What to Eat in Week 2 Postpartum (Meals and Snacks for Recovery)
All of the recipes I’m sharing here are from my upcoming cookbook, The Nourished Mother: Healing Recipes and Family Food for Postpartum + Beyond, now available for pre-order.
One of my best friends just had a baby (her third!), and the best way I know to support her in this early postpartum season is to drop off healing, nourishing meals. Food she doesn’t have to think about, that feels good in her body, and that makes life just a little easier while she rests, bonds with her baby, and recovers.
It just so happens that my new cookbook, The Nourished Mother: Healing Recipes and Family Food for Postpartum + Beyond, is now available for pre-order - and so I’m using the recipes and taking you along for the ride! If you missed What to Eat in Week 1 Postpartum (Healing and Snacks for Recovery) you can find that here.
What should you eat in week 2 postpartum?
In the second week, you’re very much in the early days of newborn life — long nights, unpredictable days, and a body still in deep healing mode. But you might also notice small shifts: a touch more energy here, an appetite returning there, and the reality often sinks in that having food prepped and ready makes everything easier.
It’s also common in week 2 to feel some unexpected emotions: the “baby blues” or dips in mood as hormones recalibrate, exhaustion sets in, and the reality of newborn life settles. Food won’t fix everything, but it can make a meaningful difference in how you feel. Meals that are warm, mineral-rich, and blood-sugar balancing help support mood, while simply having enough calories consistently coming in helps your energy and body do the work it needs for healing.
And if you’re breastfeeding, this week is often when milk supply is still being established. The most important nutrition piece? Eating enough. There’s no magic lactation cookie or supplement — your body needs a steady supply of calories, protein, nutrients and hydration to keep up with the demands of making milk.
The Nutritional Focus in Week 2
By the second week postpartum, your body is still very much in recovery mode:
Tissue repair continues, which requires steady protein, minerals like zinc and iron, and anti-inflammatory support.
Milk supply is being established, which means your body needs enough calories overall. Consistent meals, snacks, and calorie-and nutrient-dense foods are key.
Hormone shifts can impact mood and energy, so foods that stabilize blood sugar (protein + fat + complex carbs) and provide grounding warmth can help you feel steadier. Getting in lots of fats in the form of coconut milk/cream, butter/ghee, olive oil, eggs, and animal fats are really important here.
Digestion is still sensitive, so cooked, warm, easy-to-digest and hydration packed meals are ideal over raw or cold foods.
This is the week to focus on meals that are nutrient-dense, batch-prepped, and easy to eat (and digest!) — making sure you can consistently nourish yourself in the realities of newborn life.
What I made: Curried Butternut + White Bean Mug Soup
Soups are wonderful for postpartum — hydrating, mineral-rich, soft cooked, broth-filled, and gentle on digestion. The challenge? Trying to eat them while holding a baby can be nearly impossible. That’s why I designed this soup to be sipped straight from a mug or thermos.
It’s made with soft butternut squash for beta-carotene and minerals, white beans for protein and fiber, full fat coconut milk for healing fats, and gentle curry spices that bring anti-inflammatory support without being harsh on sensitive digestion. This kind of deeply nourishing, savory food can also help stabilize mood by keeping blood sugar steady. The recipe makes a big batch, so you can freeze single serving portions and reheat them quickly — helping ensure you always have something satisfying to eat, and enough calories to support milk supply.
What I made: Sheet Pan Sausage + Veggie Breakfast Bake
Breakfast often gets lost in the shuffle of early mornings with a newborn. By the time you realize you’re hungry, it might be hours since you woke up. This sheet pan bake is one of my favorite solutions: sausage, eggs, dairy, and colorful veggies baked together in one pan.
It’s rich in protein and healthy fats, which are essential for recovery and for keeping energy and mood stable through the day. The built-in vegetables bring fiber and minerals, and because it stores well in the fridge, you can slice and reheat pieces over several days. For breastfeeding moms, this kind of calorie-dense, ready-to-eat breakfast makes it much easier to consistently eat enough to support milk supply.
What I made: Healing Herbal Latte
Warm drinks are such an underrated part of postpartum healing. This latte blends herbs and spices specifically chosen for recovery: nettle for iron and minerals, raspberry leaf to support uterine healing, and turmeric for inflammation.
Beyond the nutrients, the ritual itself can feel so nourishing. Holding a warm mug and sipping something earthy and grounding is a way to regulate your nervous system and support mood in a week when emotions can feel unpredictable. I like to prepare a large mason jar with this herbal mix so all that’s required to make a cup is to add a couple spoonfuls to a mug, add hot water, and some optional warm milk!
What I made: Salted Maple Pecan Collagen Bites
If there’s one food I recommend every new mom keep within arm’s reach, it’s a super nourishing one handed snack! These salted maple pecan collagen bites taste like a delicious sweet treat, but they’re packed with nutrition: protein and healthy fats from the almond butter, flaxseed, collagen powder, and pecans and steady, gut-supporting energy from the oats.
They’re perfect for keeping up with the calories you need a way that supports milk supply, and they’re a lifesaver for mood because they help prevent the energy crashes that can come from skipping meals or grabbing only sugar-heavy snacks. I love suggesting moms keep a small container of them at the bedside — they’re ideal for middle-of-the-night or early-morning feeds.
Why These Meals Are Perfect For Week 2 Postpartum
The second week after birth is still about deep healing, but it’s also about practicality and mood support. These recipes offer:
Protein, iron, and minerals to keep energy steady and support tissue healing.
Steady calories to help establish milk supply and support energy
Anti-inflammatory and warming foods that care for a still-sensitive body.
Mood-supportive meals that help regulate blood sugar and support your mental health.
One-handed snacks and sippable foods that make nourishment possible in the realities of newborn life.
Prepping Week 2 Postpartum Healing Recipes
If you’re prepping ahead for Week 2, or you’re in it right now, let this be your reminder: food doesn’t have to be complicated to support your body, mood, and milk supply. Large-batch soups, prepped breakfasts, nourishing snacks, and warm drinks are more than enough — and making sure you’re eating enough consistently is one of the best things you can do for both your healing and your energy.
Every recipe in this post comes from my cookbook,The Nourished Mother: Healing Recipes and Family Food for Postpartum + Beyond,
which you can pre-order right here to support your body, mind, and family in the weeks and years after birth.