How are they fed?
The food in the maternity hospital and its quality depend on the maternity hospital itself. Depending on the region, on the city, on the district, and even just on the maternity hospital, the organization of food for pregnant and postpartum women can be quite different. Some people may like it, while others literally and figuratively “do not digest” local food. The second group usually asks relatives or friends to bring something delicious to the maternity hospital, but then there is always the question – what can be brought to the hospital with food?
How should food be organized in the maternity hospital?
According to Russian standards, maternity hospitals should provide the following meals: three main meals and 1-2 snacks. In practice, meals are usually limited to breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack or dinner. The main thing is that the food should be rich in vitamins.
When you wonder what you can eat in the maternity hospital after childbirth, you should work through a list of foods that you will prepare before leaving for the maternity hospital while waiting for your baby. Foods should have a balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
What’s for pregnant women, what’s for women in labor?
Yes, we didn’t say postpartum food for nothing. In theory, the nutrition of a pregnant woman and the nutrition of a laboring (and even more so, breastfeeding) mother are far from the same thing. But in fact, the food at the maternity hospital is not much different – the canteen cooks the same for everyone. Often the menu includes products such as borscht. And because it is half-consisting of cabbage, which can cause problems with breast-feeding.
So the mother should still assess what they eat at the hospital after birth, and if you feel that the body literally and figuratively “does not digest” the local food, you can take care of their health and the health of your baby, and ask your relatives to bring you a healthy homemade food.
Dietary Guidelines in the Maternity Hospital
After reading our materials, every mother going to the hospital will be able to orient what to bring with her, and what food can be brought by friends and relatives to the hospital after the birth.
General requirements for maternity food are:
- Low-fat;
- easy to digest;
- low-allergenic;
- does not contribute to gas;
- without flavorings, dyes, flavor enhancers and other additives;
- familiar.
Food to Go.
In our articles we have considered how to eat after the birth of a baby, and more detailed recommendations can give our experts at the consultation. If you are preparing for childbirth and take food to the hospital, then keep in mind these basic recommendations – lean, familiar, easy.
But if you go to the hospital already with contractions, and there is no time to make a list of foods, then choose foods that should be on hand:
- dark chocolate – will help replenish strength after childbirth;
- Several bottles of clean non-carbonated water – just a few and small, so you can drink during labor;
- Snack foods – crackers, breads, marshmallows, cereals.
Nutrition in the maternity hospital immediately after delivery
In the first couple of days, food should be sparing to help mom get back on track with her body’s cleansing regimen. Therefore, it is worth eating soft, viscous food, to give up bread, rice, bananas, as all this can creep.
If there has been a cesarean section or complications in childbirth, the recommendations may be different: follow the doctor’s recommendation.
Do’s and don’ts
We have decided to separate lists of foods that you can and can not eat in the maternity hospital.
You can:
- porridge with water;
- Boiled or baked lean meat and steamed meatballs;
- Low-fat cheese;
- Baked apples and marshmallows;
- Boiled and stewed vegetables;
- low-fat broth or vegetable soups.
No:
- fried, salty, spicy, and smoked foods;
- Most sweets (candy, cakes, pastries);
- mushrooms;
- Raw fruits, vegetables, and berries;
- canned foods, juices and sodas, and store-bought yogurts.
Watch your diet, be guided by common sense, and take care of your health and the health of your baby.
Download the app and get 7 days free use