18/09/2026
5 Things I Wish Birthworkers Knew About Postpartum Food
1. Bio-individuality is a thing
While there are definitely basic fundamental principles for nourishing freshly postpartum bodies, we have to acknowledge the huuuuge variety of each individual person.
Ancestral foods, current climate and biosphere, gut microbiome, relationship to food and eating, cultural practices, accessability and so much more!
2. Properly preparing ingredients is a non-negotiable
Humans have known and practiced proper food preparation for millenia. With the break in cultural stories around food and cuisine for many people, so too have we lost some critical basic knowledge around how to prepare certain ingredients so they are actually bio-available and digestible. With tender postpartum physiology in mind, these practices need to be remembered and used.
3. JOY & oxytocin needs to be factored in
Getting to know our clients, asking the right questions pre-birth to hopefully have a baseline understanding of HOW they eat, WHY they eat and what foods, dishes and drinks bring them JOY, is a huge professional “hack”. Oxytocin is hugely intertwined with our digestive system and pivotal in the early postpartum time for healing.
4. There are simple kitchen skills that can elevate your food
Truly, it can be so easy to take your “good” food offerings to “wow this is so delicious” (also, “delicious” verdict = oxytocin)
Things you may not have considered, small adaptations and quirks and processes to make things more delicious. Because postpartum mamas deserve yumminess.
5. Over-reliance on lactation cookies is a sign of a dysfunctional dynamic
Okay so this is a BIG and very nuanced topic, but the key point here is that noticing patterns of over-reliance on snacky foods in the postpartum can be a powerful way to help support a newly born mother and the whole family.
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