Written by Bel White - Qualified Holistic Health & Nutrition Coach.
The idea of nourishment, wellness and healthy eating, has become a little confusing these days. I find this is especially true for pregnant mothers.
This, I think is due to the amount of opinions, some misleading health guidelines and nutrition outlines: Plant based, carnivore, keto the list goes on.
As a mother who also works with mothers I find nutrition and health first needs to be realistic, simple and of course nutrient dense. Which is why I am a big advocate for real whole foods first of all.
When mothers come to me most of the time they are feeling depleted, out of balance, lacking energy and confused on what they SHOULD be eating.
My favourite food to recommend to mumma’s for their overall health is liver. It is the most nutrient dense food on earth. I like to say it is mother nature's multi-vitamin containing the richest sources of all the essential nutrients.
B-vitamins such as B12 and folate, rich in iron, copper, magnesium, selenium, zinc, and of course the important fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin A, D, E and K. As you can see it so abundant in nutrients which are needed for mothers energy levels, nutrient deficiencies, immunity (so important due to the lack of sleep) and the problem that I see most of all, iron deficiency or anaemia.
The great thing about consuming liver instead of an iron supplements is that liver contains heme-iron in whole food form this means it is up-taken and absorbed more effectively. This is due to the other minerals such as copper that is consumed alongside the iron to make it bioavailable. This also means none of the side effects on your digestive system that synthetic iron supplements can cause.
Some other great whole foods I love to include to help nourish a mother are seafoods like oysters and wildly caught fish like salmon and sardines. They are jam packed Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. If you find it hard to get those in regularly I think it's essential to invest into a good quality Cod Liver Oil Supplement. Cod Liver oil is high in Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin D and A. Helps to lower inflammation and contains the vital nutrient for immune system function and cellular growth.
The human brain is made up of almost 60% fat, specifically the fatty acid DHA.
Studies show pregnant women fail to meet the daily requirements for DHA and that the vast majority of women enter pregnancy with insufficient stores. The baby’s brain grows rapidly in the third trimester of pregnancy, which heavily taxes a mother’s stores and further puts her at risk of depletion in the postpartum period.
This brings me to nourishing mothers postpartum, an area I am so passionate about, as it is often overlooked and underestimated. Conceiving, growing, birthing, breastfeeding and motherhood can be extremely taxing on a mother. The placenta passes on the nutrients to the growing baby during the pregnancy, taking some of the mothers own stores of key nutrients like iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B9, iodine, calcium, selenium and omega 3 DHA. How can we nourish ourselves nutritionally, physically and emotionally postpartum? Well the very first step is planning for your postpartum time during pregnancy. Some of my top suggestion would be;
- Deep rest and Bed rest in the early days and weeks
- Nourishing meals and snacks. Think slow cooked warming and nutrient dense.
- Incorporate Être Liver capsules. This will support repletion micronutrients and macronutrients
- Prepare your postpartum support team (Doula, Family & friends)
- Learning to ask for help and also keeping health boundaries
- Lean into the spiritual side of motherhood and work on your inner child
It is important to be aware that postpartum is forever and if you do not nourish yourself you can’t nourish your family, which leads me to my favourite personal quote;
“I believe if the mother is thriving, so too is the family.” - Bel White
