Real food, real moods, real mom life

Recipes I actually cook, and the science of how food talks to your brain — with a soft spot for the depleted, hard-working postpartum mama. Pull up a chair.

A bright kitchen counter with a bowl of farm-fresh eggs with golden yolks, a piece of fresh salmon, and a warm splash of morning sunlight.

Nutrition

Why I Keep Egg Yolks, Salmon & Sunshine on My Menu

Discover why incorporating vitamin d foods for depression, like egg yolks and wild salmon, can gently support your mood and postpartum recovery.

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July 27, 2026

A steaming bowl of rich beef and red date soup with fresh herbs and ginger on a rustic wooden table.

Recipe

Iron Rich Foods Postpartum Saved My Sanity (And Lifted The Fog)

Discover how eating iron rich foods postpartum lifted my brain fog after baby five. Try a healing beef and red date soup recipe designed for new moms.

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July 24, 2026

A rustic sheet pan with roasted salmon fillets, asparagus spears, and lemon wedges on parchment paper with warm lighting

Recipe

The Salmon Dinner I Make Every Single Time the Week Gets Heavy

When life feels overwhelming, turn to this comforting sheet-pan salmon recipe for depression packed with omega-3s to gently support your mood and energy.

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July 24, 2026

Written & reviewed by

Emily Montague, The Postpartum Chef

Emily is a chef, mother of five and postpartum-recovery educator who revives the 2,000-year-old zuo yuezi ("sitting month") tradition for modern mothers. Her signature, food-first method helps women rebuild after birth and ease postpartum depression — and she now certifies doulas and midwives to cook it for their own clients.

Visit The Sitting Month → Meet Emily →

Cook your way through the fourth trimester

Emily's food-first recovery course turns this science into warm, done-for-you meal plans for new mothers.

Explore The Sitting Month