Postpartum Nutrition: The 7 key nutrients you may be lacking
- Sarah Percy
- Jun 13
- 3 min read
Becoming a mum is an incredible transformation—physically, emotionally, and nutritionally.
After pregnancy and birth, your body enters a new phase of recovery, healing, and for many women, breastfeeding. It’s a time of big demands and little rest, and yet it’s also a time when your nutritional needs are still incredibly important, this is where targeted postpartum nutrition comes in.
As a registered dietitian and mum myself, I see just how easy it is for new mums to put their own wellbeing last. But postpartum depletion is real, and it can affect everything from your mood and energy levels to your milk supply and recovery.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through the key nutrients your body may be low in after giving birth, especially if you’re breastfeeding. I’ll also share easy food sources (many from your
local supermarket) to help you feel more like yourself again.
Why Postpartum Depletion Happens and now nutrition and help
Pregnancy draws on your body’s stores of nutrients to grow a baby. Labour and birth involve
physical stress and often blood loss.
And breastfeeding? It’s nutritionally demanding too. Your body prioritises making quality breastmilk, which means it will give what it has to baby, sometimes at your own expense.
If you’re feeling tired, foggy, flat, or simply not bouncing back as quickly as you hoped, low nutrient levels might be playing a role.
Nutrients at Risk after birth (and how to rebuild them)
Iron
Iron can be lost during childbirth, and is essential for energy so low levels can cause fatigue,
dizziness, and brain fog.
Eat more: lean red meat, lamb, mussels, fortified cereals, legumes, and leafy greens.
Combine plant-based sources with vitamin C (like capsicum or kiwifruit) for better
absorption.
Omega-3 (especially DHA)
This healthy fat supports your mood and baby’s brain development. Your body can’t make
it, so it must come from food.
Eat more: salmon, sardines, mackerel, and also plant sources such as chia seeds, flaxseeds
and walnuts (note that plant sources of omegas 3’s aren’t as well absorbed by the body as
the fish sources).
Folate
Often overlooked after pregnancy, but still important if you’re breastfeeding.
Eat more: leafy greens, lentils, avocado, fortified cereals.
Zinc
Needed for immune health and wound healing.
Eat more: red meat, pumpkin seeds, whole grains, seafood.
Iodine
Crucial for baby’s brain development (via breastmilk) and your thyroid health.
Eat more: iodised salt, dairy, eggs, seaweed (small amounts).
Calcium
If you’re breastfeeding, your calcium needs are higher.
Eat more: milk, yoghurt, cheese, fortified plant milks, almonds.
Vitamin D
Supports bone health and mood. Many New Zealanders are low, especially in winter.
Eat more: salmon, eggs, fortified spreads. Sunshine helps too, so get outside when you can.
Plus, if you thinly slice mushrooms and pop them out in the midday sun for an hour, they
manufacture a type of vitamin D that benefit from when we eat the mushrooms!
Food First (But Supplements Can Help)
It can be hard to eat well in the early weeks — you’re tired, busy, and your appetite may be
unpredictable. Focus on small, nutrient-rich meals and snacks. A postnatal multivitamin or
specific supplements like iron or iodine might be needed depending on your diet and birth
experience. Check with your dietitian or GP.
Simple Meal Ideas for New Mums
🍳 Boiled eggs + wholegrain toast
🍓 Greek yoghurt with oats and fruit
🥕 One-pan roast veggies and beef or chicken
🐟 Sardines or salmon on grainy toast with tomato and avocado
🥛 Smoothies with banana, chia seeds, milk and oats
In Summary
You can’t pour from an empty cup — and you don’t have to. Eating well after birth is one of
the best things you can do for your own health and your baby’s, especially if you’re
breastfeeding. Start small. Think one nourishing meal or snack at a time.
If you’d like personalised help getting your energy back and making eating simple again,
reach out to me at Eat Nutrition (www.eat-nutrition.co.nz). I love to work with women
across New Zealand to help them feel like themselves again — one real meal at a time.
Get in touch with me in the following ways.
Email: sarah@eat-nutrition.co.nz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eat.nutrition/
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