Enter your baby's date of birth to see what is usual for your body this week, your check-ups, how much extra to eat if you are breastfeeding, and the warning signs to watch for. Based on Indian guidance from MoHFW, ICMR-NIN and FOGSI.
Two questions often used by doctors. Your answers stay on your device.
Go to a hospital straight away (call 108, or 102 for free transport for mothers in most states) if you have:
See a doctor the same day if you have:
Across India, new mothers traditionally rest for about 40 days after delivery, some families for 45 days or longer. It goes by many names, such as jaapa in parts of north and west India and baanantana in Karnataka. Rest, good food and help from family are at the heart of it, and doctors agree with all three.
Some customs, like cutting down on water, fruit, vegetables or solid food, are not needed. ICMR-NIN (2024) says there is no need to avoid foods because of such beliefs: a new mother needs more food and fluids, not less.
ICMR-NIN's suggested daily amounts for a breastfeeding mother of about 55 kg with a mostly sedentary routine, in the first 6 months. Amounts are raw weights; adjust cereals and pulses to your weight and activity.
| Food group | Per day |
|---|---|
| Cereals and millets | 260 g (250 g after 6 months) |
| Pulses and beans | 85 g |
| Green leafy vegetables | 150 g |
| Other vegetables | 200 g |
| Roots and tubers | 100 g |
| Fruits | 150 g |
| Nuts and seeds | 40 g |
| Milk or curd | 400 ml |
| Fats and oils (including ghee) | 35 g |
That adds up to about 2,250 kcal a day (about 2,200 after 6 months). Drink plenty of fluids too: ICMR-NIN advises over 2 litres a day, such as water, milk, buttermilk and soups. Avoid tobacco and alcohol, and take medicines or herbal remedies only on a doctor's advice.
| Food | What the evidence says |
|---|---|
|
Methi (fenugreek) laddus, methi water, in dal |
Widely used to support breast milk, but studies are small and a Cochrane review (2020) rated the evidence very low certainty. Large amounts can upset the stomach and may lower blood sugar. Check with your doctor if you have diabetes, take blood thinners such as warfarin, or are allergic to peanuts or chickpeas. |
|
Aliv / halim (garden cress) seeds laddus, kheer |
A traditional strength food after delivery. The seeds contain iron, but they do not replace the iron tablets your doctor prescribes. Traditionally avoided during pregnancy. |
|
Dry ginger (saunth) and ajwain panjiri, laddus, ajwain water |
Traditionally used for digestion and gas. Normal amounts in food are fine; there is little research on their effect after childbirth. |
|
Gond (edible gum) gond laddus, panjiri |
A traditional energy food, usually made with plenty of ghee and sugar. Enjoy in moderation. |
|
Ragi (finger millet) porridge, malt, rotis |
One of the richest cereal sources of calcium (Indian Food Composition Tables, 2017), useful while breastfeeding. |
|
Ghee, nuts and dry fruits laddus, halwa |
Energy-dense and handy when you are hungry between feeds. ICMR-NIN suggests about 35 g of fats and oils and 40 g of nuts a day in total. |
|
Shatavari some lactation cookies and powders |
An Ayurvedic herb traditionally used during breastfeeding. Good-quality studies are limited. |
In the first two weeks many mothers feel weepy, anxious or irritable. These "baby blues" are common and usually pass on their own. If low mood, worry or loss of interest lasts longer than two weeks, or feels heavy, it may be postpartum depression. About 1 in 5 mothers in India has it (Bulletin of the WHO, 2017), and it can be treated.
Seeing or hearing things others don't, strange new beliefs, or feeling very confused or agitated in the first days or weeks can be postpartum psychosis, which is rare but an emergency: go to a hospital straight away.
Talk to your doctor, or call Tele-MANAS on 14416 (or 1800-891-4416). It is the government's free mental health helpline, open 24 hours, in around 20 languages. If you have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call 112 or go to the nearest hospital now.
You can get pregnant again before your first period comes back. Breastfeeding alone protects you only if all three are true: your periods have not returned, your baby has only breast milk, day and night, and your baby is under 6 months (FOGSI). Once any one of these changes, you need another method. If you give any formula, or are not breastfeeding, you can get pregnant as early as 3 to 4 weeks after birth, so ask about a method before then. A copper-T (PPIUCD) can be fitted soon after delivery, before you leave hospital.
ICMR-NIN advises about 600 kcal and about 14β17 g of protein a day more than usual in the first 6 months, and about 520 kcal and 11β13 g more from 6 to 12 months. If you also give formula, you need somewhat less.
Yes. The discharge (lochia) is red for the first few days, turns pinkish-brown, then yellowish-white, and usually stops by about 6 weeks. See a doctor if it gets heavier, turns bright red again after it had lightened, or smells bad.
Gentle walking can start soon after delivery, as your doctor allows. Wait for your doctor's go-ahead, usually at the 6-week check, before harder exercise. After a caesarean, avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby until then.
Yes. Indian guidelines advise continuing iron-folic acid and calcium tablets for about 6 months after delivery, as your doctor prescribes. Take them at different times of the day, as calcium reduces how much iron you absorb.
No. Everything is worked out on your device. Only if you sign up for updates do we keep your email, number and your baby's birth month, and only for those messages.
