After having a baby, how many of you have been told, Wow, you really bounced back. You look great. Maybe have you said that to a friend of yours who's recently had a baby, or maybe even you say that to your patients? The bounce back culture is a message to moms, not really to rest and recover. It's to snap back into their bodies and behaviors that they had before they got pregnant. Our society is really trying to push our moms to pretend like pregnancy didn't affect their bodies at all, which really is an unattainable reality for many. As clinicians, we need to support and encourage our patients mental and physical health during one of the most vulnerable, sleep deprived, emotionally turbulent periods in that patient's life So if you work in primary care or in obstetrics, and your patient is eager to lose their baby weight, today you're going to learn five postpartum tips and how you can shift your patient's mindset about their postpartum body. Welcome back to the exam room nutrition I'm your host, Colleen Sloan. I'm a [00:01:00] registered dietitian and pediatric PA where each week I'm giving you answers to common nutrition questions to help you become a more compassionate, confident clinician. The pressure for moms to bounce back after having her baby can be extremely detrimental, not only to their mental health, but also to their physical health.
As clinicians, we really need to start to pay more attention to their health rather than how their body looks. And nutrition is a key factor in postpartum health. . I'm so excited for this conversation today because joining me is Taylor Leon.
She's a registered dietitian that works in a level four NICU and in private practice, working one on one with postpartum women. She's a wife and a mom and she loves spending time outdoors with her daughter and two German shepherds.
Taylor I'm so excited for you to be here. I can't wait to jump into this conversation. Welcome to the show.
Thank you. Yes, I'msuper excited about it.
You have so much to share to clinicians because most of the time, most clinicians have almost zero nutrition training and the [00:02:00] postpartum time period during a woman's life is so unique and I think is so missed in healthcare that these women are just left to kind of social media and figuring out on their own.
And I, I'm really interested to just jump into this bounce back myth. So help us understand kind of what this myth is. And then Why are patients feeling This pressure There's so much pressure on moms after having a baby to bounce back to right where you were, whether it's fitting in your old clothes, getting back down to your weight, or, even just like going to the gym on a regular basis. Moms don't have time to do that, especially if you're working.
And then, there's just so much pressure on social media. , and that's kind of why I am working On a social media platform to help encourage and provide support to women who need it, and who are very overwhelmed by all the information that's out there, because, registered dietitians are the experts in nutrition. [00:03:00] So we are the ones that should be helping those moms Feel supported and, in a roundabout way bounce back, but like in our own terms, like on their own time, and not, six weeks later, running a marathon kind of thing,
Now, I love that you said that because it should be on their terms, right? Some moms are really eager to get back if they were marathon runners before the baby and they want to jump right back into it. Great. But you know, we all have such a different journey and a different path and really a different pregnancy for everybody.
it's so unique for everyone. I mean, the physical changes that. Women's bodies go through is so incredible and so unique. And I really think social media and really the, celebrities have made this bounce back culture so unrealistic. And I'm a mom too. We're like, my body is not the same after having a child at all.
Not only like your stomach changes, your arms change, your feet are bigger, like so many things change.
How can clinicians or maybe even what can clinicians [00:04:00] say to help moms not even feel that pressure to bounce back?
How can we encourage them in their new bodies?
So I think one of the most important things is for clinicians to tell their patients to listen to their bodies. if you're feeling tired, you need to rest. resting is honestly going to be more important than getting to sleep. That workout in or, maybe doing like some kind of modified workout at home instead, just kind of listening to whatever your body needs that day.
and then the same thing goes for food, so, restricting calories and dieting can really. slow down the healing process after having a baby. , your body needs calories and needs nutrition in order to heal.
You know, you don't have to, to stick to some kind of strict meal plan. You don't have to eat, nothing but salads. you, you need to eat warm, comforting foods that are nourishing, not only for your body physically, but also for your mind. like mindset just plays a huge factor [00:05:00] in recovery.
I love that. And I like that you keep going back to that, on your own time when you're ready and the importance of nutrition on whole body health, right? We. Focus so much on weight and body composition But it's so much more than that with regards to healing, thinking about what our bodies just did and what they went through, we can't expect it to just snap right back in a couple of days.
that's not realistic. So are there specific nutrient needs for a postpartum woman that we should be focusing on,
Yeah, so some really important nutrients, are going to be vitamin D. iron, your fat soluble vitamins, which also includes vitamin D, because those vitamins and minerals really help repair tissue. so after having a baby, it takes your body a full 18 months to completely recover, and get back to like normal, nutrient stores.
So, [00:06:00] people who, are like, oh, six weeks after having a baby, you can stop taking your prenatal vitamin. and all these, these myths that people
keep, bringing up, like just drinking nothing but protein shakes and eating salads and those sort of things.
Those are not going to help us heal. Those aren't going to help replenish those nutrient stores that our body needs. So eating whole foods, eating foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals will help us heal. the healing process.
Yeah. And I think that's a really good point. Now should postpartum women just basically be following like a general healthy diet, like the typical guidelines for Americans? Or are there specific, calories and protein needs for these mamas that we should be aware of?
Overall, it's just a pretty standard healthy diet. and I use that term healthy diet kind of loosely because I think a healthy diet includes everything. It's not just, protein and veggies and whole grains. It includes sweets. It includes liquid calories and all those kind of things as well. because [00:07:00] sometimes you're, you're so busy running around and you might have time to grab a handful of crackers like in between changing diapers or something like that, and you don't always have time to like sit down and eat a full meal.
So having those kind of foods on hand can really be helpful too, just to like get you to your next meal because especially those first like early weeks, you're just in survival mode. so, Trying to follow a particular diet is not really conducive to being a mom in general, especially like if you're a new mom or if you have, a couple of kids and they're really young, like, it's just not realistic.
so I don't. really give my clients any kind of specific meal plans. I tell them to focus on nutrient rich foods, such as a variety of proteins, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and still enjoying the foods that they want to eat. so whether that's like having a piece of chocolate or a little bit of ice cream or something, still including all of that stuff in there.
after you have a baby, [00:08:00] you do have higher calorie needs, especially if you are breastfeeding. but everybody's needs are going to be different. I love that you said that like motherhood is survival mode because it really is and you're right whether it's like your first new baby because that's a whole nother kind of animal than whether it's like baby number three and now you've got like three under three. I mean, it is 100 percent survival mode.
So to put the pressure of like, Hey, and you also have to follow this super restrictive diet that tastes gross. Bye. Good luck. I think that's so harmful and not helpful to the patients at all. So I love that you had said and encourage them eat what you can and when you can eat healthfully make it colorful, make it protein rich.
So those are some really excellent pointers for clinicians. Now, you have an awesome Instagram page, and I highly recommend you guys follow her. You can find her on Instagram at The Postpartum Dietitian, and I got a lot of these questions from her page because she answers so many helpful things on there.
And one of those things on your page is that you have photos. five postpartum tips [00:09:00] that I would love for you to go over with our clinicians, just so they have these little golden nuggets in their pockets, ready to go when they do speak with postpartum women.
So I'd love for you to go to kind of explain what those are.
Yes. So the first one, is to eat warm foods. So this actually comes from a whole bunch of different cultures. So in the American diet, a lot of times we focus on lean protein and vegetables, which is fine. Those are great foods and we need them in our diet. But, like when I came home from the hospital, I didn't want to eat grilled chicken and salad.
I wanted like warm, comforting foods. and this kind of goes back to like, this is a whole body. Recovery process. so those warm foods are really going to be good for, not only your physical well being, but also your mental health as well. so a lot of times people will put together like meal trains and things like that for.
new parents so that way they don't have to worry about cooking. And I love that because you can easily pop those [00:10:00] meals into the oven or the microwave and you have a warm home cooked meal that you don't have to cook.
talk about comfort food, like. That is the ultimate warm foods like soups and mashed potatoes and casseroles. Like those are so comforting and you can really chalk them full with really nutritious items, right? You can put some different meats and some protein and tons of veggies in there and they're all just soft and Delicious and easy for you to eat quickly.
So I love that. What would be tip number two?
So tip number two is to eat nutrient and energy dense meals and snacks. So, kind of like I mentioned before, postpartum, especially those early weeks, you're in survival mode. So a lot of times you're just grabbing quick and easy things
So, instead of eating like just the crackers, maybe grabbing a piece of string cheese with the crackers, you get a little bit of protein, not that it's super rich in protein, but you get a little bit in there and a little bit of fat along with the carbohydrates. So you have something to like really help hold you over until you're able to sit [00:11:00] down for your next meal.
and then,focusing on honoring your hunger cues with that. So if you are craving, let's say some chips or something, it's totally fine to eat the chips, but maybe pair that with like a piece of fruit, like a little orange or an apple that's going to be a little bit more balanced. That'll help you feel a little bit more full, a little bit more satisfied and give you the energy that you actually need. as opposed to just grabbing, like I said, the solitary handful of chips.
I love that because that's just a general guideline for most of us. If you guys have been listening for any amount of time, most of the dietitians that I have on will recommend pairing a carbohydrate food with a protein or a fat food, whether you have diabetes, kidney disease, you're trying to lose weight, or now you've got a postpartum patient, it's Always best to consider what can you add to this one food item that you're trying to eat just to help sustain your blood sugars and to keep you [00:12:00] fuller for that stretch.
So that's such an important thing to relay also to our postpartum patients. And I love that suggestion of nutrient dense foods. All right. What's the next tip you got for us?
So the next tip is to not restrict foods. So if you are trying to lose weight after having a baby, it's super easy to go, Oh, I'm just going to cut out carbs. I'm just going to cut out fats or, something along those lines. And the more you restrict, the more likely you are to lose weight. Bench because your body's missing those key nutrients and then you end up having these really strong cravings and then you end up eating the whole gallon of ice cream at the end of the night because you feel so low on energy.
And that food is energy. So, if you want something during the day, like it's okay to eat it and it's actually healthier to just go ahead and eat whatever it is that you want. So then that way you're not overindulging in it later on.
Such a good point. And I can speak for this personally, because that is so true. you come home, whether you're craving like a sweet craving or salty craving, and you're like, no, no, I'm trying to be [00:13:00] good. Again, some negative terminology there. And then what do you end up doing? You end up like eating other things to kind of fill that sweet tooth and fill that void, and then at the end of the day, you still end up eating it and you end up eating more.
So I love that you gave us the okay to say, Hey, it's okay. Go ahead and eat that food item, especially after postpartum. You need to treat yourself. I mean, look at what you've just done and what you're going through every day. Restriction is not ideal here. So I love that. All right. What else do you have for us next tip?
Okay. So the next tip is to practice mindful movement when you feel ready. I think it's really important to Know like it's okay to rest. It's okay to not, go crazy with the workout, especially right away And that you just need to focus on what you can do that day And even if it's just 10 minute walk That's still 100 percent of what you can do that day.
I love that. And it's so encouraging because when you do have those in extreme goals of like, I'm going to get back to [00:14:00] crossfitting and lifting exactly like I was, and then you don't meet it because of, your back pain or you're still swollen or whatever the reason might be, it's really upsetting and it can be very depressing and so much of.
Postpartum depression is linked to our body image and our dissatisfaction with the fact that we're not doing those things that we used to be. So I think in a way that guideline is probably the most important is to just encourage your patients to start movement when they feel ready. because again, this will hopefully help them remain healthy and avoid any of that postpartum depression as well too.
So that's excellent. so what's your final tip for us?
So, my last tip is to stop comparing. Your postpartum journey, your birth experience, it is all unique to you. And it's unique to every child that you have as well. I only have one child right now, and my experience is going to be completely different from yours. and I think that [00:15:00] social media plays such a huge factor in that because you're sitting there, you, you're just scrolling and you see these women that are bouncing back and it makes you feel bad about yourself sometimes.
Like maybe you're not doing enough or maybe, you didn't lose the weight as quickly as you were hoping to, or, whatever it is that your mind is kind of, revolving around. You just have to stop comparing. I think that that is just one of the biggest issues, when it comes to postpartum women.
I think that is so important. I actually had to get off of social media after I had my baby because I was so upset with the fact that my body didn't look like so and so's body and I had some stretch marks and, and you just feel like nobody else is has, what you have, nobody else has a C section scar.
Nobody's boobs have changed. Nobody has stretch marks. But the reality is that most of us do, like there's so many changes, but it's so important to not compare. And [00:16:00] that talk about mental health right there, whether you've got, kids or no kids, comparing yourself to other people, other relationships, other people's health journey is never helpful.
So I love that final tip that you gave us. And I think that can be one that we can just encourage every single postpartum patient is like, Hey, you're doing great. Keep on with your journey, stay on your path. And let's just focus on getting you healed and rested and recovered. Well, so you can be the best mom to your kids.
So I really, really love that. Super helpful tips, Taylor. I would love to hear, and for you to close us out with what if we do have a patient who is mentally healthy. has been, on their journey, they're healing, they're recovering, but they are asking us for some advice to lose weight.
How can we help, keep that focus and keep their mindset onto health and not necessarily weight loss? What are some suggestions and some guidance that we can give to the moms who are looking to lose weight?
for moms who are looking to lose weight, I would recommend focusing on protein, [00:17:00] high fiber foods, and still eating a variety of foods and not restricting. so by doing that, you actually. Do you end up losing weight because you're not binging
because like you mentioned earlier, you try to avoid eating the food that you want to eat, and then you end up going back in and eating what you want to do anyway. So then you end up eating more calories, which over time can lead to weight gain. So just focusing on healthy, balanced meals, and eating the foods that you want, practicing mindful movement.
And if that's not working, then I would definitely seek out help from a dietician. because Nutrition is not one size fits all. It's going to be different for everybody in their lifestyle. and what foods they sometimes have access to, there's just so many different factors.
Yeah. And great suggestion because we, we do know that protein rich foods are beneficial to restore that lean body mass they're super important in healing, but they're [00:18:00] not going on a keto diet, right? I really hope the listeners heard you say that it's a well balanced diet. And I think a key thing, Society right now is so heavily focused on protein rich foods, but I think the key nutrient that we should be listening and honing in on is what you said, also high fiber foods.
So talk to us a little bit about that. What types of foods would be higher in fiber that we can suggest our patients consume more of?
So high fiber foods are going to be things like fruits and vegetables and whole grains. so just incorporating a variety of The fruits and vegetables that you like into your diet can be really, really helpful. I know a lot of people are like, Oh, but I don't like broccoli or I don't like cauliflower.
I only like corn, and you can still eat all the foods that you enjoy. I'm not gonna ever force a client to eat anything that they don't like. I'm not going to, say, Oh, you can't eat. Corn because it's, got carbohydrates so those are gonna be your high fiber foods and they'll help keep you feeling a little [00:19:00] bit fuller longer Especially with that protein and incorporating some fats in there as well
Awesome suggestions. And I know clinicians can relate to what you just said, because I probably deal with that every day when I, recommend to my pediatric patients, Hey, maybe you should try some more vegetables during the day, some things like broccoli and peas. And then the immediate response is, well, I don't like broccoli.
And as a clinician, you just kind of need to breathe because they're just telling you that they don't like that one specific vegetable that you gave. So just kind of say, what could be any vegetable? But I think we hear that so often, right? Patients will often be like, well, I don't like that fruit.
Well, there's, 50 other fruits that you can choose from. That was just an example. I
Right. Yeah That's one of the things that I hear so frequently just, even just in general conversation with people that are talking to me about foods and their diet. It's like, Oh, well, I don't like this. And I don't like that. I'm like, okay, well, there's, there are so many alternatives. You can find something that you like.
You can just try cooking it in a different way too. And you might like it [00:20:00] way better. like there's, there's so many options. It's
What a great note to end on because I think that was a really important point that just because you don't like cauliflower cooked one way, you might like it another way. So don't just write it off immediately. So I love that. Let's keep encouraging our patients to eat those fruits and those veggies.
They might find ones that they thought they didn't like and now they love. Taylor, I've loved this conversation so much. and you've been so encouraging and just uplifting. And I know the patients that work with you just walk away feeling so good about themselves. And that's our job as clinicians, right?
We want to walk with our patients through every season that they're in, encouraging them, uplifting them, meeting them where they are. So I'm so grateful that you gave me the gift of your time.
thank you so much for being here with us.
Yes. Thank you so much for having me.
if you want to find out more information from Taylor, you can find her on Instagram at the postpartum dietitian.
Also, if you have any patients that you think might need a little bit more hand holding or who are trying to lose weight and you want to refer to a dietitian who [00:21:00] specializes in postpartum health for patients, Taylor's your girl.All right, guys, now it's time for my nutrition notes.
Today I want to leave you with a nutrition tip. So I'm going to give you a couple of different tips on how you can help busy moms still fuel their bodies properly. Cause if mom is not eating, mom is going to be hangry. Mama's not going to be healing well, and mama will not be at her best to take care of her infant.
This is the most trying time in a woman's life right after having a baby, because we're emotionally drained. We're physically exhausted. Most of us are struggling with some body image issues because a lot of our body parts have changed.
We are also probably mentally stressed from not only caring for a new life, but also thinking about what's going on. Work and any other financial responsibilities you have to your existing family. It is such a toll on women. So even if you as a clinician can just [00:22:00] say, Hey, you're doing a great job. That probably alone will make that mother cry in tears because it's just so nice to hear.
That you are, you're doing a good job and also reminding them that they don't have to be perfect. And I think that was a big take home point from Taylor's conversation is allowing them the grace and the freedom to still enjoy certain foods. And, you know, you don't have to be on this uber clean, healthy diet.
The most important thing that mom can do for her baby is to take care of herself.
I'm going to break this down for you with a couple of different ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
So when you're scrapped for time, I love making smoothies because you can make sort of a bigger batch and throw what's left over in the fridge and then kind of just reuse it for the next morning or even for the next meal. And smoothies are a great way to pack it with nutrients. You can throw different fruits in there.
You can throw a little bit of spinach in there, put a spoonful of Greek yogurt in there. Sweeten it up with a little bit of honey. You could throw some flax seed for [00:23:00] some extra fiber and fat in there. Make it with milk. You can make it with juice.
put a big spoonful of peanut butter to add a little bit more protein and fat in there as well. Mom can also put in a scoop of protein powder too, if you're trying to up to, 30 to 40 grams of protein per meal. Um, that would be a really, really great nutrient dense breakfast and mom can kind of drink it on the go.
If she doesn't need to use a fork and knife to eat it. So it's a really easy thing to make and eat while you're caring for a baby.
For lunch, I really like soups again because there are those warm comfort foods and they can be chock full of different vegetables and a good protein source. These can be store bought or mom can make them herself. If you , don't have time to sit and eat a meal. Good old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
are excellent. So you've got some carbs, you've got some protein and fat from the peanut butter or any other nut butter that you like.
Another excellent thing for lunch that I like if mom does have the time to sit down are those [00:24:00] pre mixed and pre packaged salads that have the dressing and the sunflower seeds and the cranberries already kind of mixed in there. If you can get a can of tuna or even a can of chicken and throw that on there, Or even if you've got some hard boiled eggs made or buy those from the store, throw a couple slices of hard boiled egg on the salad, too.
That's a really good, nutrient dense lunch that's got, again, high in fiber and high in protein to help keep you fuller for longer. And then for dinner items, I am a fan of the crock pot for busy moms. Whether your kids are 1 or 18, I'm a fan of the crockpot and you can literally throw anything in there, but my go to meals with a crockpot is shredded barbecue chicken.
you literally throw three or four chicken breasts in there with a little bit of chicken broth. And then I smother it with some barbecue sauce, set it on high for four hours. And it's literally done the cooking for me to add some sides.
I also am a fan of microwavable brown rice. There are [00:25:00] tons of different brands out there. You can get whole grains, brown rice, multigrain. . They also make microwavable quinoa as well. I'm choosing brown rice and quinoa over the white stuff again for that extra boost of fiber and protein that's found in the whole grains.
And then if you want a veggie, again, microwavable veggies are excellent too. There are some, microwave in the bag or steam in the bag options available that literally that meal could be cooked in probably less than five minutes assembled. You can eat the barbecue chicken kind of alone. You can throw it in a wrap.
You can throw it on a sandwich and make a barbecue chicken sandwich. So many ways you can have it. And then likely you have leftovers. for the next day.
The final thought with my nutrition tip and postpartum mobs is encourage them to be drinking Make sure they've got a water bottle with them all day and they're refilling it.
Make sure they are drinking adequate amounts of fluids. Although it will vary based on your patient, any of their medical conditions, exercising, et cetera. If you can aim for two to three liters a day, that would be great. The best tip to make sure that the mom is drinking enough water is to just have them pay attention to the color [00:26:00] of their urine.
And as you guys know, it should be clear, almost unable to detect in the toilet.
Thank you so much for spending this time with me. I really hope that you are learning something new about nutrition that you can relate to your patients. if you have any topics that you would like me to cover I would love to hear from you.
You can find me on Instagram at exam room nutrition. I'm so honored that you would choose to spend this time with me. So thanks so much.
, as always, let's continue to make our patients healthier. One exam room at a time. I'll see you next time.