Why is Diet Important After an Abortion?

Things don’t always go according to plan. That’s just how life is, you know? Whether it was by choice or because there were some complications, we’re here. Whether it was the right choice or not, that really isn’t the most pressing worry at this point in time. What’s more important is where we go from here and, more importantly, how we get there.

Yes, that’s what we’ll be looking at in today’s article – the road to recovery after an abortion. More specifically, we’ll be looking at why diets are vital to your…well…vitality. 

Let’s put this out there – It is always good to eat well. That is, after all, how one recuperates and recovers well. What this means is that you’ll have to have healthy, balanced meals with sufficient protein and iron-rich foods during this period of time in order to support your body. 

Now, you might ask, “why is it important to ‘support’ my body? I cannot just continue living life like normal and put this all behind me and forget about it meh?”

Well, you could, if you were so inclined. What we are more worried about is the unseen health tolls that are currently stressing your body as we speak.

Sure, you may think you feel fine now and a couple days’ rest will get you back to normal. However, there’s the whole issue of blood and fluid loss that we need to address…which brings us to our first point of today’s article.

Recover from blood loss and fluid loss

If there’s a time that you need to recover and regenerate your blood that isn’t caused by a meeting with Dracula, this would be it. 

It is by UKHealthcare said that after an abortion, it is normal to experience vaginal bleeding for around two weeks afterwards and sometimes longer depending on how far along the pregnancy was before the termination.

Now, how do you recover from blood loss? Here’s a pro-tip – Iron rich foods! Did you know that Iron is used by your body to build new red blood cells? Now, before you go inhaling a bunch of iron filings, what your body needs is ionic iron and not those kinds of metals. Some iron-rich sources of food include organ meats like liver, legumes, and spinach (now we know why Popeye was so strong).

As for fluid loss, on the other hand, it’s not uncommon in abortions. Hydrating well is important to avoid health issues like constipation, headache, fatigue, confusion, etc. If, on the other hand, you would want something tastier than plain water, might we suggest our Tian Wei range of recovery boosting soups? They’ll certainly whet your whistle.

This talk about soups actually brings us to our next point:

Recover energy loss

Well, who can say no to hearty soups and a warm meal, right? 

Depending on how far along you were in the pregnancy, abortions can take up quite a bit of energy.

Now, this might seem counterintuitive for ladies, but Carbohydrates are the most readily available form of energy. Yes, we can hear your groaning from here even as we were typing that, but carbs really aren’t the enemy here. In fact, they’re a much needed source of energy your body needs right now.

Go with wholegrains to provide yourself with a more sustainable energy boost throughout the day as opposed to refined carbohydrates that you’ll usually find in the form of desserts, sweet drinks, etc…you know, to avoid a sugar spike and a sugar crash…those don’t feel nor look pretty when they do happen. 

Speaking of looking and feeling pretty, that brings us to the following point:

Promote smoother recovery process

Let’s talk a second about inflammations. Yeah, those aren’t pretty to look at nor to feel. That’s why one of the reasons why paying attention to your diet is important right now is that you want to avoid having foods that can further worsen your inflammation(s).

Now, if you’re wondering what’s this inflammation we’re talking about, well, it’s your post-abortion wound. That is an inflammation in and of itself. Having a diet rich in antioxidants helps to reduce this which, in turn, promotes a smoother recovery. 

A dietary practice that may aggravate and prolong inflammation is a diet with a frequent consumption of refined sugars, trans fats and saturated fats. A diet that contains such foods are typically found in fast foods, junk foods, deep fried foods, and sweet desserts…just to name a few (yes, we know, why are things that are so good also so bad?).

Therefore, limiting or even avoiding them as much as possible during this phase may be helpful indeed. Try, instead, to fill up your diet with antioxidant rich foods which are commonly found in fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

A bit of dietary trivia provided by our in-house dietitian (yes, we’re the sort of Confinement Food Catering outfit that has their own in-house professional dietitian to guide our award winning chef and even our articles) to give you a quick run down on the compounds you should be looking for as such unsaturated fats and fibre that help to promote good gut bacteria and antioxidants in the gut which in turn supports the immune system during this recovery process:

• Omega 3-DHA promotes anti-inflammation
• Omega 9 from olive oil is also anti-inflammatory
• Soluble and insoluble fibre from wholegrains, vegetables and fruits

Talking about anti-inflammatory, the next bit is about…well…not so inflamed internal plumbing.

Prevent constipation

Constipation will add further stress to your wound, so it’s important to make sure you have enough water and fibre intake to prevent constipation. This also goes hand in hand with the earlier topic of hydration, by the way.

A good rule of thumb is to fill about half of your plate with vegetables for every meal. Some great options are the aforementioned spinach, beans, seeds, and soy products which also contain iron which also goes hand in hand with the earlier topic of iron-rich foods, by the way.

Now, we understand that it’s a lot to take in and you may not be in the mood for eating all of those things right now. However, our next point might perk you right up:

Mood Lightening Foods

Yeah, we all need time to process and adapt to changes, especially now since your body has gone through this shock to the system. Mental health is multifactorial, especially depression. However, having the right foods in your diet at this time can help lift your mood during this period. How it works is still very much uncertain, but researchers have found an interesting trend between Omega 3-DHA intakes or fish intake with risk of depression in women. The higher the intake, the lesser the risk of depression during pregnancy or postpartum.

Well, let’s start off with the basics in that Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients which can’t be produced by the body and therefore need to come from your diet. This can be incorporated with seafood like salmon, oysters, tuna, and sardines.

Apart from reducing depression, it is also said to help in protecting eye health, reducing inflammation, and improving heart health.

Closing words

With your body still recovering, paying attention to what you should and should not consume after abortion can be stressful. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could work with a dietitian to plan your daily meals? Tian Wei Signature confinement food catering is available to you. 

We serve nutritious and nourishing confinement meals under the supervision of our in-house dietitian to aid in your recuperation. Our menu offers a variety of fusion and traditional Chinese postpartum meals and confinement soup delivery, so you won’t get tired of eating the same thing every day.

You can also leave out various food elements in your meals, depending on your preferences. You can, for example, avoid lactogenic foods, chicken, eggs, herbs, and any other ingredients that you do not want to consume.

Yes, we provide daily lunch and dinner confinement meals delivery services to your door. Your daily meals are served in thermal flasks, biodegradable packaging, and a thermal bag, ensuring that you always have warm and fresh meals.

We understand that this is not an easy time in your life, and what you are experiencing right now may seem to linger forever. Moving forward, the most essential thing you should focus on at this point is recovering your health and well-being. So, take care of your diet, seek help from others, and, most importantly, treat yourself with greater tolerance, kindness, and empathy.