Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [135]
If at all possible, don’t skip meals, even if you only have a few bites at a time.
Eat mild foods that are free of excessive spices and flavorings, such as plain whole grains, tofu, avocado, or toast.
Soothe minor heartburn and upset stomach by drinking 1–2 tablespoons of aloe juice. You can mix it into apple juice if you need to.
Avoid lying down for at least 15 minutes after eating to allow gravity to help your food digest downward.
Find your acupressure points on your wrist to help stave off nausea. Seeing an acupuncturist also can have benefits.
Speak with a homeopath to determine which of the several available homeopathic remedies will help with your morning sickness.
Caring for Yourself Postpartum
After your bundle of joy has finally made his or her debut into the world, most of the attention will shift from you to the baby. However, it’s important to remember that you have just been through a major physical, emotional, and hormonal shift. Whether you’re able to begin breastfeeding easily or not, had a cesarean birth or a natural one, encountered complications, or made it through the labor with no major upsets, it’s very common to experience major emotional swings, exhaustion, and disorientation due to a whole new life being in your care.
Plan ahead and think about how to make your entrance into motherhood as smooth and supported as possible. Talk with your friends and family beforehand to line up assistants to help take care of your older children, cook and clean, or even hold the new baby while you take a shower. If your family and friends will be helping with meal preparation, be sure to go over vegan menus and ingredients to help them cook for you and your needs. There are many ways to ensure that you feel supported and cared for as you begin to provide for your new baby and grow your family. The following sections will fill you in.
Choosing certain vegan foods for strength
Recovering from childbirth and labor can be a slow process, but having the best foods planned in advance offers an easier transition. By having prepared foods ready for the whole family, you can avoid temptation to resort to less healthy options like takeout and snack foods. Plan to make a few meals that can be frozen in the two weeks before your due date. Stock your cupboards and refrigerator by going on a big shopping trip shortly before the due date as well.
If your partner or husband will be taking over the cooking duties in the weeks after the birth, be sure he or she knows how to prepare healthy vegan meals that will support your energy needs. The meal-planning chart included in Chapter 9 can help to plan the days after your labor.
High-energy foods like whole grains, avocados, nuts, and bean soups are filling and provide you (and your family) with excellent nutrition. If you lost a lot of blood during labor, plan to have more iron-rich foods to replenish your blood supply. (Chapter 4 includes a list of foods that can boost your iron intake.) Stay hydrated with plenty of water, raspberry leaf tea for uterine health, and enriched soymilk for your protein and nutrient intake.
Supplying yourself with foods that encourage good milk production
If you choose to breastfeed your baby, you need to fortify your body regularly with quality water and food. Continue to consume extra calories every day to ensure a steady supply of nourishment for your baby. It can really be helpful to keep a glass of water next to you when you nurse.
Natural foods that have been used in traditional medicine to promote and increase breast milk production are fenugreek, which can be found in special tea combinations (check out health food stores), lettuce, dill, caraway, basil, marjoram, and millet. Drinking several glasses of mixed soy and rice milk a day can be helpful as well. Prepare a millet porridge with caraway seeds, sprinkled with marjoram for a delicious dish. Basil, dill, and lettuce combine for a simple salad. Basil and marjoram can be added to any Italian dish for tasty results.
Certain foods can cause your baby