Stress doesn’t just refer to emotional upset or feeling anxious or depressed, there are other stress elements.
A prime example is a new mum…
A woman has just given birth and is the happiest she’s ever been – so would you think of her as being stressed?
Well yes she is – her body has just been through trauma (birth), she is sleep deprived, with less sleep, less toxins are being released and this causes inflammation = stress.
The new mother is lacking nutrition due to lactation and the quality nutrients are all going to the baby.
A new mother can easily be nutrient deficient, and this causes stress on hormones as they will not work efficiently without the micronutrients.
There is no doubt a new mother is happy for her new bundle of joy, but at the same time her body is fully stressed, from lack of sleep, and lack of micronutrients.
What we can do for new mums…
Give her some fully nutritious meals and snacks.
It’s lovely to give something homemade, and made with love.
Just refrain from high sugary treats, a new mother would benefit more with snacks or meals with good fats in them to help keep her cognitive powers alive, as her brain is being challenged at the moment, and good protein to help heal.
Giving a plate full of choc chip biscuits or chocolate slice may seem like a great snack for when they are breastfeeding, however this is not helping fuel their brain.
Eating food with lots of sugar in it through the night while breastfeeding will not help for quality of sleep.
The mum may fall back to sleep quickly after feeding, but the quality that they have will not be as good with sugar in the system.
People may think this is a good energy fuel for those tired mums, but it will only enhance that emotional roller coaster.
Snacks with good fats, protein will help with repair after birth and lactating, plus it’s great for the baby as well.
All of this will help with subsiding the stress in the new mother, sugar would only add inflammation to the body, adding more stress.
It’s hard for a new mother, because people only look at her as being a happy new mum, whilst on the inside her body is one big stress ball, hormones going crazy and her mind going to mush…
My take home here is to help with the one thing we can, we cannot help them with sleep or lactation, but we can help with nourishing.
Here’s some ideas of what to bake –
Nut balls (walnuts are fantastic for the brain)
Other protein ball options (search protein balls)
*when you make any sort of nut balls add some of these:
chia seeds (omega-3, brain food)
nuts (protein and omega 3,6)
hemp seeds (omega 3,9)
coconut oil (omega 3, 9)
dates or raw honey for natural sweetness.
All of these are able to be eaten one handed (as new mothers need).
