability to breastfeed and can cause developmental problems in the baby.
- Avoid gas-forming foods like Urad dals, chole, rajma, chawali, channa, Besan, Pickles, Green peas, Dry peas. Vegetables like Cauliflower, cabbage, Bhindi, broccoli, Onions are better avoided for the first 40 days. Later on, they can be introduced in the mother’s diet slowly.
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- Avoid any sort of fried food. They are very difficult to digest in the first 40 days as well as it can lead to gas and stomach ache and burns.
- Avoid ghee and rice for the first 3-4 days after C- section. After 4 days you can start eating rice once a day. Unlike the myth that says you should not eat rice as the scar will not heal. This is true in case if the mother is diabetic, as high blood sugar levels will interfere in the healing of scar, but for a non – diabetic average Indian women this does not hold true.
- Very cold food and drinks. This restriction is imposed on the mother just for precaution. If the mother catches a cold, treatment becomes hard if she is breastfeeding. The medications are excreted in breast milk and the baby’s health gets affected too.
Now that you know about what foods are allowed and which foods should be avoided, let us see the detailed Indian Diet Plan For Mothers After Cesarean Delivery.
Indian Diet Plan For Mothers After Cesarean Delivery
Here is a detailed Indian diet plan for mothers after cesarean delivery. This plan also contains foods that will help in increased milk production and hence improve lactation. you can start following this plan after 5 days of delivery.
| Food Item | Calorie (Kcal) | Protein (Gms ) | Nutrifact |
|---|---|---|---|
Early Morning : (7.00 Am) | |||
| Hot Milk (1 glass) | 150 | 4 | Milk is the best way to start your day, It will cool the acid rush down, and the nutrients in milk will be are absorbed better on an empty stomach |
| Soaked Almonds (10 -12 pieces) | 100 | 8 | It is a good source of protein and omega 3 acids |
| 1 Big gondh laddu | 100 | 2 | Helps in healing, weakness and in lactation ( Read – Benefits of gondh ) |
| 2 tsp carom seeds | – | – | This will help in digestion and lactation |
Breakfast (9.00 Am) | |||
| Ragi vermicelli upma with carrot and cashew | 150 | 4 | It provides essential nutrients to the baby through breast milk. calcium helps in healing and replenishing mother stores. cashew helps in lactation. |
| Curd 1 small Bowl | 75 | 4 | curd Provides calcium, protein, Vit A and D very beneficial during recovery from delivery . just make sure it is fresh and at room temperature. |
| OR | |||
| Egg Omelet(2 No.) | 160 | 10 | Eggs are easy to make and the best sources of proteins that helps in baby’s growth when you feed. |
| Toasted Brown Bread(2 slices) | 100 | 3 | – |
| OR | |||
| Vegetable oats upama (1 soup bowl) | 250 | 3 | Multi nutrients from veggies and good fiber to tackle constipation and get your bowel functions back to normal. |
11.00 Am | |||
| Apple Or Pomegranate (1 medium size) | 40 | – | These fruits help in maintaining hydration and Ph balance. |
12.00 pm | |||
| Coconut water / Ajwain water | 30 | – | Benefits in constipation, sluggish digestion, heartburn, and urinary tract infections. |
LUNCH(1.00 Pm) | |||
| Chapati / Phulka(2 no) | 200 | 6 | – |
| Red lentil / Masoor Dal with jeera | 150 | 6 | Red Lentils helps in increasing milk productions and overall lactation |
| Palak Paneer(1 small bowl) | 150 | 6 | Spinach is rich in folic acid and iron and helps in maintaining healthy lactation and increases milk secretions. |
| Stir-fried parval- 2 no. | 60 | Raw salads can be hard on digestion, stirred parval is helpful in changing the taste and providing fiber to the new mother. | |
| Ajwain water – 1 glass | – | – | helps in digestion |
2.30 pm | |||
| Ajwain water(1 glass) | 40 | 1 | Helps in hydration and heartburn |
4.30 pm | |||
| Milk (1 glass) | 50 | 2 | – |
| 1 Mix Ladoo (coconut, almond and poppy seed ) | 150 | 4 | It helps in lactation. provides calcium and other essential nutrients required for brain development of the baby. Poppy seeds help in keeping headaches at bay. especially if you have migraine problems. |
6.00 pm | |||
| Mix vegetable soup (bottle gourd, beetroot, carrot, Toru, 1/2 tomato) | 100 | 1 | Helps in providing Iron, required to cover up the blood loss. fluids help in increasing milk secretions. , |
| Dry fruit chikki (made in Gurr )(2 small pieces) | 50 | 2 | A good combination of iron as well as protein |
7.00 pm | |||
| Ajwain water | – | – | Helps in digestion |
DINNER (8.00 Pm) | |||
| 2 Phulka | 100 | 4 | – |
| Mung/masoor dal with methi leaves (1 bowl) | 100 | 4 | a good combination of protein and iron for the baby’s growth and mother’s recovery |
| Toru / parwal / bottle gourd sabji (add little milk/paneer while cooking) | 100 | 2 | These veggies are easy on digestion and help in lactation |
| Beetroot + carrot kheer(1 bowl) | 150 | 6 | Beetroot and carrots increase hemoglobin and are rich in Vitamin A. It helps in the growth of the baby. |
10.00 pm | |||
| Milk(1 glass) | 150 | 4 | Along with good nutrition, a glass of warm milk at bedtime helps in getting a good night’s sleep. and helps in lactation |
| 10 soaked almonds | 100 | 8 | helps in baby’s brain development and lactation |
| TOTAL | 2295 | 78 | |
The Above mentioned Indian Diet Plan For Mothers After Cesarean Delivery is a general diet plan for average sedentary Indian women. The mentioned food items have proven to be beneficial in most of the cases. if you are allergic to a particular food mentioned above, kindly consult your doctor before consuming foods mentioned here.
After your confinement period is over, you can refer to this diet plan for lactation – Diet for Lactating Mothers
NOTE –
Hing / Asafoetida – Adding Hing to food after post-pregnancy is especially important. This helps in better digestion and eases out the gas/flatulence issue that every mother faces after delivery.
Ajwain / Carrom seeds – These seeds help in digestion. It is tender towards the digestive system, especially if the mother is breastfeeding. it is believed that Ajwain’s aromatic oil is released in breast milk, and helps in regulating baby’s motions and digestion.
Jeera – Along with the above-mentioned spices, Jeera too has significance in a postoperative mum’s diet. Jeera helps in digestion as well as helps in milk production. Some Indian families also make special jeera ladoos for new moms.
These spices should be added to a postoperative mum’s diet whenever possible.
Losing weight after delivery
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Many women wish to get back in shape soon after the delivery but that is practically inadvisable. Just as it takes time to gain weight during pregnancy, similarly, it does need time to lose the accumulated fat. Also, you now have the responsibility of feeding a growing baby and you cannot stop eating yourself. Not only can it harm your body after the surgery but, the baby can also become malnourished.
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Do not fall into the trap of people who offer crash diets to get you back in shape. Strenuous exercises are avoided in the first few months since the wounds are still healing. Understand that your body is weak and needs all the nutrition and rest before exerting much. As a matter of fact, women who nurse their babies lose weight faster than those who bottle-feed their babies. So you can refer to our Indian Diet Plan For Mothers After Cesarean Delivery and have blissful motherhood.
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