Postpartum Meal Planning
How to Stay Fed While Feeding Baby
For me, there was no quicker way to a meltdown than being hungry while feeding my baby. As I nursed or pumped for my little one, I would encourage my partner (read: aggressively yell down the stairs) to remember the "chore for chore" motto that I had concluded was only fair. It was my way of getting a bowl of food in front of me so that I could nourish our baby without losing it.
My partner delivered, and I generally kept it together for our breastfeeding rollercoaster. Now, my patience is non-existent, so having a meal sprinted up the stairs quickly enough to quell my hanger did require planning. A good portion of my third-trimester nesting was channeled into meal planning, and here's what worked for me:
1. Freezer Fill
I was gifted a copy of The First 40 Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother by my all-knowing (and shall I say, very organized) saint of a friend Mary Frost. This book inspired my postpartum meal planning. I spent months testing broths and soups and filled my freezer with my favorites. Having a pre-tested option ready for a quick defrost and reheat was great when hunger came quickly. For those who enjoy cooking (and have the storage space), freezer fills are a great option. Test out recipes in advance, find the freezer-friendly options you like best, and stock up!
2. Staples Grocery List
Making a grocery list ahead of time might sound silly, but a month postpartum, I could barely remember how to write the letter "T," let alone remember what I put in my fridge, so having a list was surprisingly helpful. I simply put down my go-to items (e.g. peanut butter, avocado, oats) and printed it out. When family visited, they'd take a quick note of the list and see if we were out of anything. If we were, they'd place an order for delivery or run to pick it up. The list kept the pantry and fridge full with the quick bites and main ingredients we relied on for simple cooking.
3. Meal Train
I am lucky to be surrounded by a community of amazing cooks, including Mandy, who owns Nourishment, a personal chef service in Madison, Wisconsin. When I was expecting, Mandy organized a weekly meal train drop-off to start a month after my expected due date. I wanted to limit visitors for the initial weeks with our little one, but by a month out, I was ready for a little social connection. These meals filled my belly and lifted my spirits in such a meaningful way. There are a number of websites you can use to organize a meal train, but my personal favorite is Meal Train.
4. Accept Drop Offs
While asking for help can be hard, I found accepting help to be much easier. When someone is already at the coffee shop and asked what my order is, I'd reply something like, "shut up! No way. A decaf coffee and any tasty treat would be AMAZING". I have a hard time thinking this is an inconvenience. When I'm on the other side and someone accepts my bagel or granola bar drop offs, I have a good Samaritan halo around me for the day. From coffee and baked goods to trail mix and fruit snacks to full blown grocery deliveries, when someone asked if they could stop by with food, we always said yes.
This combination worked for me but not everyone likes to meal prep or. Similarly, not everyone has friends or family who are available for grocery store runs and meal trains. That's why having meals included in Cradle's parent care packages was a must for Cradle. Cradle's meal delivery is just one more option to help feed parents so they can feed their babies.