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Postpartum Food List

Use this to shop pre-birth {and to send someone out to shop for you post-birth}
Superfood List for your Team
"After birth there are natural depletions, so it takes time ~ 42 days ~ to rejuvenate the tissues through food" ~ Bhu Ysha Oakes

Your Postpartum Superfood List

More explanation is offered in your third trimester during our one-on-one postpartum care session {you are welcome to have your support person present for that}. The foods listed here have the following purpose…
  • Postpartum pacification {shamana} + regeneration {rasayana} of mothers cells
  • Involution of the uterus + prevention of excess space in the belly post-birth
  • Production of nourishing and healthy breastmilk, free of doshic imbalance that will be easy for baby to digest.
  • Balance of excess vata, which goes extremely high after birth. The foods here are to prevent common postpartum vata issues including constipation, fatigue, dryness, low energy, nervousness, weakness, depletion, low appetite, lack of enthusiasm. 

“After delivery, the new mother is weak, sensitive and susceptible.  She has provided nourishment and energy to the child during its entire development, undergone the exertion and resulting fatigue of labor, and blood loss, during and after delivery.  Any health problem, arising during this time, could b difficult to treat, and in some cases, impossible to cure.  Administering special remedies (to strengthen and protect) can provide the necessary care and attention, right from the beginning of the postpartum phase.” ~ Charaka Samhita

Eating Schedule + Habits

Mama should be fed four times a day. Ideally someone else is cooking for you! May you be blessed with support during your postpartum months. Emphasize the foods below for the first 35 days postpartum. 

It is not necessary to eat ALL of the foods listed below. Choose your favorites, those that are easy to access in your locale and which appeal. You are welcome to keep it simple and narrowed down to a few favorites. I will provide recipes and meal ideas. A great resource is also Touching Heaven by Ysha Oaks. Clients are encouraged to print and share this list with people who would like to cook for you! Foods should be ORGANIC {free from GMOs + pesticides + hormones}.

Nourishing Support Team

​Mother should be on retreat from cooking and cleaning for 2 weeks postpartum {6 weeks after C-birth}. During your 3rd trimester is the time to form your post-partum care team! This includes cooking in your home for you, following your Mayurveda guidelines or creating a schedule for people to drop off meals for you. Ask friends, colleagues, other families in your prenatal yoga or birth classes who haven't yet given birth, family members, and so on to join in supporting you and your baby in this loving way. Many people love to give gifts or support, and simply need clear instructions on how to best serve you! Mealtrain.com is a wonderful resource to organize a schedule of meal drop offs! One client who was having a baby as a single parent organized a full month for herself for meal drop-offs from friends!

Feel free to copy and adapt this little script!

You are invited as part of our inner circle of friends and loved ones whom we trust to help support us during our precious a postpartum time! We know we are going to need to be deeply nourished on many levels to recover, bond and rejuvenate after birth and we want Mama to be able to focus on our new little one. Thank you so much for helping feed us during these early days!

We are following guidelines recommended by our health and wellness practitioner to ensure that Mama and baby don't suffer from any postpartum discomforts, and that includes food as a primary healer and nourisher. Thank you so much for honoring us so lovingly by following these guidelines. We are including a copy of a food list with the best foods for Mama and foods to be avoided. Don't worry if you aren't a cook! We are including a list of our favorite local foodie places and our favorite menu items. 

Special Instructions
We will leave a note on the door to let you know if Mama and baby are available. Otherwise, they may be resting or nursing or having some quiet time. In that case thank you SO very much and you can leave meals at the door. To protect the sensitive postpartum digestion we will not be eating frozen foods or leftovers during this time, please only bring food that you have prepared or picked up on the day you plan to serve. See the link to the best postpartum foods + foods to avoid here. 

Favorite meals
Coconut curries, stirfried rice, baked root vegetables, soups and vegetarian stews would be ideal! And we love buttercookies too! Here are our favorite local eateries + menu items
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Allergies or dietary restrictions
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Link to list for sharing!
Foods in bold are extra superfoods for postpartum!

Nourishing Grains

  • Amaranth           
  • Cream of rice 

  • Cream of wheat 
(farina) 
 ~ especially good for milk production
 
  • Couscous, especially Israeli
  • Essene {sprouted} bread, toasted 
   
  • Oats ~ especially good for milk production

  • Quinoa
  • Semolina flour 


  • Tapioca 

  • Whole grain, unrefined flours 

  • Whole 
wheat flour 
~ especially good for milk production

  • White or basmati rice 


Kitchen Herbs

  • Ajwain seeds ~ rich in calcium, good to use in soups 

  • Fennel seeds 
~ especially good for milk production

  • Fenugreek seeds 
~ especially good for milk production

  • Fresh or dried fenugreek {methi} leaves 
~ especially good for milk production

  • Basil 

~ fresh or dried {especially good for digestion}
  • Bay leaves 

  • Cilantro leaves 

  • Cumin 
{for digestion, milk production and involution}
  • Caraway 

  • Caradamon 
~ especially good for milk production

  • Clove 

  • Cinnamon 
{improves digestion + recovery}
  • Curry leaves 

  • Dill, fresh or dried {great for pitta-type Mamas}
  • Ginger ~ fresh preferred over dried powder
  • Black pepper
  • Hing (asafoetida) 
{especially good for vata types with gassiness}
  • Licorice
  • Lime
 + lemon + tamarind {sour taste balances vāta}
  • Mustard seed
  • Marjoram
  • Nutmeg {helps with sleep}
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
 ~ fresh or dried
  • Paprika
 {digestive but not too spicy}
  • Pippali {long pepper, found in Indian markets, especially good for respiratory system}
  • Tarragon
  • Thyme

  • Tarragon
  • Turmeric ~ {purifies breastmilk, use in food, do not take pills or in medicinal quantities as it would be too drying}
  • Vanilla {increases love, peace and sweetness}

Vitamin Rich Vegetables

  • ​artichoke hearts
  • 
􏰀 asparagus

  • ​􏰀 beet

  • 􏰀 carrot
  • 
􏰀 cilantro

  • 􏰀 chayote
  • 
􏰀 chard

  • 􏰀 eggplant
  • 􏰀 fennel
 bulb
  • 

􏰀 kale

  • 􏰀 okra

  • 􏰀 parsnip

  • 􏰀 pumpkin

  • 􏰀 spinach
, cooked
  • 􏰀 summer squashes

  • 􏰀 yams

  • 􏰀 winter squashes

Nourishing Sweet

  • Date sugar 

  • Whole Cane Sugar
  • Rapadura 

  • Molasses 
~ especially good for postpartum recovery
  • Maple syrup 

~ especially good for postpartum recovery

Protective Fats

  • Ghee (clarified butter) 

  • Sesame oil 
{makes a great postpartum massage oil too, so get plenty!}
  • Cacao butter 

  • Highest lignan Flax oil 

  • Coconut oil 

  • Coconut butter; coconut manna
  • Coconut milk
  • Olive oil 

  • Toasted sesame oil 


Enlivening Fruits


  • 􏰀Apples, Pears (to be cooked only and ideally with cinnamon, clove, cardamom, etc)
  • Avocados
  • 􏰀 Tamarind
  • 􏰀 Dates
  • 􏰀 Pomegranate

Perfect Proteins

  • 􏰀Adzuki beans
  • 
􏰀Milk
 or mylk {almond, sesame, coconut, etc.}
  • 􏰀Yogurt
 {plain, in small amounts wuth black pepper or cinnamon added}
  • Ricotta cheese or other fresh cheese
  • Cottage cheese
  • 􏰀Split hulled mung dal {yellow} or sprouted mung dal {green}
  • 􏰀 Lentils
  • 􏰀Chicken, lamb or fish for soups / stews / curries for nonvegetarians
  • Paneer
  • Almonds
  • Roasted tahini
  • Quinoa

  • Amaranth


Teas + ​Beverages

  • 􏰀Mothers Milk Tea {I recommend Traditional Medicinals brand}
  • 􏰀More Milk tincture from MotherLove

  • 􏰀Warm and room temperature spring water or filtered water
  • 􏰀Dashamoola Tea {purchase from Banyan Botanicals or Gopala herbs}


Foods to Avoid for Postpartum Mothers

These foods can cause severe gas and constipation for Mama and painful colic for baby, among other disturbances to the very sensitive post-birth systems of both Mother and baby. Avoiding these foods is a natural means of preventing digestive discomfort, bodily pain, sleep disruption, and nervous system disturbance for baby and the whole family. While it may take a little more effort, it is well worth preventing the postpartum troubles that unfortunately have become commonplace in our modern world. 
  • leftovers or frozen food􏰀 {eat food on the same day it is prepared} 
  • raw veggies
  • 􏰀raw apples or pears
  • 􏰀raw onion and garlic

  • 􏰀tomato
  • 􏰀radish
  • 􏰀hot chilies
  • 􏰀cold beverages, cold water
  • 􏰀alcohol
  • 􏰀excess caffeine, choose tea over coffee
  • 􏰀excess salt during first 4-5 days {even avoid if possible}

Postpartum Cooking Principles

Ideally, foods should be freshly prepared by a loving person who cares for the mother and baby. 

  • Served Warm
  • Oily {ghee, sunflower oil, sesame oil and coconut oil are best}
  • Nourishing 
  • Wet
  • Easy to digest 
  • Gently spiced to rebuild Mama's inner fire
Picture
Mama can consume plenty of ghee {clarified butter} ~ one Ayurvedic grandmother said 30 lbs of ghee in the first 3 months postpartum!

Early Postpartum Meal Ideas

  • Oatmeal with molasses, cinnamom, cardamom, dates and coconut
  • Rice Congee with sesame seeds
  • Rice and Lentil Pilaf {kitchari} with ghee, coriander, cumin, fennel and fenugreek leaves
  • Baked Sweet Potato {or winter squash} with ghee or coconut oil, salt, black pepper and cinnamon
  • Adzuki Bean and Vegetable Stew
  • Warm Horchata {rice milk with cinnamon and cane sugar} served warm with a tsp of coconut oil or ghee
  • Warm almond milk with dates, cardamom, fennel, ginger and black pepper blended in. 
  • Rice with fenugreek leaves, ghee or sesame oil, salt, sesame seeds
  • Coconut curried vegetables with jasmine rice
  • Butter cookies made with organic sweet butter or ghee and cardamom
Picture

Bonus Gift! Your Postpartum Guide + Cookbook

This wonderful reference book was written by one of my teachers in postpartum Ayurvedic care, Ysha Oaks. Feel free to share recipes with your care team so that they can cook for you. You can also just use the recipes and information as a guideline. Once you see the underlying principles you can create your own recipes. 

Remember to keep it simple. You can just rotate the same few meals day after day. Baking veggies is easy for even the most uncooking partner or family member. This book is included for you as my client, and Ysha's organization has been compensated. If you would like to pass this book on to a friend, you can purchase it here

ad_1-touchingheavenrecipesv2.pdf
File Size: 607 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Schedule a Postpartum Session
Kaya is the founder of SRY™ which is based in the full spectrum of the Vedic yoga tradition. She has been teaching therapeutic restorative yoga therapy since 2001. Kaya's work is healing, transformative, deeply rejuvenating and empowers her student and clients with wisdom and inner experience. Her trained in the full spectrum of the Vedic Tradition includes Yoga, Yoga Therapy, Prenatal Yoga, Ayurveda, Women's Health, Eastern Anatomy, Sanskrit, Vedic Astrology and Vedanta Philosophy. She collaborates with her husband Michael Manzella, a Vedic Astrologer, to serve yoga students and teachers who are inclined toward depth of inner experience and knowledge.  MORE ON KAYA
  • About
  • SRY
    • Online Followup for Teachers
    • Online Followup for Teachers
    • Audio SRY Practice with Kaya
    • SRY Fundamentals Course
    • Sharing SRY
    • Agni and Soma Home Study
    • YTT in SRY
  • Ayurveda
    • Join Agni and Soma Nutrition
    • Tridoshic Food List
    • Ayurveda Application
    • Ayurveda Followup
    • Yogify
  • Māyurveda
    • Māyurveda Intake
    • Early Pregnancy
    • Mayurveda Conception Client Pages
    • Māyurveda Prenatal Client Pages
    • Mayurveda Postpartum Pages >
      • Kids Ayurveda
  • Work with Me
    • Retreat Intake
    • Training / Mentoring Intake
    • One on One Intake
  • Audio
    • Shavasana
    • Bhagavad Gita Essentials
  • Contact
    • Resources