You're postpartum, so why are you still taking a prenatal?

March 11, 2020

Many women are directed to continue taking their prenatal vitamin after they deliver, especially if they are breastfeeding. However - a female body that’s recovering from childbirth and producing breast milk are different than a body that’s growing a baby.

Be sure to ask your doctor about the vitamins and supplements you are currently taking and seek their counsel on what is best for you as you face postpartum recovery and begin your breastfeeding journey.

Important Vitamins for Postpartum and Breastfeeding Women:

Let’s talk about some of the vitamins and minerals that can become especially important for a postpartum, breastfeeding mom:

VITAMIN A is known for its importance on visual health and immune function yet Vitamin A deficiency is common in many parts of the world. Furthermore babies are generally born with low stores of Vitamin A. The World Health Organization cites that a mother consuming Vitamin A is valuable for not only her but also her baby by way of her breast milk.
VITAMIN C is great for your immune system and repairing tissue, you know - the kind that might need to be repaired after having a baby ;). Being sick is about the last thing that a breastfeeding mom has time for so give your body a fighting chance with a strong immune system.
OMEGA-3 fatty acids found in fish oil are good for baby’s neurological development by way of mom’s breastmilk and preliminary studies indicate that these fatty acids also have an antidepressant effect for postpartum moms. Omega 3 fats are not synthesized by the body meaning they must be obtained from your diet. So if baby’s diet is your breastmilk, then your baby’s consumption of DHA and EPA, the two most important fatty acids, is reliant upon your intake.
BIOTIN, known to prevent hair loss and to support strong nails can help the many women who experience postpartum hair loss a few months after delivering. It also metabolizes at a faster rate in lactating women, suggesting that breastfeeding moms may need more than the typical recommended amount.
VITAMIN D deficiency is more common than ever. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression and its symptoms are muscle weakness, pain, fatigue, and depression. Most people recognize vitamin D for healthy bones but it actually plays an important role for not only physical health but mental health as well. Helping to regulate your mood is just one example. Similar to Omega-3’s, a breastfeeding mother’s Vitamin D deficiency will result in a deficiency for baby, too.

There’s a lot to consider about your diet and nutrition when you’re planning to be the sole source of your baby’s food supply.

It can be overwhelming. Save yourself the panicked trip to your local vitamin shop and from staring blankly at a wall of supplements. We took the guesswork out for you by simplifying these nutrients into our convenient daily regimen which includes a postnatal vitamin with these needs in mind plus a lactation supplement featuring traditionally used galactagogues and adaptogenic herbs like shatavari to support your breastmilk production. The combination of the postnatal multivitamin and the lactation supplement offer you the best of both worlds - plentiful nutritious milk that holds sustenance for your little one.