EP 156 Postpartum Depletion Series: The Most Important Postpartum Nutrients

The depletion and restoration of postpartum nutrients isn't that complicated. 

However, when a mama is left undernourished, lacking a few key nutrients will 

lead to a whole host of challenging symptoms and conditions. 

In this conversation, we're diving into exactly which postpartum nutrients are most important for holistic wellness. 

In this episode, we're sharing:

• The myth of complicated nutritional guidelines and the notion that postpartum health is derived from eating certain foods or counting calories.
• The actual stats of which postpartum nutrients are most commonly depleted in women and why this matters when it comes to physical, mental, and emotional symptoms.
• The essential nutrients that need to be restored and exactly how to do that with the Postpartum Nutrition Plan.

Students of the Postpartum Nutrition Certification which is now open for enrollment (but only for a few more days) receive the Postpartum Nutrition Plan as part of their training and resources they can use to enhance their practices.

We'd love to have you!

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🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training & Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals

Chapters

• 0:02 Postpartum Nutrition and Nutrient Deficiency
• 12:07 Postpartum Nutrition and Absorption Essentials
• 20:00 Optimizing Postpartum Health and Well-Being

Transcript

Maranda Bower: 0:02

Depression, anxiety and autoimmune symptoms after birth is not how it's supposed to be. There is a much better way, and I'm here to show you how to do just that. Hey, my friend, I'm Miranda Bauer, a mother to four kids and a biology student turned scientist, obsessed with changing the world through postpartum care. Join us as we talk to mothers and the providers who serve them and getting evidence-based information that actually supports the mind, body and soul in the years after birth. Hey, hey, welcome to today's eye-opening episode where we are going to be diving ahead first into the often overlooked world of postpartum nutrition. This is part three of a series that we're doing this week where we are really diving into all of the intricacies and busting some serious myths. Did you know that over 80% of women entering postpartum are already depleted of key nutrients? It's a staggering statistic that really underscores how vital proper nutrition is during this transformative period that is postpartum. And here's the kicker these nutrients aren't just about filling our bellies. They're meeting some arbitrary health guideline. Let's be real, those US health guidelines are a joke, which I'll explain more later, but basically there's no set guideline on what nutrients you need daily in postpartum. There's no guidelines on what you need to do to thrive. Bare minimum and thriving are two very different topics, and in today's episode, I want to show you exactly what you need to thrive in the months and even years after having a baby. So let's bust a myth right out of the gate.

Maranda Bower: 1:53

Contrary to popular belief, nutrition is not rocket science. In fact, the medical world's overcomplication of it often feels really confusing, and I'm going to tell you, I was in that space for a very long time. At one point in my life, after having my second baby, I found that I was allergic to over 52 different foods and I was mind blown at the level of pain and suffering that I had normalized in my life and how nutrient depleted I was because there was so much inflammation in my body. And here's the aha moment that I had and I really, really want you to have as well. At its core, nutrition is simply about nourishing our bodies with the right balance of nutrients. It's not about counting calories or following diet fads. It's about providing our bodies with the fuel we need to thrive. Once we strip away that complexity, realizing that in order to achieve optimal nutrition, it's really, really easy and it's within reach of everyone. Dare I say everyone, including myself back when, 10 years ago, when I was immensely suffering from all of the things that I was related to nutrition and depletion and the amount of inflammation that caused my body that sent me into a spiral of not being able to tolerate very many foods, which is all part of this process. I'm going to tell you.

Maranda Bower: 3:35

We know that when it comes to nutrients, they play a vital role in how we feel emotionally, how we heal physically and even how our brains function as we navigate the roller coaster ride of new motherhood. So, for example, when we need extra protein within our body and we're not getting the protein that we need, we have an energy crash. It's really difficult for our bodies to continue going about our day. We feel exhausted, we feel fatigued and it's really hard to recover from that.

Maranda Bower: 4:09

Blood sugar crashes If we don't eat for a long period of time, which my hand is up here. Sometimes that happens to us where we forget to eat, or we're in such a rush or we're too busy taking care of the kids that we forget to feed ourselves. And what happens when we have blood sugar crashes? Oftentimes we get angry, we snap right. We even have a word in our culture called hangry. It's a mix between hungry and angry and we put those words together to really describe how we feel. Even I believe it's Snickers has a commercial about. You know, just give the woman a Snickers bar, because when she gets super angry right, it's because she's hungry and her blood sugar has crashed. So we know that emotion and the way we feel are interconnected with food.

Maranda Bower: 5:04

Not enough fats is another example. If we don't get enough fats in our day to day life, we experience brain fog. Oftentimes we have tissues that are not healing, especially early in postpartum, where more apt to have skin acne issues, where more likely to experience wounds that don't heal very well, and weight gain or not experiencing weight loss, which so many people strive for. In the postpartum period, when your body is nutrient deprived, it's not going to let go of any nutrients, it's not going to let go of fat. It is going to hold on for dear life to everything that you give it and everything that you have given it, because it's in a state of survival.

Maranda Bower: 5:50

And let's face it, the symptoms of nutrient depletion and postpartum have a significant range. I want you to listen into this, because so much of what we call normal is in this list Fatigue and low energy levels, mood swings and irritability, difficulty concentrating or brain fog, hair loss, brittle nails, weakened immune system like we're always getting sick with whatever it is that the kids brought home. Digestive issues like bloating, constipation, food sensitivities and allergies, difficulty sleeping or insomnia, skin problems, dryness, acne. We also have delayed wound healing, prolonged recovery from childbirth, increased susceptibility to postpartum depression and anxiety. We literally have study after study showing us that when we are depleted of key nutrients which I'm going to tell you all about here in a second they resemble those depleted symptoms, resemble depression and anxiety. It messes with our brains, it messes with our bodies and we're also at an increased inflammation risk and risk of autoimmune disease.

Maranda Bower: 7:12

How many of those things on that list, those symptoms, are things that we have normalized and motherhood that we have called normal, that we said, oh, this is just part of the experience, because we're here doing it all, we're here trying to change the paradigm, we're here making it happen and struggling and we're constantly being told that these are normal things, that we don't have enough support. Yeah, that is all true, but how many of these symptoms are felt to the extreme because your body is struggling to get the nutrients it needs. One of the biggest questions I get are what is the most important postpartum nutrients? What nutrients are so critical in postpartum that if I just make sure that I focus on these few, then the rest of my body will be taken care of or I'll be able to manage whatever it is that I'm going through emotionally, physically, mentally at this time? I'm going to tell you a couple of statistics that are so key to this story here, especially in postpartum, and the stats that I'm going to give you right now are specific to postpartum 17.4 percent of women in postpartum are deficient in iron, 12 percent are deficient in zinc, 51 percent of vitamin D, 80 to 90 percent of women in postpartum are deficient in magnesium, 25 to 47 percent are deficient in B vitamins and up to 50 percent are deficient in iodine. The percentage of women who are deficient in postpartum of copper, selenium, omega-3s those are lesser known, lesser studied, but every single one of these nutrients are strongly linked to postpartum depression and anxiety. Hey, I'm going to be 100 percent straight with you.

Maranda Bower: 9:28

The postpartum world is changing right now and I know you feel it. It's in the politics, our community spaces. There is an urgent need to implement a different approach to postpartum health. If you're an alternative provider or postpartum advocate, you need to be with us in the postpartum university membership. Get the method, the tools, the houndouts, the advanced trainings and so much more to not only help your clients and your business grow, but to help you grow too. Marketwatch says that the after birth services and nutrition and support is set for extraordinary growth by 2030. Don't miss your opportunity to help women and families who desperately need your holistic support. Go to wwwpostpartumU. The letter U dot com slash membership. We're accepting registrations right now and we can't wait to see you there.

Maranda Bower: 10:26

In my postpartum nutrition plan, which is a complete guide of nutrient repletion and hormone balance in the years after birth, we've got six weeks of easy recipes, meals everything is gluten and dairy free, nutrient dense meals. Even tea blends and snacks are provided. It's truly the best guide available out there. And in the postpartum nutrition plan, I talk about the essentials. So here's your essentials. There are iron, magnesium, vitamin D, omega threes, coline and vitamin Bs.

Maranda Bower: 11:03

There are three things that you need to know about this list before you do absolutely anything. Ok, first, you got to know that nutrients in the body function interdependently. Ok, so this means that deficiencies in one nutrient can impact the absorption, the utilization or metabolism of others. So likely, if you're deficient in one, you're very deficient in others as well. It's this interconnectedness that underscores the importance of maintaining this balanced and varied diet, and it ensures this adequate intake of all essential nutrients. This is probably the most complex part of nutrition. I want to give you a couple of examples Iron deficiency, which is extremely popular in postpartum I know that the statistic of 17.4 percent is there, but I would beg to defer that.

Maranda Bower: 12:07

That is likely significantly more, especially due to how many women enter into the labor and birth process already struggling with anemia or very close to anemia, and then they experience the birth of a baby, which also means a lot of blood loss. A lot of blood volume loss, even in the normal ranges, could lead to symptoms of anemia and iron deficiency. When we have that iron deficiency, which can lead, and often does lead, to anemia, it can also impair the absorption of other minerals like zinc and copper. Likewise, vitamin C enhances iron absorption. A deficiency in vitamin C can exacerbate iron deficiency anemia. It's not just anemia caused by iron deficiency. Anemia can also be caused by B vitamin deficiency. We know that even more so.

Maranda Bower: 13:10

Furthermore, nutrients play a crucial role in biochemical pathways that regulate metabolism, energy production, immune function. These B vitamins, like B12, folate, b6,. They're involved in numerous enzyme reactions that are essential for the synthesis of neurotransmitters, dna, red blood cells. Deficiencies in B vitamins can result in anemia as well, or also just symptoms of fatigue or neurological symptoms. We have magnesium, which is also a huge component to this conversation. It's a cofactor for over 300 enzyme reactions in the body, including those involved in energy metabolism, muscle function, neurotransmitter synthesis. A deficiency in magnesium can lead to cardiovascular health, muscle cramping, mood regulation. It's significant.

Maranda Bower: 14:10

Here's the second component. First is they're all interrelated. If you're deficient in one, you're deficient in all, although I'm giving you that list of key nutrients that many women are very deficient of in the postpartum period. They're all important. That's really what I'm saying here. But here's the second component.

Maranda Bower: 14:33

When it comes to postpartum, it's not just about nutrient density. It's not just about here's your food or here's your thing, your supplement, your tea, whatever it is that has all of these vitamins. It's also about the ability of these vitamins and minerals, I should say, to be absorbed into the body. This is often a very forgotten piece when it comes to postpartum, it's not just about nutrient density, it's also about its ability to be absorbed in the body. Now in the postpartum period and I talk about this a lot in my certification program and a couple of other episodes that I've done in the series that our bodies change physiologically. Our nervous system changes, our gut and digestive abilities.

Maranda Bower: 15:27

We're not able to digest foods as we once were. It takes a lot of effort for our body to absorb key nutrients, to digest and absorb key nutrients within our bodies. That's why so many cultures around the world have a different way of supporting our bodies in the postpartum period. They don't eat salads and smoothies. They don't eat giant casseroles of food that are just really rich and heavy with dairy and gluten and things like that. They don't do that whatsoever. Every single culture around the world that has some sort of postpartum care for within food practices they don't do those things. That does not exist. Actually, those are considered really difficult foods that will hinder the ability of the body to heal itself. We see that over and over and over again and I've proven that over and over and over again through this work.

Maranda Bower: 16:30

We have to focus on foods that are easy to digest. I'll talk about that in a minute here. That's point number two. Point number three this brings me to my third point. Supplements are not a great idea. The best way to get nutrients that you need is through nutrient dense, easy to digest foods. So soups, bone broths, stews, forages, herbal teas, herbal tinctures Some of my favorite sources of vitamins is a bowl of soup and a cup of herbal tea. The difference of those can be felt immediately.

Maranda Bower: 17:13

More often times, what I see is that women take a supplement, especially in the early postpartum period, and they're struggling with digestion. That's because that's a biological normal that's occurring in their body. We see the symptoms of not being able to digest right away. We see the bloating, we see the constipation. The fear of going to the bathroom is also a contributing factor to that. We see this all the time. This discomfort that occurs when we have a meal, especially like a rich meal. Maybe it's a giant burger that's one thing that I really wanted after having a baby, right, or whatever the case may be, it's hard to digest. When we take a step back and we focus on the key factors that are going to help us, it changes immensely.

Maranda Bower: 18:06

But I want you to think what if I were to just take a man-made pill. How is that any different than consuming that rich, oily, hard to digest hamburger or casserole, or even a salad? If your body is struggling to digest a salad and absorb those nutrients, what do you think is happening when you absorb a pill? It's the exact same thing. It's struggle and oftentimes what it's going to end up doing is it's going to flow through you and it's going to go right down that toilet. You're literally flushing it down the toilet.

Maranda Bower: 18:48

There are time for supplements. I'm a big fan of supplements. I believe that we need those in our lives, especially with what we have going on with our food sources and the lack of nutrients and our soils and the amount of time it takes for our foods to get to our plates. I know if I go to the store and I buy tomatoes they here in Alaska particularly they're done within three days. I cannot leave them on the counter more than three days or they're rotten. That's not okay in the least bit. When I grow my own tomatoes in the summertime, there's a huge difference. They can last for a while, a couple of weeks. That's the difference between food sources. I'm getting off topic here, but we need supplements in our lives, but there's a time for them and there's a way in which we can do it that's going to maximize our health.

Maranda Bower: 19:45

That man-made pill especially if it's pill form is not it. That's not the answer. It's not going to help us. There's your nutrients. There's what you do instead of. Those are the key points.

Maranda Bower: 20:00

In closing, I really want to share how imperative it is to recognize this profound impact that nutrition has on postpartum health and well-being. By addressing nutrient depletion and optimizing this intake of key nutrients, we have the opportunity to support not only physical recovery but also this emotional resilience and this mental clarity during this transformative phase of life. By nourishing our bodies with nutrient-dense foods and, when necessary, supplementation with the right supplementation, I should say we can really empower ourselves to navigate the postpartum period with vitality and strength. It will change the way we experience motherhood, literally. We will be setting ourselves up for this vibrant and thriving future, which is so possible in the postpartum period. I just want to say it is so, so possible, not to mention when we have the nutrients we need. Our breast milk is that much more rich and even if you are not breastfeeding, a mama who's getting her nutrient needs met so she can thrive in. Motherhood is a gift to her baby and her family.

Maranda Bower: 21:20

Imagine feeling like you had all the nourishment your body needed. How would you feel in your body? How would you feel as a mother? It's amazing, isn't it? I am so grateful you turned into the Postpartum University podcast. We've hoped you enjoyed this episode enough to leave us a quick review and, more importantly, I hope more than ever that you take what you've learned here, applied it to your own life and consider joining us in the Postpartum University membership. It's a private space where mothers and providers learn the real truth and the real tools needed to heal in the years Postpartum. You can learn more at wwwpostpartumu. That's the letter youcom. We'll see you next week. Music.