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Postpartum Nutrition

Meaning

Postpartum Nutrition is the critical, specialized dietary strategy focused on meeting the unique and often elevated nutritional demands of a person during the period immediately following childbirth, which often extends through the duration of lactation. This comprehensive nutritional approach aims to rapidly replenish maternal nutrient stores that were significantly depleted during pregnancy, support the intense processes of tissue healing and physical recovery, stabilize the rapidly fluctuating postpartum hormones, and provide adequate caloric and micronutrient intake to sustain high-quality milk production. Optimal postpartum nutrition is a foundational determinant of both long-term maternal and infant health.