Bone Broth: Healing the postpartum body with deeply nourishing food

After birth, a mother’s body is deeply depleted. Blood loss, hormonal shifts, broken sleep, stretched tissues… rest and repair is needed.

In traditional cultures, new mothers were protected, cocooned, and nourished with warm, easy-to-digest foods like slow-cooked broths and stews to rebuild strength, restore warmth, and support healing. In the western world, this wisdom was lost somewhere along the way and mothers were led to believe that “bouncing back” and performing mattered more than gentle recovery. Thankfully, that narrative is beginning to change.

Somewhere along the way, western culture began to overlook this essential healing window, and mothers have been led to believe that “bouncing back” and performing matters more than gentle recovery. Thankfully this narrative is changing as we understand that proper nourishment during postpartum is vital, not just for energy and healing, but for long-term health and wellness.

As a postnatal doula, I see the importance of deeply nourishing food and bone broth is one of my go-to staples for new mothers,

Why bone broth is so supportive after birth:

• Supports tissue repair with collagen & gelatin

• Replenishes minerals lost during pregnancy & birth

• Easy to digest when appetite, digestion and nervous system is fragile

• Hydrating and rich in electrolytes

• Contains glycine, a calming amino acid that supports with stress, sleep, and hormonal balance

  
  

Collagen = postpartum gold Pregnancy and birth significantly deplete collagen stores. Bone broth offers collagen in its whole-food form, alongside the nutrients your body needs to actually absorb and use it — something supplements alone can’t do as effectively.

Hormones, mood & resilience Postpartum hormone shifts can feel intense. While food isn’t a cure-all, warm bone broth gently supports the liver, nervous system, and gut — all key players in emotional wellbeing during this transition.

For breastfeeding mums Bone broth provides protein, calcium, magnesium, and gelatin in a form that’s easy to consume — especially on days when cooking feels impossible.

Simple ways to use it postpartum:

• Keep it in a thermos to sip throughout the day

• Use as a base for quick soups or stews

• Cook rice or grains in broth

  
  

Your body has done something extraordinary. It deserves rest, warmth, and nourishment.