Eating Well With A Newborn

Eating healthy and nourishing foods is one of the best things you can do to take care of yourself as you recover from childbirth. But, when you have a newborn, that’s a lot easier said than done. So how can you make sure that you are eating well after your baby arrives?

Tips For Eating Well Postpartum

Make Plan While You’re Still Pregnant

I’m not just talking about freezer meals! Not that a freezer full of meals isn’t a fantastic idea. It is! But not everyone enjoys doing that or even has the kind of pregnancy where standing in the kitchen for hours to make lasagna is possible.

If you are able to make some freezer meals, that’s a great first step. But for most people, that will only take them so far. A real plan for eating well after your baby is born means sitting down with your partner and making a plan. Discuss who will do the cooking after baby arrives. Does your partner like cooking and will they have time? Do you need to outsource some of your meals (either hiring someone to cook meals, using a meal kit service, ordering take out or some combination?). What shortcuts do you feel comfortable making? 

Having this conversation (and writing down your ideas!) will help things to fall into place more easily when your baby arrives. You don’t want to be figuring out who is making dinner with a 5 day old – come up with ideas now that you can use when you are knee deep in diapers.

This is when moms, mother-in-laws, sisters and best friends come in handy! They can come and chop some veggies so you have an easy to reach for snack on hand. They can start the crockpot or hold the baby so you can go eat something. Think about the ways your visitors can be asked to make sure there is food you like eating in the fridge. And if you don’t have those people in your life or they aren’t offering to make food? That is when hiring a postpartum doula may be a great option for you. Postpartum doulas cut up fruits and veggies, start meals and bring you something to eat and drink while you are caring for your baby. 

Make a List of Foods You Enjoy Eating

This will make ordering or shopping for groceries easier for your partner or helper. It is important that you are eating a variety of foods and drinking water as you recover from childbirth and especially if you are breastfeeding. If someone brings food you don’t like, you just won’t eat it. So make a list of things you enjoy eating so that anyone who is offering to bring food (or your sleep-deprived partner) can make sure what is in the house are foods you’ll actually eat.

Have Easy To Eat Foods Ready To Go

Something I love to do as a postpartum doula is to make sure I leave my clients with containers full of their favorite fruits and vegetables in the fridge. Carrots already cut into slices so it’s ready to dip into hummus. Strawberries sliced and ready to go into oatmeal. Celery to pair with peanut butter. Then during the day, they have a ready to go snack that is filling and nutritious. If you have a doula, she will take care of this. If you don’t, be sure to assign that task to your partner or a visitor who is helpful. And then, set out the food! Make it easy to walk by and grab a handful of food. Keep that sandwich your partner made you for lunch nearby so you can take a bite when you can. Having foods nearby and ready to eat can make a big difference between eating regularly or not.

Set an Alarm

Sometimes in the chaos of life with a newborn, it can be easy to set even the most basic needs aside. If this is you, set alarms on your phone to remind yourself to eat. Or ask your partner to bring you food whenever you are feeding the baby (or right after, if you feel more comfortable). Setting an alarm to eat may sound ridiculous now, but new parents forget to take care of themselves all the time and that can leave them feeling depleted. You deserve to eat, drink and rest! Try to do whatever you can to make it a priority.