No matter what trimester or month of pregnancy, a miscarriage is one of the worst things that can happen to an expecting mother. It can be grueling to recover from such a traumatic experience, and you will need all the support you can get. Plus, it is important that you recover from the miscarriage physically too. This article can help by providing some foods to eat after miscarriage for fast recovery.
Healing after a miscarriage is not an easy task. Full physical and mental recovery will require, in addition to a proper diet, a lot of emotional support, and plenty of rest. However, for physical recovery, an adequate diet is essential.
Your body will be in a delicate state after a miscarriage, and therefore, needs proper nourishment to return to full health. This article sheds some light on the foods that will help you recover from a miscarriage quickly, and the foods that don’t.
Why Is Diet Important After A Miscarriage?
The time after a miscarriage or an abortion is a time when you have to be careful with your body and work on healing from your ordeal. It’s a difficult time, and your body will be working very hard to get you back fully on your feet.
You will experience loss of blood. Your womb will be busy re-growing its lining. Side effects such as nausea and digestive issues like diarrhea or constipation are commonly experienced by women after a miscarriage.
Your body will also likely still be experiencing the effects of pregnancy hormones. That is why many women still experience food cravings after abortion.
Related Reading: 10 Indian Foods Not To Eat After Abortion
Having an appropriate diet will help alleviate any of the issues you might face that could hinder your recovery. For example, incorporating enough food with dietary fiber will prevent constipation. The proper foods will give you energy so that your body can heal itself faster.
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Some foods will even help boost your mood and help you recover mentally. You will need extra vitamins and minerals to help with the hormones. Avoiding foods that can make you sick will prevent dangerous and unpleasant side effects like diarrhea. For example, spicy food after a miscarriage is not encouraged.
So, what you eat after miscarriage for fast recovery makes a great deal of difference. Similarly what you don’t eat also matters. Your diet can be the difference between a speedy return to health, and a lot of time wasted on preventable side effects.
12 Foods You Should Eat After Miscarriage For Fast Recovery
As mentioned above, it is important for anyone who has just gone through a miscarriage or abortion to have a healthy and adequate diet. However, it can be a bit difficult to navigate a whole new menu for yourself, especially during this trying time. So we are here to help you out with these 12 foods to eat after miscarriage for fast recovery.
1. Eat iron rich foods after a miscarriage
Very often, it is observed that women, after going through a miscarriage, develop anemia or iron deficiency and commonly experience fatigue and exhaustion. This problem is amplified if they go through excessive bleeding as well. So, it is obvious that it is important for anyone who has gone through a miscarriage to consume plenty of iron-rich foods.
There are two types of iron you can consume: heme iron and non-heme iron. Heme iron is usually found in animals while non-heme iron is found in plants. Heme iron is more preferred after a miscarriage, as it is the type of iron that can be absorbed by the body quite quickly.
Some examples of heme iron are:
- Red meat or lean meat
- Seafood
- Poultry
Some examples of non-heme iron are:
- Soybeans
- Dried peaches
- Brown rice
- Dark chocolate
- Green leafy vegetables
- Raisins
- Beans
- Pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds
Remember to try and avoid frying these food items. Cook them well in another way. Grilling, for example, is a better alternative.
2. Include Vitamin C rich food items
Another nutrient you need a lot during this time is vitamin C. Eating foods rich in vitamin C has many advantages. It will help your body absorb iron better. Vitamin C also helps to boost your immune system.
Fruits that are rich sources of Vitamin C include:
- Papaya
- Orange
- Grapefruit
- Strawberry
3. Have foods that lift your mood after a miscarriage
A miscarriage is one of the most traumatic and sorrowful things anyone can experience, and it is probably the worst possible result of a wanted pregnancy. It is common for it to negatively impact the woman’s mental health, and have long-lasting psychological effects. Sometimes, a miscarriage can even lead to depression.
While therapy and emotional support are the most useful in helping with this, there are also some things you can do to help yourself. Eating foods that lift your mood is one of them.
A lack of sufficient magnesium in the diet can be linked to depression. According to studies, eating food that is rich in magnesium helps with speedy recovery from even major depression.
Magnesium also boosts your energy levels and is important for cell repair. So including foods that are rich in magnesium in your diet can lift your mood, increase your energy, and help you heal faster. For these reasons, magnesium-rich foods are must to eat after miscarriage for fast recovery.
Some food items that are rich in magnesium are:
- Nuts
- Whole grains
- Dark chocolate
- Chole
- Avocado
- Beans
- Green leafy vegetables
- Lentils
- Peas
- Chickpeas
Such comfort foods will make it much easier for you to get through this trying time, but remember that it is no alternative for professional help and the support of loved ones. Ensure that you have a support system during this time.
4. Nuts
Nuts are a rich source of several important nutrients. They have several functions that can help you recover faster.
They are rich sources of the following nutrients:
- Vitamin E
- Magnesium
- Fatty acids such as Omega-6 and Omega-3
- Iron
- Folate
- Fiber
Some nuts you can add to your menu are:
- Pista
- Cashews
- Almonds
- Walnuts
If you do not want to eat it fresh, you can also add some to the dishes. That way, you can get all the benefits in a tasty way.
Related Reading: 12 Early Pregnancy Tips To Avoid Miscarriage
However, remember to only consume nuts in moderation as they have a high amount of calories and are rich in fats.
5. Calcium-rich foods
While the body does have its reserves of calcium, it is used up during pregnancy for the growth of the fetus and the development of its heart, muscles, bones, and more1. This means that after a miscarriage, the calcium is also lost.
So it is important to replenish your body’s calcium reserve in order to prevent calcium deficiency. You can do this by eating calcium-rich food after a miscarriage. So if you ask “can I drink milk after abortion”, the answer is yes you can as it is rich in calcium and therefore helps with replenishing the calcium reserve.
Some rich sources of calcium include:
- Green leafy vegetables
- Sardines
- Salmon
- Dairy products
- Dry fruits, like nuts, dates, dry figs, raisins, etc
Eating such foods after a miscarriage will not only give you the benefits of calcium but also restore your lost reserves of it. This means that calcium-rich foods are probably some of the most important food group to eat after miscarriage for fast recovery.
6. Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are not only very helpful for the recovery from a miscarriage, but also help to prevent miscarriage in the future. This statement is supported by several scientific studies. It is proven that women who consume a lot of fruits and vegetables after a miscarriage are 50% less likely to have another one in the future.
Some of the best fruits and vegetables to have during this time are:
- Citrus fruits
- Fruits with a lot of water
- Green leafy vegetables.
7. Folate-rich foods
If you have just gone through a miscarriage, there is a chance that you are planning to try to get pregnant again, after you recover. Your doctor will suggest a timeline your body will need to heal and then you can probably plan a baby again. Eating food that is rich in folate is a good way to help prepare your body for this.
Some folate-rich foods that you can add to your diet are:
- Palak
- Chole
- Avocado
- Green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach
- Citrus fruits
- Lentils
- Broccoli
- Peas
- Ladies’ fingers
- Asparagus, and more.
8. Have protein rich foods after a miscarriage for speedy recovery
Protein is one of the most important nutrients. It has several functions and is especially important during this delicate time. Protein helps the body heal, as the amino acids present in it are crucial for cell repair.
Some foods that are a good source of protein are:
- Eggs
- Seafood
- Poultry
- Lean meat
- Dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Dal
- Chole
- Buckwheat and more
It is necessary to include some of these in your diet and have them regularly post a miscarriage. These are definitely foods to eat after miscarriage for fast recovery.
Related Reading: 10 Common Causes Of Miscarriage
9. Omega-3 rich foods should be a part of diet after miscarriage
Omega-3 is very important for the correct functioning of the body, and is essential for the maintenance of good health. It reduces the density of bad cholesterol in your body and helps to raise the amount of good cholesterol.
Omega-3 can be especially important after a miscarriage or abortion. It helps to fight illnesses such as depression and also prevents inflammation.
Some omega-3 rich foods that you can start eating are:
- Seeds (flax seeds, chia seeds and more)
- Fish (for example, salmon, sardine, tuna, herring, and more)
- Nuts (walnuts, cashews and more)
10. Carbohydrates after miscarriage
A miscarriage makes you weaker. Your body spends a lot of energy during this entire process. Therefore, it is crucial to consume foods that can potentially reload your energy levels. Carbohydrates are the best option as they are one of the major sources of energy in the body.
Here are some of the carbohydrate foods loaded with energy to include in your diet after misaccriage:
- Brown rice
- Whole wheat bread
- Pasta
- Oatmeal
- Quinoa
11. Largely have complete Indian diet after a miscarriage
Having an Indian diet after an abortion or miscarriage can be very beneficial. It will help to improve your overall health and make for a speedier recovery.
Some of the Indian food items you can add to your diet are:
- Channa or chole – it is a rich source of iron and protein.
- Black gram kanji – it helps to strengthen the bones and speeds up your recovery
- Milk with turmeric and dry fruit powder/nut powder – turmeric helps to heal your insides and the powder provides nutrients like iron, calcium, and folic acid
12. Plenty of water is a must after abortion
Keeping your body sufficiently hydrated is one of the most important things to do during this time. For this, you have to drink plenty of fluids.
Not only with this help you heal faster, but not doing it will definitely hinder your recovery. One way to make sure you are adequately hydrated is to check the color of your urine. If it is pale yellow, that means you are hydrated. If it is dark, you should drink more fluids.
It doesn’t have to just be plain water, either. Here are some other ways you can consume fluids:
- Coconut water
- Fruit juice
- Warm broth
- Herbal tea
- Kombucha
- Milk
You may want to avoid coffee after miscarriage, at least for a short amount of time. It contains caffeine, which is a diuretic. It can hinder proper hydration. If you must drink coffee, drink decaf.
Conclusion
A miscarriage is a difficult and traumatic thing for any woman to go through. For fast recovery, you need mental and emotional support and proper maintenance of your body. This includes having the right diet.
A lot of your recovery depends on what you eat. It can even influence the chance of having another miscarriage in the future. You have to do adequate research, and even consult your doctor if you think it necessary, to prepare an appropriate diet.
The above list of foods to eat after miscarriage for fast recoverywill help you in this.
Make sure you receive enough support and positivity from your near and dear ones. Seek professional help if the need arises. Remember that there is nothing to be ashamed of and whatever you are feeling is natural.
All of this will help you recover faster.