Nutritional experiences of postpartum mothers - A qualitative study

The postpartum period is crucial for both mother and infant as additional maternal nutrition needs to support the needs of self and that of an infant in the form of adequate breastfeeding. The dietary choices of women during the postpartum period were heavily influenced by traditional cultural beliefs surrounding these periods.

To explore the experiences regarding postpartum nutrition and various nutritional practices during this period.

The study was a community-based cross-sectional qualitative study performed in the urban field practicing area of Government Medical College during the months of October and November 2022 on postnatal mothers who have crossed not more than one month of completion of their postpartum period (first six weeks of delivery).

Two focus group discussions (FGDs) and 15 in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with the postnatal mothers and their caregivers using a pre-prepared semi-structured discussion guide comprising open-ended questions. Each interview/discussion was recorded electronically after taking verbal consent.

The recorded responses were transcribed verbatim and translated into English. The data were analyzed thematically and were grouped into a few broad themes.

Most mothers followed strict dietary restrictions for the first 15 days of delivery. Fruits were avoided by many of the mothers. The mothers took iron-rich foods like jaggery and green leafy vegetables in excess. Protein-rich foods like meat, egg, fish, and dal were avoided by most of the mothers. The beliefs of the mothers and caregivers about various food items were that they may cause ill health to mother and baby, considered as hot and cold foods and also out of ignorance.

Most of the practices were beneficial to the mother and a few of them were harmful like avoiding protein-rich foods, few vegetables, most fruits, and night meals. The harmful nutritional practices can be addressed by educating the mother and also the caregiver who prepares the puerperal diet.