Nourishing New Moms Through Traditional Foods

A NEW MOM OFTEN FEELS A HEIGHTENED SENSE of responsibility to optimally care for her baby, coupled with “the baby blues” and unending tasks on her to-do list. This is a time when many new parents become vulnerable to many health challenges including depression, and burnout, among others. No wonder many cultures across the globe engage in certain postnatal customs to tend to the new mom while celebrating the arrival of the newborn. These practices around postnatal care are geared towards ensuring the new mom receives adequate care and nourishment so that she can fully recover, become healthier, and better cater to the needs of her newborn.

Since welcoming my newborn in the summer of this year, I felt a significant difference in how I have recovered, compared to my previous pregnancies and deliveries. During my first six weeks postpartum, I felt well taken care of. I received overwhelming support from family and friends who all encouraged me to rest while they took care of the baby. Friends from different cultures visited and showered me with their various traditional postpartum foods. I have enjoyed Rfissa and Embassla from my Algerian and Moroccan friends. It is almost as if my Nigerian friend, Dr. Abidat Lawal, knew I craved real cultural foods when she showed up the very next day at the hospital where I delivered my baby with hands full of freshly made food to last me a couple of days after delivery. These included Amala, Ewedu Soup, and some fresh fish stew. She even added Ogi and Moin Moin, which are known in western Nigeria to promote healing, increase milk supply, and restore the new mother’s health.

The postpartum period is a time for new moms to recover from childbirth, and many cultures across the globe enjoy specific postpartum foods and rituals to help new moms accomplish this. During my conversations with some Muslim women from different cultures, it was found that nursing mothers enjoy specific foods due to customs and traditions passed down from earlier generations.

When my neighbor, Raoushan Ummulwara visited me and my newborn, she told me how Panjiri helped her maintain a constant milk supply as a new mom and busy professional. According to her, nursing mothers in India have consumed Panjiri during postpartum for centuries. It has warming and healing properties and supports the new mom on her healing journey. Luckily, I was able to purchase homemade Panjiri from a local neighbor who makes it with wholesome, organic, and traditional ingredients. I consume a few teaspoons daily, and it’s been very helpful for my milk supply.

Panjiri is a traditional South Asian sweet dish made from assorted nuts, seeds, and semolina, lightly toasted in ghee and ground to a coarse and crunchy mix. Other optional ingredients include sugar, tragacanth gum, coconut, cardamom, and dried dates.

When Eman Mahmood, mother of four became a parent, she enjoyed some of the nourishing cultural foods and drinks popular in her Egyptian culture. According to her, new moms and their guests are treated to a very rich nutritious drink called Mughat. Mughat is a popular herb in many countries, such as the Arab countries and Iran. The Mughat drink is made from Mughat powder (ground Mughat roots), ground fenugreek, and aromatic spices. It is added to natural ghee and sesame and roasted until a delicious nutty smell fills the air. “When we smell this delicious drink coming from a house, we know a newborn is there!” Fenugreek is known to increase milk supply for nursing mothers and also helps with uterus contractions after birth. In addition to Mughat, new mothers drink plenty of steeped fenugreek seeds sweetened with natural honey. “My mother and sisters made a giant thermos for me daily starting directly after birth!”

Nezha Mebarkia is from Algeria and a mother of four children living in Tomball, Texas. She recalls the postpartum experience of a new mom involves spending at least a whole week resting and recovering. “Depending on the customs of each region, female relatives and friends usually prepare traditional food that helps promote healing, and recovery, and establish a good breast milk supply. These foods typically include soups and broths containing spices like turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, anise seeds, a lot of fish, meat, and chicken tagines, as well as snacks like Sellou, a mixture of various nuts, seeds, toasted sesame seeds, and wheat, or Embassla and Tommina, that contain toasted semolina with honey, butter, and dates. My favorite was Embassla!”

Sihame Yousfi, originally from Morocco and now living in Spring, Texas, shared, “Every nursing mom in Morocco enjoys Rfissa.” When her youngest son was born, her mother traveled from Morocco to prepare this traditional dish for her. It is a postpartum meal made with shredded roti, chicken, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, lentils, and some herbs like parsley and cilantro. The fenugreek seeds in this meal are essential for building milk supply. “When my sisters and sister-in-law delivered, I watched my mom prepare it for them.” According to her, barley soup is also encouraged and prepared for new moms. It includes cubed meats, onion, garlic, green peas, spices turmeric, ginger, pepper, salt, some celery, and any other vegetables of choice. Other foods known to increase milk supply include black seeds with honey, dates, apricots, bananas, and nuts like almonds. “We are told to avoid caffeine in terms of coffee, and sodas.”

It is also interesting to find that many of these cultures share similarities in the ingredients used, such as fenugreek, semolina, and spices like turmeric. These are encouraged for nursing mothers to help stimulate lactation.

The Quran underscores the significance of breastfeeding, recommending a period of up to two years: “Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period]” (Quran 2:233). This guidance not only recognizes the nutritional and emotional benefits of breastfeeding but also the importance of the bond it fosters between mother and child. Islam further encourages Muslims to consume what is permissible and pure (halal and tayyib) from God’s blessings, while abstaining from all that is forbidden and impure (haram). This principle is particularly relevant for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, whose dietary choices directly impact their own well-being and that of their babies. Additionally, this guidance reflects the importance Islam places on child development and maternal health, supporting a foundation of care, compassion, and health consciousness during early childhood.

Among the many foods mentioned in the Quran is the date fruit. Dates hold a lot of significance in Islam. It was a favorite fruit of the Prophet (ﷺ). For this reason, he encouraged Muslims to break their fasts with dates. Maryam (عليها السلام) the mother of Prophet Isa (عليه السلام) was also commanded by God to eat some dates to ease the pain from labor. Muslims all over the world have always enjoyed this fruit in their diets. A 2021 article by Thanawang Modepeng et al. published in the Journal of Medicine showed that the consumption of fresh dates is highly beneficial for women during pregnancy. It’s been found to be a popular natural galactagogue (lactation inducer) among breastfeeding Muslim women. This means that date fruit consumption was found to promote and increase breastmilk quantity in breastfeeding mothers. In addition, these fruits are rich in vitamins, and minerals like potassium, folate, and iron which are beneficial for both the mom-to-be and the fetus. They’re also rich in antioxidants that protect the body from cell damage.

Most cultural and religious food recommendations typically provide the breastfeeding mom with the nutrients she needs for a nutritious and balanced diet. The current medical recommendations encourage breastfeeding moms to make healthy food choices and eat a variety of foods. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the body needs extra calories to make milk. Therefore, a nursing mom should consume an additional 340-400 calories from nutrient-dense foods for more energy and also to fuel milk production. The breastfeeding period is not the time to focus on losing baby weight; instead, the priority should be on nourishing both mom and baby. The weight loss will happen gradually over time.

Safia Hussain, a Registered Dietitian and Lactation Consultant in Houston, Texas, emphasizes the importance of maintaining optimal nutrition postpartum. “Oftentimes, you may get so focused on feeding and caring for your baby that you forget to feed yourself. Keep snacks nearby while you nurse or breastfeed. The best way to maintain your breastmilk supply is to feed your baby when they are hungry or express breastmilk if you miss a feeding session. This may occur 8-12 times in a 24-hour period during the first 3-4 months and around 8 times a day for babies 4 months and older.” She advises parents to feed their babies based on hunger cues rather than timing feeds strictly three hours apart, as most breastfeeding babies will show hunger cues much earlier. According to Hussain, you can assess whether your baby is getting enough breastmilk by monitoring the number of wet diapers, weight gain, and overall behavior. There is no need to eat anything special to produce breastmilk. If you choose to consume cultural foods that are believed to “increase breastmilk supply,” remember that these foods provide overall nutrition, just like other meals and snacks.

She recommends that breastfeeding moms limit their caffeine intake to 2-3 cups of coffee (8 oz. each) or 2-3 cups of chai brewed for a few minutes, keeping caffeine consumption to a maximum of 300 mg per day. It’s also important to check labels on other caffeinated beverages, such as energy drinks, which can contain high amounts of caffeine. Fish is an excellent source of healthy fats that support brain development in babies but should be limited to 12 oz. per week. Avoid fish high in mercury, including bigeye tuna, king mackerel, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, and tilefish. The CDC advises that abstaining from alcohol is the best choice for breastfeeding mothers, which aligns with the Islamic prohibition of alcohol for Muslims.

Dr. Bukola Shukrah Azeez, a nurse practitioner in Houston, Texas, emphasizes the importance of staying hydrated while breastfeeding. “You will notice more breast milk when mom is adequately hydrated. Warm fluids work better for me. I love my tea in the mornings and throughout the day. Most importantly, lots of water!”

The postpartum period is a time for the new mom to nourish and focus on recovery. She needs to focus on self-care in terms of healthy food choices, staying hydrated, and getting lots of rest for as long as she is breastfeeding. According to Dr. Azeez, the breastfeeding mom also needs to get plenty of rest between feeding and caring for the baby. “It is okay to express milk to have another member of the family feed the baby, especially the father, if he is in the picture, to create some bonding time for dad and the baby.”

Omolara Funmilayo is the owner of nourishedsupermom.com. She is a certified nutrition and holistic wellness coach. She supports her clients by giving them the tools they need for transformation in health and wellness for themselves and their families.