My little bundle of joy is here...... and then come the 40 days of restrictions...

The pressures of our society to get married is one of a kind..... Family, relatives and to some extent friends make sure that they ask the same question at every opportunity! The day finally comes when you decide and get married.

And then comes the next bomb......When will you start a family?

After a lot of thinking, planning, when D day finally comes......

All you do is break into a smile.. Eyes well up with tears as you are flooded with emotions....Happiness, Gratitude, Love etc. etc. etc. The moment when you hold the little one in your arms is irreplaceable..... Everything takes a back seat as you want to give the world to your world in your hands.....

This post is dedicated to all mothers who are still in the period of diet restrictions post delivery. Are you overwhelmed by the continuous influx of info from all or are you lost as you don't know what to do and eat... If you have elders at home, half the battle is already won. There may be some conflicts between a mother and a mother-in-law but this post will help solve for that too :)

Please note that the below post is for information purpose only, please follow guidelines as advised by Doctor if applicable. The post is based on South Indian (specifically Tamil Nadu) practices and may differ from region to region.
The diet restriction period may differ but is kept for 40 days normally.

Foods to be avoided:

1. Tuvar/Toor/Arhar Dal and Urad dal- causes gas in newborns and hence best avoided.
2. Root vegetables like Potato, Sweet Potato, Radish, Turnip etc.
3. Sour curd (curd is normally best avoided during dinner time). May cause cold in newborns.
4. Oily food
5. Spicy food (Both oily and spicy food may cause heartburn and further cause a burning sensation in newborns while passing stools.
6. Processed or instant foods.

Foods allowed:

1. Moong Dal - is lighter and easier to digest.
2. Local vegetables (also called 'Naatu' veggies) like Brinjal, Tomato, Spinach etc.
3. All carbs like Rice, Whole Wheat flour, Whole Wheat Bread etc.
4. Digestive spices like Cumin (Jeera), Pepper (Kali Mirch), Caraway seeds (Ajwain), Fenugreek (Methi seeds and leaves), Turmeric powder (Haldi).

Must have foods which increase breast milk production naturally:

1. Drumstick leaves (Murungai Illai)- Toss a handful in half a teaspoon oil and have daily along with meals.
2. Raw Cottage Cheese (Paneer)- Good source of calcium for bones and teeth, have anytime as a snack or with meals sprinkled with salt and pepper.
3. Garlic pods- Can be roasted in little oil or boiled with milk till it reduces to half consistency.

Important points:

• Food should be prepared fresh always.
• In case you wash your hair, ensure to dry it properly else newborn may catch a cold along with you.
• Sleep when the little one sleeps, may sound boring as we have heard it many times, but trust me, it works.....
• Don't take too much stress as it will affect your lactation.
• Reach out for help always, do not expect people to understand and offer help always.

Hope this post is useful for all the lovely new moms out there along with expecting ones...

Love

Shalini