We sat down with Julia, lead nutritionist at Aiyana, and Melissa, Founder and CEO of Alma Care to talk about postpartum recovery, the village we’ve lost, and why food is one of the most powerful forms of support.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to postpartum nutrition.
Julia: When Aiyana was just a baby itself, the company was looking for a co-op student. I was close to finishing nutrition school and dreamed of one day starting my own female-focused meal delivery company, so when I came across the posting, it felt meant to be. I met with Michelle and was instantly drawn to her story and her mission. She gave me so much ownership right from the start, from shaping our dishes to deciding how we’d educate our community, and I learned the ins and outs of running a small business early on. We grew and I just never left. Now, watching my friends and family enter this season of life keeps me deeply connected to why we do what we do.
What do people misunderstand most about postpartum?
Melissa: The biggest misunderstanding is that doing it all on your own is simply part of becoming a parent. We’ve normalized a gap in postpartum care and told families to lower their expectations, to accept exhaustion, figure things out themselves, and feel guilty for needing help.
That also makes care feel like a luxury, something you have to justify, when being supported through recovery and early parenthood should be an expectation.
At Alma, our approach starts with a simple belief: parents deserve to be cared for, too. That means anticipating their needs, protecting time for rest, nourishing them, and providing experienced, practical support at home. You shouldn’t have to reach a breaking point to deserve care. It should be part of the plan from the beginning.
What is the body actually going through, nutritionally?
Julia: It’s rebuilding. There’s tissue to repair and often blood loss to recover from, so protein and iron needs go up. The body is burning through minerals quickly and amino acids are in higher demand during pregnancy and postpartum. And if you’re breastfeeding, your body needs even more energy and micronutrients to make milk. This is not the time to diet or to forget to eat. It's time to be really well fed.
How do sleepless nights and hormones play into it?
Julia: After birth, estrogen and progesterone drop sharply, and sleep deprivation keeps cortisol working overtime. Your body is trying to find its rhythm with almost none of the usual tools or sense of normalcy. Food can help steady things. Eating regularly, with protein, fibre, and healthy fats, keeps blood sugar more stable, which helps with energy crashes, cravings, and that shaky, depleted feeling at bay.
What about families who already have kids at home?
Julia: Honestly, I think they get overlooked. People rally around first-time parents, but when it’s baby number two or three, there’s this assumption that you’ve got it handled, when it’s actually the furthest thing from that. Another baby means more mouths to feed, more little people to care for, and more to worry about. All of that puts even more demand on a body that’s already healing, and that demand pulls from your stores of calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Having meals ready to heat takes one huge job off the list for the whole household, not just the new parent.
You talk a lot about “the village.” What does real support look like?
Melissa: Many cultures honour the weeks after birth as a time for recovery. The mother is nourished with warm meals, encouraged to rest, and surrounded by people who take care of the everyday responsibilities.
That kind of village can be harder to access today. Family may be far away, partners return to work, and everyone has competing demands. Parents still need the same care, even when the support around them looks different.
A village today might mean an overnight caregiver so you can sleep, a doula to turn to with questions, or meals stocked in the freezer. But it’s also someone refilling your water, folding the laundry, or holding your baby while you eat.
My advice is to welcome those opportunities to be cared for. Accept the meal, let someone tackle the laundry, take the moment to rest. You don’t need to earn that support or repay it by being productive.
What are your top nutrition tips for the early weeks?
Julia: Keep it simple.
- Eat within an hour of waking, ideally with protein. Even if you are waking up at 5am after a 3am feed.
- Make protein the star of every meal and snack. We make that easy for you at Aiyana.
- Lean on warm, cooked foods like soups and stews. They’re gentle on digestion and easy to eat anytime - day or night.
- Sip broth through the day for hydration and minerals. Your postpartum broth is a perfect example of one I’d recommend.
- Keep snacks and water wherever you feed the baby. Bay eats and hydrates, you do the same.
Tell us about the Aiyana Postpartum Bundle.
Julia: It’s everything I’d want in someone’s freezer after birth. Bone broth chicken noodle soup for gelatin, minerals, and glycine. An anti-inflammatory chicken stew. Turkey meatballs and burger bites for protein and iron. And snacks made with oats, nuts, and seeds for fibre and lactation support, like our muffins and energy bars. Everything is fully cooked, with no refined sugar or seed oils. As if your village was in the kitchen.
What makes the Alma traditional recovery broth so special?
Melissa: The everyday benefits are simple but meaningful: hydration, warmth, comfort, and something nourishing that’s easy to prepare when feeding yourself feels like one more thing to manage. It’s a small, practical way to make caring for yourself part of the postpartum routine.
I drank it every day for over a year after my second daughter was born. Beyond the nourishment, it gave me a quiet moment to myself and a chance to pause. It became a daily ritual I truly loved, and that’s what I hope it can offer other parents, too
What’s one thing you wish every new parent heard?
Julia: When people want to help, let them. Give them a task - fold the laundry, hold the baby for 30 minutes so you can close your eyes, and take the first-born out for ice cream.
Melissa: You’re allowed to make yourself a priority, even as you’re learning to put someone else first. Your need for sleep, nourishing food, connection, and time to yourself still matters.
Eat while your meal is warm. Let someone you trust care for the baby while you rest. Say what you need and accept help when it’s offered. You don’t have to wait until you’re completely depleted.
