Last Updated on August 29, 2025
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Most new moms expect some sleep deprivation, but don’t get the essential diet breastfeeding tips to avoid the low energy, postpartum anxiety, brain fog, and mood swings.
If you’re stuck struggling with these or even can’t get postpartum weight loss moving in the right direction, you might have what’s called “postpartum depletion” that can linger for years if not addressed.
And it stems from not knowing the best foods for postpartum!
Shockingly, up to 90% of moms are unintentionally under-eating, having a difficult time putting many of the breastfeeding tips from friends into action.
Postpartum depletion is a big deal, potentially digging your health a deeper and deeper hole with each pregnancy, while doctors and society normalize being tired, depressed, and unable to lose weight postpartum.
Joining me to discuss postpartum nutrition and breastfeeding tips to help your body heal post-baby is Brooke Miller, RD. After the birth of her first son, Brooke was exhausted, anxious, depleted, and didn't feel like herself mentally or physically.
Once she realized how much nutrition impacts postpartum health, she was able to reach her healthiest weight, make more than enough milk for her son, and have a stable mood and energy throughout the day (even when sleep-deprived). As a Registered Dietitian and Certified Lactation Counselor, her mission is to help other moms do the same.
In this episode, we explore how the physical and emotional demands of pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding can leave your body depleted of critical postpartum essential nutrients. You’ll hear why symptoms like low milk supply, mood instability, and constant fatigue often stem from deeper imbalances.
Or, listen on your favorite app: iTunes (Apple Podcasts) | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn | Subscribe on Android
In This Episode:
- What is postpartum depletion — and how long can it last?
- Why 90% of new moms struggle with postpartum weight loss
- The nutrient deficiencies linked to postpartum anxiety + depression
- Most DEPLETED postpartum vitamins + nutrients
- When postpartum depression ISN’T something to ignore
- Breastfeeding tips on postpartum essentials like protein intake
- When to ask for labs postpartum (and what to ask for)
- Blood sugar imbalances — how they impact mood, energy and milk supply
Quotes
“Postpartum depletion can last up to a decade if you don't replenish your body properly.”
“Your nutrient needs are highest postpartum… even higher than pregnancy.”
Links
Find Brooke online | Instagram
BROOKE’S FREE WORKSHOP → JOIN HERE
Healthy Skin Show ep. 065: Why Protein Is Good For Your Skin (And Solving Skin Rashes)
Healthy Skin Show ep. 298: How To Tell If Your Blood Sugar Is A Mess w/ Erin Holt
396: Breastfeeding Tips To Beat Postpartum Anxiety, Fatigue + Weight Gain (Best Foods For Postpartum Weight Loss) w/ Brooke Miller, RD {FULL TRANSCRIPT}
Jennifer Fugo (00:24.885)
Brooke, I am so excited to have you here on the Healthy Skin Show to talk about breastfeeding tips, postpartum essentials, and more. You are the first guest to ever really talk about the postpartum period, which is so important because I feel like this is a place where a lot of things change, a lot of things can go awry. It can create some really new and sometimes not-so-great habits that really impact a woman's energy and such.
So I know that you have lot of experience with this area. You're a mom. I can't speak to this personally except for being an aunt, that's the closest I get, and obviously I've helped clients. But what has been your experience with postpartum? And what do you think is one of the biggest issues that you see in women who are coming through this period where they really, like what's one of the biggest problems or challenges that you see that they faced, that they might not even realize just yet that they're even struggling with?
Brooke (01:27.138)
Yeah, I think the biggest overlooked thing that moms are struggling with postpartum is called postpartum depletion. And it's basically where your body goes through this process of pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and it's kind of like running a marathon.
Jennifer Fugo (01:42.482)
Okay.
Brooke (01:57.024)
Like a long marathon. And so your body is so depleted after birth, a lot of times there's a lot of blood loss. And when we're breastfeeding, our body is pulling so much energy to produce milk and heal from birth. You're going through this physical trauma, whether it's a C-section or a vaginal birth, and so your body is in this process of healing. Your hormones drastically shift, so the moment you give birth and you push the placenta out, now your estrogen and progesterone drastically changes. So you're going through hormonal shifts, you're going through physical trauma of healing from birth, and you're most likely to be depleted in most vitamins and minerals during this time.
And so most moms have no idea that this depletion is actually a huge aspect of low energy, mood swings, even problems with milk supply, and brain fog, and just feeling like themselves mentally and physically. And I think part of the problem is, you know, society, doctors, sometimes are just like, yeah, it's normal. Like you just had a baby, you're sleep deprived, of course you don't feel good physically.
Jennifer Fugo (02:52.404)
Yeah.
Brooke (02:56.858)
And they're kind of brushed off by, a lot of times, medical team or friends or family, they’re kind of brushed off like, oh, it's fine, it'll get back to normal. But what most moms don't realize is postpartum depletion can actually last up to a decade if you don't replenish your body properly.
Jennifer Fugo (03:07.722)
Oh my gosh. Wow.
Brooke (03:26.768)
Yes, and so many moms that have kids end up getting pregnant more than once. And so if you are not properly replenishing and then you just keep getting pregnant over and over, your body can just get more and more depleted. So replenishing in this first year postpartum is so crucial to help regulate your hormones, your energy, your mood, heal from birth, and just kind of feel like yourself again mentally and physically.
Jennifer Fugo (03:37.533)
And I want to actually ask you this because when you said postpartum depletion, which is a phrase I've never heard, I thought where you were going was postpartum depression, right? Because they sound really, but is it possible that some of this depletion, right, the depletion of our nutrient stores, could play into some of that?
Brooke (03:54.38)
Yes. There's a huge link to your risk of postpartum depression and nutrient depletion. So if you are deficient, if you're very deficient in iron, in vitamin D, in omega-3s, magnesium, B vitamins, if you're deficient in any of those, your risk of postpartum depression goes up, and your symptoms can go up if you have postpartum depression. Now, it's not to say that if you have a deficiency, it causes it, but it increases the risk and it increases the symptoms. And so how I like to look at postpartum depression is let's come at it from different angles. Sometimes some moms need to be on medication for a period of time. Some moms need therapy on top of that. But if we are just doing those two things and we are not addressing depletion and you are super deficient in vitamin D or omega-3s, you may not get all of the benefits from the medication and the therapy.
And so I always look at it from like this whole body approach. How can we come at it, and nutrition can be part of the plan. Not to say that nutrition alone will heal postpartum depression, because some moms need more, but for some moms that's all they need, is they're actually depressed and exhausted because they're so depleted. Their body is so depleted, and especially if they get their labs done and we see their iron levels and we see their vitamin D levels, it's like, okay, well, no wonder you feel so ill and sad and things are hard, because your body is so depleted right now, it just makes sense. And then once we start increasing, let's say the iron, and the omegas, and the vitamin D, it's like all of a sudden they start noticing that their mood is drastically improved.
Jennifer Fugo (05:41.193)
Yeah, I had a client, actually, I think it was earlier this week, I don't remember. Sometimes the weeks merge and blend. But she was asking me, because she gave birth I guess about six weeks ago, and she's like, well, is there like a supplement or something (like postpartum vitamins) that I can take to help me like balance my hormones? And I was like, I think part of this is you have to let your body kind of do its thing and create that rhythm. But can you speak to that, to any mom who's like, isn't there just something that I can take?
Brooke (06:15.307)
Yeah, I mean, I actually recommend that all moms stay on a prenatal vitamin, a really high-quality one, like throughout the duration of breastfeeding, at least the first year postpartum, and if you're considering getting pregnant again, being on a high-quality prenatal vitamin. And so that's one thing. But I also think that all moms, especially if you're postpartum, you need to be on vitamin D, you need to be on omega-3s, and those are kind of like a non-negotiable of supplements. So if you're on those at least, that's going to really help.
But, you know, some other things that we can do is actually fueling our body by trying to get in like the fruits and veggies that are higher in a lot of the vitamins, minerals that we need. Eating enough protein is so, so crucial during this time to help your body heal and rebuild. And so there's not this like one magic food or supplement, but they do help.
Jennifer Fugo (07:06.153)
Yeah.
Brooke (07:15.392)
And again, if a mom is super low in vitamin D, she just may need to supplement with 5,000 or 6,000 IUs, and then all of a sudden, we're seeing a drastic improvement. So it does kind of vary based on your specific lab values, where you're depleted, and kind of what your diet looks like too.
Jennifer Fugo (07:26.726)
Is it normal, because you've mentioned just now labs, and I typically find that doctors are a little more concerned about the baby postpartum than they are the mom.
Brooke (07:36.245)
Yeah, yep, that's a big problem.
Jennifer Fugo (07:56.722)
Is it normal for women postpartum to get labs drawn? Or is this something that you're going to kind of have to push your doctor for if you're feeling, and do you have to be feeling off in order to even justify getting the labs run, or do you feel like it's a reasonable request? And at what point, like at 6 weeks, at 8 weeks, 12 weeks?
Brooke (07:59.736)
I mean, I think if you're getting just a regular annual physical and it just happens to be three to six months postpartum, I think that's a great time to just get those labs done. So I just had a physical, I want to say I was three to six months postpartum. And I just asked her, I was like, can we run my cholesterol? Can we run a full vitamin B panel? Can we run full iron panel, cholesterol, thyroid, all the things? So I think that three to six month mark, or even three to nine month mark, is a great time to do it because your body should be somewhat healed by that point. Whereas if you get your labs drawn in the first six weeks, you might see things.
Jennifer Fugo (08:35.377)
Mmm.
Brooke (08:59.599)
But the interesting thing is iron deficiency, really common that first year postpartum. But if we draw labs only at six weeks postpartum, you may be exhausted. Your baby's sleeping through the night at nine months and you're like, what the heck? I'm getting longer sleep stretches, but I don't feel any better, I'm still exhausted. Then I'm always like, okay, we need to go get your iron checked again. So I think that sweet spot is the three to six month mark ideally, but usually you have to push yourself. But you can ask your primary care doctor or your OB, whoever you're seeing during that time. Not to say you can't, you can do it at six weeks, but I think it's better to just let your body heal a little bit before pushing for those labs, and just being on those vitamins.
Jennifer Fugo (09:15.314)
Yeah. And you've mentioned a lot about like repleting and nourishing, which I love. So it sounds to me, and this has been my experience, but it sounds to me like there's a trend or a theme here that there could be the risk that maybe mom is not eating enough. Would you say that's kind of like accurate?
Brooke (09:43.341)
Yeah. And you know, it's funny because when I started working specifically with postpartum moms full time, I assumed that most moms were intentionally under-eating for postpartum weight loss. Like, oh, I'm trying to get my body back, I'm trying to lose the baby weight, so I'm just going to eat a low-calorie diet. What I started finding was that actually, most moms were under-eating unintentionally. They were so exhausted, they were so overwhelmed, overstimulated with breastfeeding and taking care of a new baby, especially when they were going from like one to two kids, or two to three kids, or three or more kids. It was like they were just so overwhelmed, and feeding themselves felt like another chore, it felt like something else on the to-do list. And so a lot of moms were skipping meals, not necessarily thinking like, I'm going to lose the baby weight, but just they would find themselves at 2 pm being like, I haven't really eaten a meal today. And it wasn't necessarily intentional.
Jennifer Fugo (10:38.384)
Oh my. Yeah.
Brooke (10:43.214)
Yeah. And so, I find that, I would say, probably 90% of the clients I work with are in that camp.
Jennifer Fugo (10:47.403)
Oh, wow.
Brooke (10:48.224)
They're unintentionally not fueling themselves. And I would say almost every mom I work with, when we start tracking their fiber and protein needs, they are under, like they are under where they need to be. And that's one of the biggest shifts that I have moms do in my program is increase protein and increase fiber because it just makes such a drastic difference.
Jennifer Fugo (11:09.554)
Now, do you think that a woman in a postpartum period needs to be consuming the same amount of protein that they were eating pre-pregnancy or do you need more? Higher.
Brooke (11:17.799)
Higher.
Jennifer Fugo (11:18.354)
Higher.
Brooke (11:19.964)
Yeah, so whenever your body goes through something physical, like birth, especially if you have a C-section, I mean that's a major surgery, your body needs extra protein to heal from that. And then when your body is producing milk, it needs extra calories and protein for that as well. So your nutrient needs are highest postpartum. So higher than pregnancy.
Jennifer Fugo (11:44.978)
Wow, really?
Brooke (11:51.479)
Mm-hmm, yeah, for vitamins, minerals, protein, yep. I mean once you get to that, like, or two, and if you're done breastfeeding, then it kind of normalizes and you can kind of shift back, but yeah especially that first year postpartum.
Jennifer Fugo (12:02.684)
And if you're not eating enough, so what are some of the things to keep in mind that the under-eating, or maybe it's not necessarily, it could be under-eating, but what if you're also eating things like you said, like maybe you're making the kids food and it's not food that you would feed yourself or the best foods for postpartum. Listen, there's no judgment. I really get it, at this point in my life, now that I have two nieces and I've seen what friends and my sister has gone through with kids, you can't always control what they want to eat, as much as you have good intentions. So you might end up like eating chicken nuggets and things of that nature that you probably don't necessarily want to eat normally. But not eating in an ideal way for you in the stage of life that you're at, how can that impact you from, say, like a hormonal perspective, or emotional perspective, or even from a lactation perspective? You just shared, just from calories alone, you need more calories.
Brooke (13:06.284)
Yeah, I mean, research shows if you're under-eating, especially eating like under 1800 calories a day while breastfeeding, we can start to see our milk supply dip. So that's concerning. If you are under-eating, you can see slower healing from birth, so it may take you longer to heal from a C-section or a vaginal birth. Low energy, mood swings, postpartum depression, brain fog, those are the most common things. And then if you're not fueling effectively, so if you're not eating enough protein, if you're not eating enough fiber, if your blood sugar is all over the place, a lot of moms will struggle with their weight. And some of the most common things is like, when we're breastfeeding, you feel ravenous. I mean, I experienced that too.
Jennifer Fugo (13:49.748)
Mmm.
Brooke (14:06.094)
It's like, you're so hungry when you're breastfeeding. And if you're just eating chips or cookies or like whatever you see first, and you're not actually trying to build a balanced plate, and eat fruits and vegetables and meats, and like all a wide variety of healthy, nutrient-dense foods, you're gonna see that these problems get worse over time. And so even when your baby starts sleeping through the night, you might be like, man, I'm eating. But if you're not eating enough vitamins, minerals, enough protein, you're gonna start to still experience a lot of these symptoms.
Jennifer Fugo (14:25.405)
Yeah, and what about the moms that may lean more plant-based? Are there more challenges for them when finding the best foods for postpartum, versus somebody who's eating maybe a more omnivore-type diet?
Brooke (14:39.34)
It is harder. I will say, you know, I'm a meat-eater. I love meat, I love eggs, I love fish, I love all those things. And it is possible to do this on a vegan diet, on a vegetarian diet, but it takes a lot more planning, and you're likely going to need more supplements, especially like the B vitamin supplements. But you know, if you're open to taking omega-3s and some good fish oil supplements, that can obviously help. And if you're getting a wide variety of fruits and veggies, you can build some complete proteins together, you know. But it is, it is harder. It's harder to get to those high protein goals if you're not eating any meat. So it's not impossible.
Jennifer Fugo (15:20.755)
Yeah. What do you think is a good range? Just generally speaking for protein, I feel like, you know, when you're trying to heal from skin issues, I usually try to get clients up to about 100 grams of protein a day. Just for that, because you're trying to rebuild tissue, you know, and you need it for neurotransmitters and all the different things, my goodness, liver detox, et cetera, et cetera. Do you feel like, is that somewhere in the ballpark? I feel like clients even, like sometimes are like, that feels like a lot. And I'm like, it's really not. We just have to be strategic about it.
Brooke (15:57.962)
Yeah, I mean, some of my moms are trying to aim for like 150 grams.
Jennifer Fugo (16:02.737)
Wow.
Brooke (16:13.067)
That's pretty, I would say that's on the higher end. And that would be more somebody who just gave birth, had a C-section, exclusively breastfeeding. It really depends on your weight too, so if you ended your pregnancy at 120 pounds, that's gonna be different than somebody who ended their pregnancy at 200 pounds, right? So it does vary, but I would say a majority of my moms are eating somewhere between 100 and 150.
Jennifer Fugo (16:28.371)
So my question to you is, does this get any easier? Like if you did the first time mom thing and now you're having baby number two, baby number three, baby number four. Does this get easier in trying to make sure that you're feeding yourself, or like what do you see for these women?
Brooke (16:50.069)
I think there's some aspects of motherhood that become harder the more kids you have. And I think, you know, when I had my first baby, my first experience was, it was traumatic. My son was born early, he had open heart surgery, he has Down syndrome, we were spending time in the NICU, the PICU, and pumping full time. It was a lot to manage. And so for me, feeding myself in that time was really difficult because I just felt like I was putting so much attention on him.
When I had my second son, then it became challenging in that now you have two kids that you're taking care of. And if your spouse is not there, or you're solo parenting, or you're a single parent, you know, you're like, you're trying to control and help and manage multiple kids at once. And so it just kind of, it becomes different challenges. I will say I felt way more prepared the second postpartum experience. And my husband loves to cook, and so that really helps. Like he was like, I will take over cooking, and grocery shopping, and doing a lot of these things because I know that you're breastfeeding and I can't do that. And so I think outsourcing, asking for help, people can bring meals and drop off meals if people are asking how they can help you.
But again, now that we have three kids, it is hard because you feel like you're constantly like, you know, zone defense. Like you're not man to man anymore. And so I think once you hit that three kids, it's just like, you learn to live with more chaos too. Like I've just had to let certain things go, and sometimes my two-year-old's having a tantrum, and I'm like, honey, you need to hold on because mommy needs to eat. Like that was the conversation this morning. My son was like I want more water, I want more milk, and I was like, you need to be patient because mommy needs to eat before I drop you guys off.
Jennifer Fugo (18:42.341)
Oh my gosh.
Brooke (19:06.727)
Like, mommy needs to eat. And so I think setting those boundaries is tough too, once you have kids that can talk. I've really had to do that this year, is telling my kids like, hey, I will help you in one minute, but mommy needs to eat. And so I really make sure that they see me nourishing my body. And I model that to them, like, hey, my needs are important too, because if mommy wants to show up and take care of you, she needs to eat. She needs to go to the bathroom. She needs to shower. She needs to get her coffee in.
Jennifer Fugo (19:12.145)
That is true. That is very true. It is important to model this behavior from a young age and create boundaries. And it might not stick right away, but eventually. I feel like that's the difference between kids and pets, kids start to get it after a certain point. Pets, sometimes not so much. But I wanted to kind of ask you too, obviously, if you are breastfeeding, that's great, we know we need extra calories. There are women who struggle with breastfeeding, right? And that's fine. Listen, everyone's journey, or maybe it's just not something you want to do, it is what it is, everybody's journey is totally and completely unique and different, and there's nothing wrong with that. Does it matter if you're, say, not able to, you don't have an ample breast milk supply, or you are for whatever reason, maybe you're on certain medications or something like that, you're not able to breastfeed, does the repletion piece of this and finding the best foods for postpartum still matter?
Brooke (20:16.147)
Yeah, still that first, especially six months postpartum, your body's still healing from birth, your body still is going through all the hormone shifts from pregnancy to postpartum. So yes, absolutely yes. And if somebody is wanting to breastfeed and they are struggling, my biggest piece of advice is you need to ask for help, and we need to identify the root cause issue. Do you actually have low milk supply? Because a lot of moms perceive they have low milk supply, and they think they're supposed to have this massive freezer stash that they see on Instagram, and that's not true. You don't need to have a freezer stash to make enough milk for your baby. Some moms really do struggle making enough milk, but I would say a lot of moms come to me and they're like, yeah, you know, I want to make more milk, and I'm not making enough milk. And then I'm looking at their baby's weight and their number of wet diapers, and I'm like, you're doing amazing. Like you're actually doing great, like we just need to keep up what you're doing.
And so, we need to identify like, what is that root cause issue? So if you have low milk supply, it's like, is it your pump parts are worn out? Is it you're using the wrong size pump parts? Is it you're skipping feeds, are you not noticing your baby's cues early enough, do we need to adjust our feeding schedule? Does your baby have a tongue tie? There's so many reasons. And so one of my biggest breastfeeding tips is I just want moms to reach whatever goal they set. So if you decide, I don't want to breastfeed, okay. If you decide, I want to do it for two months, awesome, let's get you to that two months. If you decide you want to do it two years, awesome, let's go, let's do that.
And so my biggest thing is I just want moms to reach whatever goal they want, and I don't want breastfeeding to end not on their terms. That's my biggest mission, is I just want to help moms reach whatever goal they set. And for each baby, it may be different. Some moms I work with, their first goal for their first baby is six months. And then the next baby, they're like, you know what, I'm going to aim for a year this time. And it's totally fine to have different goals for different babies. You know, this is my last baby, we are dunzo, and so I am not in a rush to wean her. I'm like, we'll see how long she wants to go. You know, I breastfed both my other boys about two years, and so if she wants to go two and a half, it's my last baby, I'm gonna let her. Whereas my two-year-old, I was like, I weaned him after giving birth to her, so I was breastfeeding while pregnant.
Jennifer Fugo (22:38.127)
Oh, wow.
Brooke (22:45.686)
That was a whole, yeah, and then I breastfed both of them together for like a week, and then I was like, honey, I'm done, I can't keep tandem breastfeeding. But that's possible, you know, you can do it.
Jennifer Fugo (22:49.775)
Oh my gosh.
Brooke (22:50.426)
It's just for me, I was so touched out. I was like, I can't, I'm done.
Jennifer Fugo (22:52.542)
Oh my goodness, wow. So for moms listening to this who are, or even, like this could be a grandparent listening to this, or a friend listening to this, and going like, you know, I know somebody who needs help in this department. Maybe we have somebody listening to this who's like, I am, this is coming, or I'm in it, and I am struggling. What are some things that they could start to do? One or two, maybe three, simple, easy next steps that they could start to actually, I don't know if you're, you're not gonna magically feel better overnight, that's just not happening, but that could be really helpful for them to try.
Brooke (23:37.875)
Yeah, so one is taking the postpartum vitamins, taking your supplements, being super consistent. I keep mine right by my toothbrush, that way every night when I brush my teeth, I take all my vitamin. And I have a large supply, like I take prenatals, I take DHA, I take vitamin D, I take turmeric and ginger, I take probiotics. And so I have kind of a long list, yours doesn't have to be that long, but definitely taking some vitamins every day consistently is one.
The other thing is, I would start with breakfast. If you can just get breakfast, high protein, get some fiber in there, some healthy fats. Eggs are my favorite food. I mean, for pregnancy and postpartum especially, it has the iron, it has protein, and you know, we don't want to just do one egg, we need to do like three eggs postpartum. But it has choline, you know.
Jennifer Fugo (24:33.444)
Mm-hmm.
Brooke (24:36.78)
So eggs are my go-to. Now, if you hate eggs or you're allergic, we can definitely do other things. But if you can start off your breakfast and get that really consistent, where you're eating at the same time of day, and you feel really satisfied for three, four hours after, that is a great place to start because once breakfast is really balanced and consistent, the rest of your day goes so much better. Whereas I work with so many moms where they're skipping breakfast, or they're just going to Starbucks and they're getting like a high-sugary drink, and then their blood sugar is like sky high, and then it crashes. It just sets you up to have a really tough day.
So those two nutritional things, but then I also want to encourage walking. So that's one of the best things you can do with a baby, and you can wear them in a carrier, you can push them in a stroller, but getting outside, getting the vitamin D, the fresh air, it's a really gentle way to bring movement back in. And if we can walk after meals, it helps regulate your blood sugar. And walking is one of those things that it's free, you know?
Jennifer Fugo (25:38.48)
Mm-hmm.
Brooke (24:39.448)
Like we don't have to pay money for it. And there might be times where it's rainy or snowing, and in those cases, can you just go to Target or Costco and just go walk around?
Jennifer Fugo (25:47.27)
Yeah. Yeah.
Brooke (24:49.327)
But getting steps in any way that you can is that third piece. And I think if you start with those three things, you will feel so much better, and that is the top place to start.
Jennifer Fugo (26:00.678)
Yeah, and also what you've mentioned is all really tied to blood sugar balance in a sense, because if you don't regulate blood sugar, and this is not just for postpartum, I mean, this is like for life.
Brooke (26:13.488)
Everybody, yep.
Jennifer Fugo (26:26.32)
Yeah, we start to have more and more problems across the board and it does not, it does not correct itself. That's the other problem. I mean, I'm learning that now. Not that I had blood sugar issues, but it's harder the older you get, like in my 40s now it's like, I really gotta, I gotta fight for it now. So it's like a whole different world. So it does not get easier, it's not something that just fixes itself. And also I think, like you were saying, you model healthy behaviors, you create healthy habits, right? Because then the kids know, oh, after dinner, we go out for a walk.
Brooke (26:54.248)
Yes.
Jennifer Fugo (26:54.692)
After this, we go out for a while. It's a habit you instituted, and you can continue, and it helps the kids also do those things, right? And get away from the screens and whatnot. So you have a ton of really amazing information for postpartum moms (e.g. breastfeeding tips). I know you teach a masterclass for women. Can you talk about who this masterclass is for, what will you kind of get out of it, what will you learn? Because I think for people who are listening to this, whether, again, I have a lot of grandparents that listen to the show, and they've got, you know, their daughter who's going to give birth or is a new mom, and parents listening. I want to try to connect them with the next step, if that's right for you.
So who is this for, and what are they going to get out of it if they are really ready to get some help? Because I think getting help, I would say your number four. If I can throw in a number four, is asking for help and trying to get some clear direction and clear guidelines, because now you know you've got that six-month window post-birth that is really crucial where this is important. So, yeah.
Brooke (28:04.061)
Yeah, so the people who are going to benefit most from my free masterclass is going to be women who are either pregnant, in that first few years postpartum, or breastfeeding. And they're going to get the most out of it, especially if you're pregnant, it's a great time because then you can prepare. You can actually implement some of these things that I teach in class during pregnancy. And once you do that during pregnancy, it's so much easier to do it when you're postpartum.
Jennifer Fugo (28:29.218)
Oh, interesting.
Brooke (28:34.035)
And then the earlier you can implement some of these things postpartum, the easier your postpartum experience will be. So I always recommend, and I have some moms that say like, I'm three years postpartum, is it too late? And I'm like, no, it's not too late. If you are experiencing energy crashes, mood swings, brain fog, struggles with your weight, and you've had a baby in the last three, four, five years, still come. And I had a mom just join, actually, my program, I think she has a six-year-old as her youngest.
Jennifer Fugo (29:02.986)
Oh, wow.
Brooke (29:03.925)
And she’s like, I have all of these symptoms. And then she's like, I'm seeing all these results. But I would say majority of our content inside the class is talking to moms who are in the first few years postpartum or breastfeeding. And really in the class, we talk a lot about the depletion, we talk about the three things nutritionally that we need to focus on and why they're so important. And then I have freebies at the end of class, so I give you like my seven meals under seven minutes. I give out my no-prep nutrition guide, so it's like my favorite products that you can just have on hand that you can just grab and go, or throw in the air fryer, or something that's really doable for busy moms who are struggling to feed themselves. That no-prep nutrition guide, people are like raving about it, I love it so much.
Jennifer Fugo (29:47.178)
Oh, you mean because the new mom's not going to be making a gourmet seven-course meal for dinner? No, that's not happening.
Brooke (29:54.288)
Yes. And I give away a postpartum snack guide.
Jennifer Fugo (30:02.065)
Awesome.
Brooke (30:29.347)
And moms love this too, because it's a lot of like one-handed snacks, like things you can grab and go while you're pumping, while you're feeding your baby, while you're holding your baby, while you're driving, maybe, your baby to daycare. And so, those freebies at the end, people are really loving those free resources. So, yeah, definitely join.
And you know, a lot of what we talk about in that free class too, is moms who struggle feeling confident in their bodies, moms who are wanting to get back to their healthiest weight but not lose their milk supply. Moms who are like, you know what, I want to get back in my jeans, and I want to feel good, I want to have energy and feel like me again, that's really who the class is designed for. Because I think a lot of us are, like we feel ashamed to admit that, or we feel guilty, like, oh, I shouldn't care about how I look. But the truth is, when you give birth and your body's gone through so many weight changes, like pregnancy, you're gonna gain weight. Most of us are gaining 20 to 40 pounds in a short period of time, and then all of a sudden you have this baby. It can be really hard to get dressed and look in the mirror, and there's a lot of body image things that happen.
So sometimes we feel guilty for saying that, for saying like, I want to fit back in my clothes again But this class really does that, and we talk about that and address that in a way that doesn't make you feel guilty about that, or shameful about it. It's like, here's actually what we need to do to really support our hormones and metabolism and replenish, so that your body can get back to its homeostasis. And all of our healthy weights are different, and that's okay.
Jennifer Fugo (31:35.473)
That is true. But you're doing it in a doable way. Like I said, nobody's expecting, and nor should you expect, that you're just going to be making seven-course meals. We have to find something that is doable, that is simple, that's repeatable to some degree. And that does not, like you said, there's more chaos, but how do we, because that's the thing, it's like there's more chaos, and yet we can't keep up. The plates start dropping, the balls start dropping as you're juggling so many tasks and new things, and you're making it really easy for them. I love that you have all of these free guides and everything. So what I'll do, I'll put the link to your webinar in our show notes. That way, if people wanna sign up for that masterclass, I think that's gonna be a really easy thing. And is it a specific day you have them?
Brooke (32:27.347)
They can register anytime.
Jennifer Fugo (32:29.476)
No, awesome, awesome. So it's super easy. It could be in the middle of the night, could be during the day, doesn't matter, whenever you're listening.
Brooke (32:32.233)
I have people watch at 2 am, literally, it's great.
Jennifer Fugo (32:35.847)
Oh my gosh.
Brooke (32:36.732)
They're doing like a middle of the night pump and I'm like, you do you, whenever you can get alone time.
Jennifer Fugo (32:40.977)
It is what it is. Well, so Brooke, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing those breastfeeding tips and breastfeeding education. I really appreciate it. How can everybody find you?
Brooke (32:50.215)
Yeah, you can connect with me on Instagram, @nutrition.for.mamas, or you can listen to my podcast, The Postpartum Shift podcast.
Jennifer Fugo (32:58.065)
Awesome. Well, thanks so much for joining us to talk about these postpartum essentials and share some breastfeeding education, and I hope you can come back sometime.
Brooke (33:02.141)
Yeah, thanks so much for having me.
