Why New Moms Feel So Drained (It’s Not Just Lack of Sleep)
2 Nov 2026
Postpartum recovery seems difficult because of breastfeeding your baby, lack of sleep, body stress, and hormonal changes. So here are few things that you need to keep in mind if you are a new mom.
When a new mom does not eat well the body’s stored nutrients and energy is depleted to maintain the quality of the breast milk. The mother’s body treats the infant’s nutritional needs as the absolute priority.
There is blood loss during the vaginal birth along with infant’s needs, the iron stores are depleted, which leads to iron deficiency and iron deficiency results in drained energy, tiredness all the day and muscle weakness.
So focus, for the foods that are rich in iron like dark green leafy vegetables, dal, lentils, sesame seeds, garden cress seeds and always remember to pair these sources with vitamin C as vitamin C increases the absorption of iron in the body and avoid consuming tea or coffee with iron rich sources as it hinders the iron absorption in the body.
When the new moms feel drained and less energetic they naturally crave for sugary foods like pastries, muffins, donuts, ultra-processed foods and sugary snacks, no doubt the foods gives instant energy, but what about the energy crash later on? Later in the day you crave more sugar because of the glucose dip, and loop goes on and on.
So instead of choosing sugary foods or snacks, always choose a seasonal fruit and pair it with nuts and seeds or peanut butter so you get carbohydrate + protein + healthy fats in one snack and at the same time it will keep you full.
Remember hydration is also important when you are breast feeding your baby because the breast milk is 90% water and your baby gets hydration from the breast milk itself.
So hydration with electrolytes is a must, this will prevent you from getting headaches, muscel fatigue and exhaustion.
Include natural coconut water, soups, a pinch of rock salt in water as it not only provides hydration but also cellular hydration as well.
Other than this there are some essential nutrients like Vitamin D & B12 which are essential for energy production and for good mood. These nutrients are found in eegs, chicken, fish , dark green leafy vegetables.
Omega 3 fatty acids for fetal brain development. Include sources like fatty fish, walnuts, flaxseeds in the diet.
And third nutrient is magnesium, magnesium deficiency is linked to disturbed sleep, muscle weakness and fatigue all the day. For this include sources like dark chocolate (70%), green vegetables, pumpkin seeds.
The past nine months have involved your body working on the growth of your child while putting your own physical resources aside. Feeding yourself is not one more thing on the never-ending to-do list; it is providing your body with the tools to fix itself. Be patient with yourself, be kind to yourself, and give yourself the energy you need.