Lifestyle management for postnatal women
(Published 01/2017)
Whether you are breastfeeding your baby or not, it is important that new mothers choose a variety of nutritious foods after giving birth. Include grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, egg (or alternatives) and milk or alternatives in your daily diet. To avoid putting on extra weight, choose carefully and stay away from the high fat or sugar food choices. Here are some tips:
- Trim off skin and visible fat when having meat.
- Control the amount of oil use in cooking (restrict to 5-6 teaspoons oil per person per day).
- Choose less and limit the amount of having biscuits, cake or fried foods.
Squeeze some time for exercise. Get others to share the care of your baby. Physical exercise can relieve the tiredness you experienced before and during labour. Exercise can help new mothers stay positive and have less chance of developing anxiety and depression. Here are some handy tips for you:
- Take a walk in park with your baby. Put your baby in his stroller. This is a good parent-child time. A change in the environment may help you relax.
- Climb up or down the stairs when you go out.
- Join an exercise class once or twice weekly to boost your energy. Seek help from family members to take care of your baby temporarily.