Foods To Eat During Pregnancy And Postpartum | Optimize Your Pregnancy Diet + Postpartum Nutrition

Hey mamas, food is fuel and during pregnancy and postpartum it is so crucial to be eating well to support ourselves and our babies that we're either growing inside our womb or nourishing through breastfeeding. Protein is about quantity and quality and a lot of us are missing the mark in at least one of those areas. In this video we're talking about how to be the healthiest for yourself and for your baby. I'm Bridget and I'm a childbirth educator doula and a mama and I support mamas just like you to thrive from pregnancy to postpartum. If you're new make sure you are subscribed to this channel and then hit the bell so you don't miss out on any future videos. Protein is crucial for a healthy mama and baby. Just a heads up I'm going to get a little sciency on you for a second but it'll help you understand why protein is so essential and then I'm giving you three tips to implement into your daily routine. Protein is made up of molecules called amino acids which give your body energy, they repair body tissue, help you grow and help you grow that little human inside you and much more. During pregnancy your body usually needs more protein about 60 grams per day compared to on average about 45 pre-pregnancy and if it doesn't get it it actually can pose risk to mama and her baby like preeclampsia, low iron, fetal growth restriction, hemorrhaging and more. This deficiency can impact mamas who are purposefully or unknowingly restricting caloric intake during pregnancy or those who are vegetarians or vegans. Now on the flip side too much protein can increase the risk of miscarriage, field growth restriction and over consumption of specifically animal protein can increase the risk of gestational diabetes in mama and obesity in her baby. So getting both the quantity and the quality of protein intake is really important. For postpartum mamas who are healing externally and internally, breastfeeding their babies and undergoing a lot of changes in their body, protein is still essential. Enough protein during the postpartum period is going to aid in recovery, promote energy, aid in fat loss and muscle building, lower blood pressure and help mama feel full and satisfied while she's meeting the demanding needs of her baby. So with that in mind here are three tips to help make sure you're getting the quantity and the quality of protein in your diet for you and your baby. Tip number one is to eat more plant-based protein. Many of us eat animal-based protein like red meat, dairy or eggs, which in moderation are good because animal protein provides a balanced range of those amino acids that we were talking about, but those foods often aren't the highest quality. Plus we usually aren't eating enough plants to begin with. Diets with about half of the protein from plants help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Some yummy protein-rich plant-based foods are beans, edamame, tofu, broccoli, chia seeds, nuts and quinoa. There's a lot out there but my favorite way to get in plant-based protein is by taking Essential Protein, which is designed for pregnant and postpartum mamas so you know that what's in it is safe for you and your baby, which isn't true of every protein powder out there that's not made for pregnant or lactating mamas, so you do have to be careful. But it's also vegan and it has all nine essential amino acids in it, which means it's a complete protein plus it has choline added into it, which you're not going to find in most other protein powders, but is an essential nutrient that pregnant and postpartum mamas do need. My second tip is to never eat naked carbohydrates. Carbs provide fast energy for your body to use but your body uses them up quickly so you get hungry faster. Protein takes longer to digest so you feel full longer and you have more energy for longer. So eating protein with your carbohydrates helps give you the immediate and long-term energy that you need. So combinations like sweet potato rounds with almond butter for a snack, crackers with hummus, wild rice and steak, oatmeal with peanut butter, all of those combinations include carbohydrates with proteins to help the snack or meal be more satisfying, well-rounded, and protein-packed. And then my third tip is to have quick access to protein-rich foods. I know for myself as a mom of two, I definitely don't eat enough protein and that's true for a lot of busy moms, which most of us are. Having hard-boiled eggs made for the week, having Ritual's essential protein powder on hand for a shake, adding spinach into smoothies, making extra protein like chicken or ground beef at dinnertime to eat at lunch the next day, and buying protein-rich snacks like hummus, nuts, or greek yogurt are all ways to encourage more protein intake that is quick and easy to access throughout the week. Mamas, the quality and the quantity of your protein matter, especially during pregnancy and the postpartum period, for your health and your baby's health. I've noticed that when I make it a priority to eat adequate protein, I feel so much better and I think you will too. So thank you so much for being with me in this video and I will see you in the next one. Bye, mamas!