Our community members in our Facebook group have offered the following recommendations for postpartum nutritional support based on their own experiences, as well as what we’ve learned from the Weston A. Price Foundation. These recommendations focus on nourishing and replensihing a mother after she has given birth and also providing for rich breastmilk.
- Liver [in the form of powder if necessary]. This was the most popular recommendation noted! Recipe provided below for liver hidden in meatloaf.
- Bone broth – link to overview and recipes. Another consistent recommendation. Sally Fallon Morell explains in the Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Childcare that in Asia, it is customary to present a new mother with jars of pigs feet simmered in rich broth.
- Potassium broth – Sally Fallon Morell describes it as a great rejuvenator for those who have been sick or are recovering from childbirth. See recipe at the end of this article.
- Dark leafy greens
- Nettle infusions
- Raspberry leaf tea
- Liquid magnesium
- Probiotics such as Prescript Assist, BioKult, Body Ecology Full Spectrum
- Turmeric – which is most absorbable cooked in fat such as ghee
- Fermented Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil by Green Pasture Products – there are other recommended cod liver oil brands as well
- Healthy fats such as grass-fed butter for milk production
- Collagen, which will also be provided for in broth
- Raw milk tonic from the book Nourishing Traditions, as well as raw milk and raw cheese
- Smoothies with raw milk and placenta
- Pastured eggs and egg yolks, preferably soy free
- Wild caught sardines – link to my recipe
- Plenty of rest
Here is a recipe from Angie Needels of MamaKai for meatloaf that she’s made for me several times that I just love, and she recommends it for postpartum nourishment!
French Roasted Meatloaf
1 lb. ground beef; pasture-raised
1 lb. ground pork or lamb; pasture-raised
½ lb. liver, blended in a food processor; pasture-raised
1 egg; pasture-raised
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 small zucchini, grated
1 carrot, grated
2 cups spinach, chopped finely
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
¼ teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon pulse flakes. Sea weeds offer lots of great vital minerals … add them in any dish you can! I use dulse as I do sea salt and pepper in everything I make.
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fold everything together in a medium bowl really well to incorporate ingredients. Scoop mixture into a large loaf pan and bake for approximately an hour to and hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before slicing or freeze the entire loaf as is.
Potassium Broth
Makes 2 quarts
4 potatoes, preferably organic, well scrubbed
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery sticks, chopped
1 bunch of parsley
4 quarts of filtered water
Peel potatoes. Place peelings, carrots and celery in a pot with water. Use peeled potatoes to make mashed potatoes and add sea salt and plenty or raw or cultured pastured butter. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes. Add parsley and simmer 5 minutes more. Allow to cool and strain into a 2-quart glass container. Store in refrigerator and reheat in small quantities as needed.
Be sure to see our Optimal Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers.
Nourishing Our Children 
2 Responses to Postpartum Nutritional Support
What type of liquid magnesium do you recommend?
I would add some marrow bones to the potassium broth and a little ACV. I also rarely peel my carrots, potatoes, or squash even in soup.