The Nutrients You Actually Need After Birth

August 11, 2026

The Nutrients You Actually Need After Birth (and How Much)

This is the deeper half of our postpartum guide, for anyone who wants to understand not just what to eat, but why. If you're ready to sit with the details, let's go slowly through them together.

No single food will hold everything for you, and that's alright. But six things matter more than most of us are ever told, and they deserve real attention.

Iron

Birth asks a great deal of the body, including, often, a significant loss of blood. Because of this, iron deficiency after birth is extremely common, and often goes unnoticed. The WHO recognizes postpartum women as one of the groups most vulnerable to anemia, alongside young children and menstruating adolescents.¹ It can show up as exhaustion, brain fog, pale skin, and a heaviness of mood that's easy to mistake for simply being a new parent. Sometimes it is that. Sometimes it's your iron asking to be replenished.

Good sources include slow-cooked meats, lentils, beans, and dark leafy greens; pairing plant-based (non-haem) iron with vitamin C helps your body take it in more fully. If you lost significant blood, or something simply feels off, food can support your recovery, but it isn't a replacement for medical care. Please ask your midwife or doctor about blood tests or supplementation. This one is worth not skipping.

Protein

Protein is what your body reaches for to rebuild itself: every cell that needs repair depends on it. Breastfeeding mothers need roughly 25g more protein per day than their pre-pregnancy baseline (the RDA for lactating women is 71g/day total, compared with 46g for those who aren't pregnant or nursing).² Some newer research, using more precise methods, suggests your true need may be even higher than that.

This doesn't need to be complicated. Eggs at breakfast. Lentils folded into a soup. Chicken alongside your grains at dinner. Let protein find its way into each meal, steadily, rather than saving it all for one.

Carbohydrates

Let carbohydrates be welcome here. This is not a season for restriction, and certainly not for cutting carbohydrates in pursuit of quick weight loss. Breastfeeding raises your energy needs, and carbohydrates- oats, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, whole grains, beans, and lentils- are a primary source of the fuel your body is using to heal and, if you're nursing, to make milk. A warm bowl of porridge is not something to feel guilty about. It is doing important, quiet work.

Omega-3 fatty acids

DHA, a long-chain omega-3, supports your postpartum brain and, if you're breastfeeding, your baby's developing one as well. Research has found an association between lower DHA and omega-3 levels and an increased risk of postpartum depression symptoms; this is an observed link, not proof that low DHA causes depression, and supplementation studies aimed at treating it have shown mixed results.³ What we do know with more confidence is that DHA is heavily drawn toward your baby throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding, and your own levels can stay depleted for months. It's worth knowing, and worth being kind to yourself about.

Folate

Folate needs remain elevated after birth, particularly while breastfeeding. In the broader population, low folate has a real, well-documented connection to fatigue and depression. When it comes specifically to postpartum depression, though, the evidence is thinner and more mixed than that wider research would suggest, so we won't overstate it here.⁴ What we can say with more certainty is that a meaningful share of Dutch women of childbearing age, somewhere between a quarter and half, depending on the survey, aren't taking in enough folate to begin with.⁵

Calcium

Here is something tender worth understanding: breastfeeding temporarily lowers your bone density, by about 3%, as your body draws calcium into your milk through a hormone called PTHrP, largely independent of how much calcium you're eating.⁶ This is normal, and it resolves within 6 to 12 months of weaning. You cannot fully prevent it through diet alone; it's a hormonal process, not a dietary shortfall. Calcium still matters for your broader recovery and long-term bone health. For reference, the Dutch Health Council recommends 950 to 1,000mg of calcium a day while breastfeeding, depending on your age, notably no higher than the standard adult recommendation.⁷

Hydration

Breastfeeding raises your fluid needs by roughly an extra liter a day, on top of a typical baseline of 1.5 to 2L, bringing most breastfeeding mothers to somewhere around 2.5 to 3L total each day.⁸ This doesn't need to come only from a glass of water. Herbal tea counts. A broth-based soup counts. One quick note: more isn't always better here. Extra fluid beyond what your body needs won't increase your milk supply, so let thirst be your guide.

Fiber, and yes, constipation

This isn't the easiest thing to speak about, but it deserves honesty: bowel movements can be genuinely uncomfortable in the early weeks, especially if you're healing from a tear, stitches, or hemorrhoids. Medical guidance, including advice from the NHS, returns again and again to the same two things: fluids and fiber. Some clinical sources offer a specific target, roughly 25 to 30g of fiber and 10 to 12 cups of fluid a day, more if you're breastfeeding,⁹ though in practice, it simply means letting fruit, vegetables, and whole grains show up consistently, alongside enough to drink. A bowl of soup or a lentil stew can quietly hold both at once. If it hasn't eased within a week or two, or becomes painful, please reach out to your midwife or doctor. It isn't something to push through alone.

If you had a cesarean, this matters even more, as pain medication after surgery can make constipation harder, on top of everything else your body is already healing from.

Common questions, answered honestly

How many extra calories do I need while breastfeeding? Roughly 330 to 400 extra calories a day for most breastfeeding mothers, according to CDC and USDA dietary guidance, more if you're exclusively breastfeeding multiples or are very active.¹⁰

Do I need to take supplements too? Let food be the foundation, and still ask your midwife or doctor about your individual iron, vitamin D, and DHA status. Deficiencies are common, and easy to miss without testing.

How long do these needs stay elevated? Iron, protein, DHA, and folate needs generally remain elevated for as long as you're breastfeeding. Digestion and fiber needs typically settle sooner, often within the first few weeks.

With Care,

Your Audrey

Sources

This article is for general informational purposes and isn't a substitute for personalized medical advice. Talk to your midwife, doctor, or a registered dietitian about your individual needs.