It’s important to fuel your body during the postpartum period — especially if you’re breastfeeding. A nutritious diet can help you keep your energy up, maintain your milk supply, and even lose weight, if that’s your goal.
It’s no secret that the food we eat fuels our daily activities — an especially important point when those daily activities include caring for a newborn and breastfeeding.
But for some new mamas, the desire to lose weight after pregnancy may take precedence over nourishing their body with the right foods to support recovery, milk production, rest, and all the other tasks required to get through the day.
Significantly reducing overall carbohydrate intake (a go-to weight loss strategy for many people) is not your best bet during the postpartum period. Carbohydrates are necessary for breast milk production, hormone regulation, and other processes.
But it is possible to slowly lose a few pounds (if that’s your goal) while still eating enough calories to keep up with the physical and mental demands of caring for your little one. The key is to be patient, eat well-rounded meals, and give yourself time.
The following guidelines can help you meet your nutritional needs during the postpartum period.
Choose a wide variety of foods from all food groups
During the postpartum period, focus on filling up on healthy sources of:
- protein
- fruit
- vegetables
- fiber-rich carbs
- healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, and seeds
Keep in mind that calorie needs and appropriate macronutrient ranges will vary depending on your activity levels, body size, and other factors.
Plus, if you have a health condition like diabetes, you may need to follow a different dietary pattern to manage your blood sugar levels. Each person’s nutritional needs are different and depend on many factors.
For more information on how to create a healthy plate, you can visit the USDA ChooseMyPlate website, where you’ll find topics related to nutritional needs, healthy weight loss, breastfeeding tips, and more. You can also get a customized eating plan.
Stay hydrated all day long
Dara Godfrey, MS, RD, registered dietitian for Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York, says hydration is critical, especially if you’re breastfeeding. She recommends drinking up to 3 liters of water daily.
But hydration needs can vary, so it’s best to let thirst be your guide. A good way to gauge hydration is to look at the color of your urine. Pale yellow urine indicates proper hydration, while dark urine indicates that you may be dehydrated and need to increase your water intake.
Keep an eye on your calories
Fueling your body with the right amount of calories will help keep your energy and milk supply up.
According to the
However, individual calorie needs are highly variable and depend on your body size, age, and activity level, as well as how much you’re breastfeeding.
Remember that weight loss is ideally slow and gradual
If you’re trying to lose weight while breastfeeding, a slow weight loss of 1 pound per week or 4 pounds per month is ideal, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Continue prenatal vitamins
If you’re breastfeeding, you should continue taking a prenatal vitamin or a vitamin that’s made specifically for the postnatal period. If you’re not breastfeeding but would like the additional nutrients, talk with your doctor for recommendations.
Curb your caffeine intake
While the small amount of caffeine that passes from you to your baby through breast milk is not known to have any negative effects, the
Minimize added sugar and highly processed foods
Aim to minimize highly processed packaged foods and other items that are high in added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat, including fried foods, soft drinks, and desserts.
Avoid fish high in mercury
If you’re breastfeeding, avoid high mercury seafood and fish such as orange roughy, bigeye tuna, king mackerel, marlin, shark, swordfish, and tilefish.
Instead, opt for salmon, shrimp, cod, tilapia, trout, and halibut, among other types. Some varieties of tuna, such as albacore, yellowfin, and canned light tuna (including skipjack), are also good options, since they have
Limit alcohol while breastfeeding
Many people decide to avoid alcohol while breastfeeding. But if you choose to drink, do so in moderation. Also, try to drink only after breastfeeding or wait
People who are exclusively breastfeeding need 400 to 500 more calories per day than those who are not breastfeeding, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Anecdotally, some people find that breastfeeding helps them lose weight more quickly than those who don’t breastfeed. But, according to a 2024 research review, results on this topic have been inconsistent.
While some studies suggest that breastfeeding alone may lead to weight loss, exercise and dietary changes are often still necessary. So, if you’re hoping to lose weight and you’ve found that it’s not happening right away, don’t worry.
If your milk supply is consistent and you want to lose weight, a healthcare professional might recommend reducing your calorie intake by about 500 calories per day. Doing so might help you lose about 1 pound per week without affecting your baby’s growth. But you should still consume at least 1,800 calories per day.
To keep your milk supply up and nourish your body, it’s critical to focus on consuming whole food sources of the following nutrients:
- healthy fats
- proteins
- carbohydrates
For example, eggs and fatty fish are excellent sources of protein and healthy fats. Vegetables, whole grains, and fruits are fiber-rich carb sources. Nuts, seeds, avocados, and full-fat yogurt are other examples of healthy fat sources.
These whole foods are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help promote overall health.
Breast milk generally consists of about 87% water, 7% carbohydrates, 3.8% fat, and 1% protein. Amazingly, even if your daily nutrient intake doesn’t meet recommended amounts, your milk will still provide enough nutrition for your baby.
But that doesn’t mean you should cut back on necessary carbohydrates, protein, or fat. Doing so will just leave you more depleted and run-down as your body uses everything it can to make milk for your baby.
General nutrition recommendations suggest that complex carbohydrates should make up
If you have high blood sugar, you may need to eat fewer carbs to better regulate your blood sugar. And if you’re highly active, you may need to eat more carbs. It’s important to work with your healthcare team to come up with a personalized plan that meets your nutrient needs while optimizing your overall health.
There are many ways to help your hormones recalibrate after giving birth, says Godfrey, but it does take time, and you should not expect it to happen overnight.
“There is usually an estrogen dominance in comparison to progesterone, and since it takes almost a year to have a baby, it should take time for your body to find its new normal,” she explains.
Estrogen dominance may play a role in whether you lose weight during the postpartum period, because excess estrogen can lead to weight gain. So can high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), which your body produces in excess when you’re not getting enough sleep.
Godfrey says that everyone’s postpartum hormone timeline will vary, and that’s OK. She points out that hormones can be influenced by many factors, including diet, sleep patterns (or lack of sleep!), and overall stress.
“Food can affect the production and secretion of hormones — the hormone insulin is secreted with detection of carbohydrate consumption, so choosing portion sizes that are right for our body can help ensure a healthy secretion of insulin and help us prevent unnecessary weight gain,” she says.
She also explains that hormones — including the “hunger” hormone ghrelin and the “I’m satisfied” hormone leptin — can influence our hunger and food choices.
Because of this, Godfrey recommends the following:
- Combine protein with moderate carbohydrate consumption to help prevent your blood sugar from elevating too quickly, thus preventing your pancreas from being overwhelmed to produce insulin.
- Choose fewer highly processed, packaged foods, and focus on whole foods that are rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats.
- Continue your prenatal vitamin routine for up to a year to help support hormone and vitamin/mineral balance.
- Try to carve out time for some physical activity. Walking, yoga, Pilates, and swimming can all be great choices.
Meal planning often takes a back seat when you’re caring for a newborn. But we’ve got plenty of ideas for you! Here’s a 3-day menu from registered dietitian Ashley Shaw that will keep you fueled and nourished all day.
Godfrey suggests a postpartum diet similar to what she encourages pregnant people to eat, especially when breastfeeding. This includes the following guidelines:
- Eat predominantly whole foods — lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, good quality proteins (eggs, chicken, fish, seafood, nuts/seeds, organic tofu, full-fat dairy).
- Consume whole sources of carbohydrates like fruit, whole grains, and starchy vegetables.
- Pair carb sources with filling, protein-rich foods like eggs, chicken, beans, nuts, and seeds.
- Include healthy fats (such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds) to help with satiety, but limit portion sizes to promote health and prevent added weight gain.
She also suggests the following guidelines when planning meals:
- Include healthy protein sources at each meal.
- Include vegetables in at least two meals each day.
- Start your day with fiber and protein for the perfect combo of energy and sustenance (fiber can also help with post-labor constipation).
- Eat foods rich in nutrients such as vitamin C, zinc, and selenium to help keep your immune system strong.
A healthy postpartum diet is a key factor in recovering from pregnancy and childbirth — and in losing weight, if that’s your goal.
But before you make any significant tweaks to your current diet, take some time to just enjoy the gift of being a new mom. Allow room for recovery. Be kind to yourself. Move your body when it feels right, and rest when you need to.
Weight loss should not be your main priority during those first few weeks at home with your newborn. You’ll know when the time is right. If you’re ready to begin a postpartum weight loss journey, remember that significantly reducing the amount of carbohydrates in your diet may do more harm than good.
Take it slow and eat for hormone regulation and sustained energy. Any excess weight will come off eventually, and you’ll feel much better in the meantime.