Becoming a mom is unlike any other experience, but the postpartum period can also be one of the most physically and emotionally challenging times in a new mom’s life. After giving birth, your body goes through a major recovery. Supporting that recovery with proper nutrition, including key minerals like magnesium, can make all the difference in how you feel and heal!
So let’s get into it…
What is Magnesium, and Why Should You Take It?
Magnesium is a vital mineral involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It’s essential for energy production, nerve function, and muscle relaxation. While magnesium is naturally found in foods like leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, many new moms don’t get enough from diet alone, especially postpartum.
During pregnancy, your body uses magnesium to support your growing baby, which can leave your magnesium stores depleted after giving birth. That’s why replenishing magnesium postpartum is important for both recovery and overall well-being.
Benefits of Magnesium for Postpartum
Postpartum recovery is demanding, and magnesium plays a key role in helping new mothers feel their best. Some of the main benefits of magnesium during this time include:
Muscle relaxation
Magnesium helps ease muscle tension, which is especially important for women recovering from labor. Whether you had a vaginal delivery or a C-section, magnesium can help soothe sore muscles and aid recovery.
Stress relief
The early days of motherhood can be stressful, and magnesium supports the nervous system by promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety, making it easier to manage the emotional highs and lows of postpartum life.
Hormone balance
After giving birth, hormone levels like estrogen and progesterone drop dramatically, which can contribute to feelings of fatigue, irritability, and postpartum depression. Magnesium can help stabilize your mood and support a sense of overall calm.
Energy production
Sleepless nights and round-the-clock newborn care can leave you feeling drained. Magnesium plays a crucial role in energy production at the cellular level, which helps you maintain your energy, even when you’re running on less sleep.
Improved sleep
If you’re a mom, you know the struggle of not getting enough sleep. Even when baby is sleeping, it can be hard to truly rest. Magnesium helps regulate melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep, making it easier to relax and enjoy deeper, more restful sleep when you get the chance.
Magnesium and Breastfeeding
For breastfeeding mothers, magnesium is an essential nutrient. While it doesn’t directly boost milk supply, magnesium helps your body handle the physical and emotional demands of nursing.
Magnesium supports proper hydration, which is key for milk production, and can help relieve issues like clogged milk ducts.
Additionally, breastfeeding can deplete your body of minerals, so maintaining proper magnesium levels is crucial to prevent nutrient deficiencies. Magnesium supports your overall well-being during this time so you feel strong and capable of nourishing your baby.
What Type of Magnesium is Best for Women?
Not all magnesium supplements are created equal. Some forms of magnesium can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and contain filler ingredients. For postpartum women, choosing a magnesium supplement that’s easily absorbed and gentle on the stomach is important.
Orthomolecular Reacted Magnesium is an excellent choice because it provides three highly absorbable forms of magnesium: di-magnesium malate, magnesium citrate, and magnesium glycinate. These forms of magnesium ensure that the body can absorb and use the magnesium effectively. This absorption promotes muscle relaxation, healthy blood pressure levels, and glucose regulation, all while being gentle on the digestive system.
By using multiple absorption pathways, Reacted Magnesium helps women restore their magnesium levels without the common side effects like bloating or diarrhea that are sometimes associated with magnesium supplements.
Natural Sources of Magnesium
In addition to supplements, there are plenty of natural food sources of magnesium that you can include in your diet:
- Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale)
- Nuts and seeds (almonds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds)
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Whole grains (quinoa, brown rice)
- Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel)
- Legumes (black beans, lentils)
- Dark chocolate
Incorporating these foods into your meals can help you meet your magnesium needs naturally, supporting your body during the postpartum phase.
When to Start Taking Magnesium Postpartum
It’s a good idea to start focusing on your magnesium intake as soon as possible after giving birth. Your body has been through a lot, and replenishing lost nutrients will help to speed up recovery. If you’re breastfeeding, maintaining proper magnesium levels is especially important, not only for your own health but also to support your milk supply and overall hydration.
Whether you’re getting magnesium through food or supplements, make sure you’re consistently supporting your body’s need for this key mineral.
Postpartum Recovery: Next Steps
Supporting your body with magnesium is just one piece of the postpartum puzzle. At Bloom Well Family Wellness, we focus on holistic chiropractic care that helps regulate your nervous system, relieve stress, and promote overall wellness during this special time. Chiropractic care can help you recover by keeping your body aligned and your nervous system functioning at its best.
If you’re ready to feel more balanced and supported, schedule an appointment with our prenatal and postpartum chiropractor today! Plus, you can order your magnesium supplement through our Fullscript link.
Your wellness matters, and we want to support you every step of the way!
