Replenishing after postpartum bleeding

Peter Kigozi was in the labour ward when his wife delivered. “It was a normal delivery and I was very excited to receive our new bundle of joy. But after delivering, she bled profusely. I was afraid because the nurse said continuous bleeding in new mothers can be fatal.”
Kigozi recalls the nurse massaging his wife while he watched. Moments later, the gynaecologist was called and she was given an injection that stopped the bleeding.”
While this mother was able to survive this condition, many do not make it, especially if they do not receive swift treatment from health workers.
Postpartum bleeding is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality, according to Dr Charles Kiggundu, an obstetrician at Kawempe General Hospital.
The bleeding can happen immediately after birth but sometimes it can also happen a week after delivery and it is very important to stop the bleeding or a woman may bleed to death.
Naturally, mothers lose blood during delivery because the baby’s placenta is detaching away from the uterus, according to Dr Kiggundu. It happens because the uterus fails to contract properly after the placenta has been removed.
Kiggundu says: “Feeding is secondary. The bleeding must be stopped first.” Such mothers are encouraged to eat very healthy foods to replace the lost blood, breastfeed their babies as well as replenish their own bodies.

How to replenish
According to Mark Alex Kakooza, a nutritionist at Homart, losing blood means losing its components as well. He says: “Blood contains iron and loss of the essential iron mineral results into iron deficiency (anaemia). Mothers that have overbled at the time of birth are encouraged to eat foods rich in iron and those that increase its absorption.”

Iron rich foods
Iron rich foods include legumes such as beans, peas, soya beans, broccoli, spinach, oyster, pumpkin seeds, red meat, organ meats (cow liver, cow kidney). These have iron content stored.
To increase iron absorption, it is advisable that one takes vitamin C foods such as citrus fruits, green leafy veggies, melons and strawberries.
Kakooza says: “A great percentage of blood is liquid. Hydration is very important. Mothers are expected to increase the intake of water and other fluids to restore blood volume.”
He recommends drinking water, fruit juices (passion fruit, mango, orange, apple juices except lemon), porridge and other fluids to help increase one’s blood volume.

More minerals
Dr Kiggundu says, “Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc in the body are also tampered with during postpartum hemorrhage. It is important to back up these needs with specific foods.”
For calcium; milk, yorghurt, fortified flour products, okra, fish where you eat the bones like silver fish are recommended. Magnesium rich foods include whole grains, bananas, dark chocolate and avocado. Sweet potatoes, water melon, coconut water and black beans contain potassium.
Some foods are handy in restoring blood cells. Kakooza says: “Beetroots supply the mother with energy and also contain iron which increases the amount of blood and its flow in the body. Drinking beet root juice regularly facilitates the growth of red blood cells.”