Carrying a baby and giving birth is a momentous event in the life of an woman. The body needs to rest after such an ordeal to recuperate from the strain of it. Moreover as long as one breast feeds she needs to eat well. Eating well means you need lots of protein and iron in your diet. Breast feeding burns a lot of calories and if you are not eating well you may well rob your child off the necessary proteins, vitamins and minerals that it badly needs in this formative time. Moreover if the burnt calories of your body are not replaced, your body will surely suffer from the loss of energy and stamina necessary for keeping up with a growing child. If you neglect your diet after delivery, it will not only affect the child adversely. It will also affect your overall health and well-being and soon you may find yourself weak, fatigued and easily irritable. If you are not breast-feeding, even then, it is important to maintain good health and energy levels for you and yourchild whom you have to look after.
 

Hence it is of paramount importance that you plan your diet well after the delivery. The need of a balanced diet after delivery can hardly be overemphasized. A balanced diet means you include food in your diet containing all the major vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates. A breast-feeding mother should make it sure to eat a variety of cereals and milk products.
 

Everyday meal :  What to eat

Khichri, Pulao,  Paratha and Chapati are the items made from wheat and rice. They may be taken alternately as they will supply your need for carbohydrates. Black grapes, ripe mango, banana, cashew nuts and dates are important among fruits and nuts. The breast feeding mothers should eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, avoid caffeine and sugar. After the delivery it is wise to eat the food cooked with cumin (jeera) and pepper.
 

An well-planned diet can help the new mothers get better nutrition both for themselves and their babies as well. They should resist the wish to cut calories from their diet in an effort to get back in shape. Since the babies get nutrition from the food you eat, you should be very careful about the food you eat after delivery. A new mother’s diet would ideally include high diet proteins like meat, fish and eggs, at least four to five fruits and vegetables, milk, cheese and yoghurts and at least eight to nine glasses of water per day. In addition to this the new mothers are advised to take snacks often. You may have apples, oranges, bananas or a bowl of mixed fruits at the time of breakfast. You should include soybean and banana in your diet and avoid fatty foods.
 

Foods to be avoided

Those who suffer from constipation, gas or bloating must avoid peas and other `heavy to digest' cereals. They must take green gram as it is easy to digest and gives protein.
 

Butter, clarified butter, milk, honey, fennel seeds and sweets made from jaggery rather than white sugar are prescribed to be taken in small quantity.
 

A nursing mother should not overindulge in fried snacks and fizzy drinks. She should also avoid overly spicy foods. One should avoid chillies altogether.
 

After the delivery, one should eat warm foods and avoid the ones that are considered cool. The foods that are cool for the body such as cucumbers, cabbages, and pineapples are said to cause rheumatism and arthritis in a mother's body.
 

One should avoid items such as sandwich, bakery bread, bun, dhokla, pizza, halwa, pancake, khaman, steamed rice cake, curd, tomato and tamarind. These food items usually cause acidity or bloating. So, one should normally try to avoid such items. Nevertheless, if such problems do not exist they can be taken in small quantity. One should not eat left over, frozen & deep-frozen food. The breast feeding mothers should avoid cold drinks, mutton, cocoa and other such products that contain caffeine. They are not good for the health of the child. A new mother also should refrain from smoking tobacco and taking betel nut, pan-masala or alcohol. Tea, coffee and ice-creams can be taken in small quantity.
 

If  the nursing mother takes a healthy & balanced diet her child will become healthy.
 

There was a genuine reason why our mothers and grandmothers suggested that one should take certain food after delivery. When a new mother breastfeeds her baby she needs to avoid foods that are likely to cause gas. It can be passed on to the baby and adversely affect it.  
 

A nursing mother should avoid aerated drinks and canned juices and all types of canned food, if possible. The canned foods contain sodium and preservatives which is neither good for the mother, nor for the new-born baby. A new mother should stay away from "windy" foods such as onions and jackfruit as they may cause colic in your baby.
 

Foods traditionally advised by the elders

Ghee gives strength; it is high in calcium content and it goes well with a lot of indian food preparations. That is why our elders stressed on the importance of taking ghee after delivery. Nevertheless, one should take it in moderation and should not overdo it.  A breast feeding mother should try to eat several small meals a day instead of eating to the full. She should eat gourds such as lauki and tori to increase the supply of milk. A breast feeding mother should eat paan (betel leaves) after every meal. This would help in increasing the digestion.
 

Many times new mothers wonder how much or how often they should be eating after giving birth. After the delivery it is very normal for you to feel hungry often. It means that the body needs food as often as required.
 

After the delivery, the mother’s diet should be such that it increases her strength and immunity.
 

Also, after delivery the new mother must focus on supplemental nutrients while maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet. Iron and calcium supplementation maybe taken if required. They must get a list of healthy Indian foods and meal planning tips from doctor to eat well after delivery.