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Feeding takes more out of you than the last months of pregnancy did, and almost nobody warns you. Eat more than you think you need, drink more than you think you need, and do not diet in these weeks whatever anyone tells you.
Eat more of these
| What it gives you | Foods | How much a day |
|---|---|---|
| Iron — rebuilding | Bajra and jowar rotla · methi and palak · sprouted moong · til and gur · dry anjeer and khajur · beetroot | You lost blood at the birth and you are rebuilding. Keep the iron foods up for at least three months, and keep taking the tablet for as long as you are told to. |
| Calcium | Milk, dahi and chaas · paneer · ragi rotla and porridge · til ladu · ragda and rajma · green shaak | About 1,200 mg a day while feeding — more than in pregnancy. If you do not take enough, your milk still gets it and your bones pay for it. |
| Protein | Moong, toor, chana and urad dal · paneer · dahi · sprouts · peanuts, badam and kaju · eggs and fish if you eat them | About 17 g a day more than usual in the first six months of feeding. Dal at both meals, plus paneer or sprouts, plus a handful of nuts. |
| Fluids, if feeding | Water · chaas · milk · thin dal and soup · nariyal pani | Keep a filled glass wherever you feed — you will be thirsty every time. Roughly 10–12 glasses a day. Dark urine means you are behind. |
A day laid out
An example, not a rule. Swap anything for something similar you actually like — a chart you will not follow is worth nothing.
| When | Example |
|---|---|
| On waking | A big glass of water and 8–10 soaked badam. You will be thirstier than you expect for the first few weeks. |
| Breakfast | Methi thepla with dahi · or ragi porridge with gur · or moong dal chilla. Eat it even if you are not hungry — feeding burns through more than the last months of pregnancy did. |
| Mid-morning | Milk or chaas, a fruit, and a til or dry-fruit ladu if you have them in the house. This is the traditional practice and it is a sound one. |
| Lunch | Bajra or jowar rotla · dal · green shaak · kachumber with lemon · dahi. A full meal, not a snack. |
| Evening | Sprouts · roasted chana · khakhra with dahi · or a handful of nuts. Something you can eat with one hand while feeding. |
| Dinner | Khichdi and kadhi · or rotli, dal and shaak. Keep something easy to hand for the night — most women are genuinely hungry at 3am in these weeks. |
Be careful with
Do not start a weight-loss diet in these weeks. Your body is repairing and, if you are feeding, supplying a baby. Weight comes later.
There is no food you must avoid while feeding as a blanket rule. If your baby is consistently unsettled after you eat something specific, mention it — but do not cut out whole food groups on someone's advice.
Phone us, do not wait for your next visit
Bleeding that soaks a pad in an hour or gets heavier · fever · severe or worsening pain · a red, hot, painful area on a breast with feeling unwell · pain, redness or swelling in one calf · severe headache with visual changes · a wound turning red, hot or discharging.
+91 92651 48616 — answered 24 hours.
Weekly tracker
Fill it in here, or print it and write on it. Bring it to your next visit — these are the things your consultant will ask about.
| Day | Iron tablet | Calcium | Water | Rest | Anything to mention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | |||||
| Tuesday | |||||
| Wednesday | |||||
| Thursday | |||||
| Friday | |||||
| Saturday | |||||
| Sunday |
General guidance for this stage, not a plan written for you. Written by Dr. Jigna Jasoliya, Gujarat Medical Council G/25348, last checked September 2026.
Quantities follow the ICMR-NIN Recommended Dietary Allowances for Indians (2020) and the ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024). Your iron dose is set from your own haemoglobin, not from this chart.