“Should I Eat Chicken If I’m Recovering From C-Section?”

Becoming a mother can seem daunting, especially when it’s your first baby. The fear of becoming a mother coupled with the pain of pregnancy is a scary combination, and many mothers can easily feel overwhelmed at times.

Many mothers who have just undergone a caesarean section may be worried about their nutrition and diet. 

Eating the right foods during postnatal confinement can help with recovery and ensure that new mothers get the proper nourishment. 

One of the questions that often comes up is whether it’s OK to eat chicken for those recovering from a c-section. 

Let’s go over why chicken might be beneficial or potentially risky for post-cesarean moms so you can make an informed decision about what to eat 

Post-C-Section Nutrition: Should You Eat Chicken? 

Mothers who do not deliver naturally will usually go through C-section surgery to give birth. This surgery can be challenging and may take a while to recover from, depending on your condition. 

Regardless, taking the necessary care and measures for proper healing from C-sections is important. 

Postnatal Diet

If you are a new mother who has undergone a C-section, you might wonder what kind of foods you should consume. It is important to take foods high in nutrition and protein to help with the speedy delivery of new mothers.

Rest and diet are very important in recovery after C-section delivery. Diet is important for your postpartum recovery and for producing sufficient breast milk for breastfeeding your newborn. 

For the first few months of their life, breast milk is the only source of nutrition for your baby, so you should take care of your diet first and foremost.

“Can I eat chicken after giving birth?”

“Can I drink coffee when breastfeeding?”

“Can I eat beans after C Section?”

Understandably, you may have endless questions about postnatal foods and diet, but at least today, we’ll address one: can you eat chicken after a C-Section?

Throughout our years of serving new mothers, we have gotten quite a number of requests to exclude chicken in their confinement meals, especially for the first two weeks. 

Some people might question why that is so, while others might already be used to hearing this. New moms would normally ask to exclude eggs and chicken from their foods.

We are aware there has been this debate for generations about whether eggs and chicken are okay to consume after C-section delivery. It certainly makes sense that “Can I eat chicken after delivery” is one of the most searched questions by expectant and new mothers on the internet. But why?

Why do some mothers choose not to eat chicken?

There is a false belief that having chicken can slow down healing or cause infection after a surgery. Since the caesarean section is a type of surgery, this belief of avoiding chicken has mothers believe that they should do the same. This is untrue, but we may have to return to the olden days to find out why. 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, some foods are considered fawu, in which some foods are considered not of good quality to eat when your immune system may not be well. It is believed that such foods would cause rash, an allergic reaction or infection if eaten during this period after surgery. 

It should be said then that new mothers also should not handle raw poultry, so perhaps due to the lack of helping hands like a confinement nanny back then, moms were advised to avoid having chicken entirely.

Of course, another completely solid reason is that they are simply not into chicken! At Tian Wei Signature, you are free to remove ingredients completely from your meals if you dislike them. 

That said, we would always advise new mothers to obtain chicken as it is an excellent protein source essential for wound healing. There isn’t any scientific evidence to show that well-handled and cooked chicken would cause any harm, food poisoning or an infection,  just like any experts and dietitians would recommend too.

Benefits of Having Chicken After C Section

Once more, just in case you have been wondering, “Can I eat chicken after C Section” you’re about to get a very pleasant answer! Here are some reasons why chicken can and SHOULD be consumed after C-section delivery.

Chicken is packed with protein, which is essential for healing and recovery. It also contains B vitamins, which aid energy production and keep your skin, muscles, and hair healthy.

Furthermore, chicken contains selenium which is an antioxidant. For more details, here are more detailed benefits of having some chicky chicken:

• Chicken is a good source of protein, and protein is a very important nutrient source when you have undergone a certain surgical procedure. It helps with repairing tissues and building muscles. Foods high in proteins, such as lentils, beans, eggs, and dairy products, are recommended to be consumed after delivery. Therefore, chicken can be consumed after C-section delivery in a reasonable amount to help with the healing process. And, yes, if you were wondering, “Can I eat egg after c-section delivery” you’ll notice that we’ve added eggs to the list of foods high in proteins, so go on ahead and add a few eggs to your diet.
• Chicken is also a good source of iron, which is important for mothers after childbirth and after a caesarean section. For the mother’s body to be supported to replenish blood lost during delivery, the body needs vitamin B12, iron and folate. Chicken helps to provide both Vitamin B12 and iron! Vitamin B12 assists in the production of DNA as well as keeping nerves and red blood cells healthy.
• It is a good alternative to red meat. Compared to white meat and poultry, red meats are less advisable to be taken as the only source of protein because they have saturated fat in high levels. It is healthier to have a diet with lower saturated fat as much as possible. 
• Chicken can be used in broths and soups, which must be taken after birth. They are very rich in amino acids and can help you speed up the recovery process. It is also studied that chicken broths have anti-inflammatory properties that help the body optimise immune function and support recovery.  Compared to processed foods, chicken is a whole food which can be consumed in sufficient quantities. One of the most popular chicken dishes for mothers in confinement is the herbal black chicken soup. Seriously, just look up black chicken soup benefits. Apart from being rich in antioxidants, it is low in cholesterol, thus promoting good heart health – and all these on top of being a good source of vitamins B and E. 

We wish you a speedy postpartum recovery and hope you found this blog useful. Remember, prioritise your health so your baby will have a healthy mother!