Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe: 3 Postpartum Health Benefits

Postpartum Chicken Noodle Soup and the Additional 3 Health Benefits for Mom

I was inspired by the postpartum guide book I’m reading titled, The First Forty Days, to create this healthy, yet hearty, chicken noodle soup recipe. It contains some special ingredients that add 3 postpartum health benefits to support mom in caring for herself and baby. According to the book, one way a new mother gets the proper nourishment she needs to gain strength and aid in her recovery during the first few weeks after birth is to eat warm, soft, and healthy foods. This soup recipe covers all three of those requirements.

Pregnancy:

Whether you’re a first time mom or a mom times 3, postpartum days are often filled with moments of pure bliss and excitement mixed with unpleasant soreness and overwhelming exhaustion. Mom’s should prepare for an emotional roller coaster with the proper support in place to keep her healthy and able to rest. As a birth doula, supporting women through pregnancy and birth is my passion. I love witnessing the transformation of a mother as she becomes fully connected to baby as they grow together over the 10 month gestation period. What she wears, eats, and even thinks affects baby. Mom makes every decision based on what she believes is best for her and her baby. Two separate beings acting as one. Then comes the birth…but my support for mom doesn’t end there.

It’s Only Just Begun:

Baby is finally here, mom takes a welcomed sigh of relief before the hard work begins. After the strenuous job of growing and birthing her baby mom continues to be the sole provider for her baby. She must keep baby alive, fed, cleaned, and soothed. Mothers generally know what baby needs, and if they don’t baby will let everyone know with shrill screeching or crying and even loud and sometimes embarrassing bodily sounds and explosive excretions! In contrast, a mother’s needs can go unnoticed during the sensitive transitional days and weeks of postpartum life. Although friends and family may ask how mom is feeling, she often gives vague and less than transparent answers of how she is managing her physical and mental well-being, especially when company is ooo-ing and ahhh-ing over baby.

Caring for Mom:

So, what does mom need? How is she really doing? Let’s start by acknowledging that she is recovering from one of the most physically challenging events a person can endure, birth. She is hormonally adjusting from growing another human being within her very own body. She’s utterly exhausted from continuous feedings 24/7 while her body works overtime to produce the milk her baby needs to survive (if she is breastfeeding, and if she is not, she is still exhausted from caring 24/7 for her baby). It’s not hard to understand why a mother needs just as much TLC as baby does during this time. In order for her to stay healthy and recover fully, both physically and emotionally, mom needs lots of rest and nutritious food. Part of my support services as a doula is to visit mom at least once within the first 6 weeks after baby is born. Besides a small gift to say congratulations on the incredible job she did birthing her baby, I like to bring a meal she can share with her family that is both nutritious and delicious. I decided to prepare a simple yet nutrient packed chicken soup, with specific health benefits in mind, to help support mom’s postpartum recovery.

---

“Soft and warming foods will help! They’ll give your still-slow digestive system time to get churning again and act as an internal cozy blanket, providing ease and comfort during the unsettling transition that is brand-new motherhood.”

~Heng Ou, The First Forty Days

---

The Health Benefits:

My postpartum chicken noodle soup is healthy and hearty just as it is. However, I added some postpartum health boosting ingredients to support mom’s physical recovery and mental well-being: lemon, spinach, and water. Here are the 3 health benefits for postpartum recovery that result from adding these 3 simply ingredients to chicken noodle soup:

1. Vitamin C is an important part of a women’s postpartum diet. Being exhausted while recovering from birth is a perfect storm for falling ill and can even trigger depression or anxiety if not combated with adequate rest and nutrition. Since vitamin C helps strengthen the immune system and ward off the common cold and other aliments, I added lemon juice to give it the extra vitamin C it needs to boost mom’s immune system health. While lemon helps bring out the robust flavors in the soup, this particular secret ingredient is best known for it’s high level of vitamin C and antioxidants which support mom’s immune system during recovery.
2. While breastfeeding baby around the clock, dehydration can be a concern for mom. This chicken noodle soup has an additional 64 ounces of water added on top of the chicken stock without compromising flavor. Being well hydrated helps keep mom’s energy level up as well as her milk supply. Additionally, this warm soup filled with soft ingredients, is easy on the digestive system. Mom’s insides have been squished and stretched in more ways than one. Eating and drinking warm, soft food during the postpartum period helps mom’s body handle digestion better than cold and hard foods. Therefore, mom will have no problem digesting this delicious meal while it helps replenish the fluids she needs to stay hydrated and energized for milk production.
3. Breast milk is full of calcium. A breastfeeding mother needs to get as much as she can from the food and drinks she consumes to keep her and her milk supply healthy. Diary products are often the go to for calcium intake, however dairy is not always well tolerated by mom or baby during breastfeeding. Fortunately, spinach is an excellent non-dairy source of calcium, and iron, and it marries well with this warm soup as it softly wilts into the broth without adding any unwanted flavor. You better believe you will find spinach galore in this chicken noodle soup!

The Recipe:

Make a double batch to freeze for later or share with your friends. Check out my video @birthsimply on Instagram TV to see how it’s made!

*note: You can add other vegetables that you like or omit ones that you do not particularly care for and still reap the health benefits this chicken soup offers. Be creative! it’s a very versatile soup:)

INGREDIENTS:

– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
– 3-4 celery stalks, sliced
– 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced small
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– 64 ounces (8 cups) low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if desired
– 2 bay leaves
– 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
– 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
– 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
– 12 ounces of your favorite noodles or pasta
– 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (use store bought rotisserie chicken to save time; or roast or cook your own chicken)
– 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
– juice of 1/2 a lemon
– 6 ounces of fresh baby spinach
– 32-64 ounces (4-8 cups) of water, depending on how much broth you prefer
– salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large cast iron pot or stockpot, add the oil and heat over medium heat.

2. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and sauté for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir intermittently.

3. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Allow mixture to boil gently for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are fork-tender. .

5. Add the egg noodles and boil mixture for about 10 minutes, or until noodles are soft and cooked through. At any time while making the soup, if the overall liquid level is lower than you like, add in the water. At the end you will adjust the salt level.

6. Add the chicken, parsley, spinach, and lemon juice. Boil 1 to 2 minutes, or until chicken is warmed through. Taste soup and add salt to taste. Make any necessary seasoning adjustments (i.e. more salt, pepper, herbs, etc.).

7. Remove the bay leaves, and serve immediately. Cozy up with your baby while enjoying the health benefits of a warm bowl of this postpartum chicken noodle soup.

*For added relaxation, try a ZENband with ZENtones. Go to the shop page here to learn more about the mental and physical health benefits ZENbands and ZENtones can offer you.

*Soup will keep airtight in the fridge for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.