Tag Archive for: new families

Comfort & Joy: Postpartum Meals to Keep You Cozy

Three little words that parents dread: “What’s for dinner?” At the best of times this question can send grown adults into a state of confusion and panic, and for a new family it may seem too much to comprehend to come up with a plan for postpartum meals. Throw the winter holiday season into the mix, and you have a recipe that calls for crawling into a cave and hiding till summer. But, you’d have to find food to bring with you anyway, so you might as well just figure this out now.

Planning for the early days

The first postpartum months are likely to find you in survival mode, just hoping to keep yourself and your family nourished for another day. You may think fondly back a few weeks ago to lunches out with friends or coworkers, as you scrape together a plate of crackers and deli turkey and wish for a food fairy to appear in your kitchen. Believe it or not, you are just a handful of ingredients and a few pots and spoons away from some delicious, filling, and festive dishes!

When planning meals for these early postpartum months, keep in mind the dietary needs that you have most likely discussed with your care provider. Most new parents need protein, fiber, and iron, along with plenty of liquids for hydration. If you are tempted to begin a new diet to address baby weight gain, please be upfront with your provider about your plans to ensure that you are being safe and getting everything you need for proper nutrition and recovery. Allow yourself to rest from the demands of trying to bounce back in your “4th trimester”, and plan to ease into health over at least 12 weeks. Newborns mean your time and your hands will be in demand, so your goal should be meals that are quick, simple, and packed with nutrition.

Your first step is to release yourself from expectations and obligations, and to embrace shortcuts and outside help. This can be especially difficult if you love to spend time creating in your kitchen and if holiday meals spark joy for you. If this resonates, try to ask for and carve out some time to spend a few hours immersed in the cooking process while others care for your newborn. Remember, though, that your responsibilities for feeding others in these first months with an infant begin and end within the walls of your home. This is not the year for a five-course meal for 16 relatives.

Don’t shy away from outside help

There is no shame in using frozen pie crust instead of homemade, and a pre-made mirepoix from the grocery store is much easier than buying, cleaning, and chopping those vegetables on your own. Online ordering and home delivery can be your BFFs; consider them to be essentials rather than luxuries during this special time. A grocery delivery subscription can be a great registry item for those well-meaning but long-distance relatives!

When searching for meal options, one great possibility is dump recipes that consist mostly of opening cans and heating the dish in one pot, like a stockpot or slow cooker. Brisket is crazy-easy and delicious in a slow cooker; you can find directions and recipes for quick homemade BBQ sauce online, or just use your favorite bottled sauce. With a package of refrigerated tortellini, a few cans of vegetable or chicken broth, and some shredded carrots, you have soup. How about a low-fuss turkey dinner in a slow cooker? You can do it with this recipe from Taste of Home. Make a simple, festive potato dish fit for any celebration by swirling mashed potatoes together with mashed sweet potatoes in a casserole baker, and topping with paprika and parsley and warming through in an oven.

Considering opting out of the temptation for ‘fast food’ that can leave you feeling sluggish and bloated during this especially vulnerable time of healing. Many local favorites such as Graul’s or Eddie’s of Roland Park offer wonderfully nutritious pre-made meal options that can feed you and your whole crowd of holiday cohorts!

Lastly, let’s not forget dessert!

Desserts are an essential part of the holidays for many of us, and can be done simply at home if it’s meaningful to you to make your own rather than pick something up at your favorite bakery. Again, a frozen pie crust or its relative, frozen puff pastry, can be a lifesaver when paired with your choice of canned or fresh seasonal fruit. Top pies and tarts with a few cranberries or pomegranate arils or a shake of cinnamon sugar for a pop of festive color and flavor.

If this isn’t your first rodeo with a new baby at home and you have older children, try to set aside a weekend afternoon for a baking session with them. They will remember and love the time with you, and there will not be so many sprinkles on the floor that they’ll be impossible to clean later. If you can grab a little time, mix up some sugar cookie dough, then divide it and color some of it with the holiday colors you like so your young ones can shape, pat, and twist candy cane cookies or wreaths. If you don’t have time to mix your own, you can find delicious sugar cookie dough in refrigerated tubes at grocery stores.

Depending on the needs of your baby and yourself, you may need an extra hand or two even with the most straightforward meal plan. Enlisting the help of a friend, relative, or doula may give you a few treasured hours to accomplish more than you might feel is possible on your own. Doulas of Baltimore can provide an experienced set of hands to assist with light meal prep and kitchen help, or will occupy your wee ones while you escape to the kitchen for a few blissful hours. Whether preparing dinner is a source of comfort or a source of anxiety, with a little practice and the right ingredients you may find that you’re capable of some pretty great meals. Happy and delicious holidays to you and your family!

Out and About With Baby

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You’ve welcomed a new baby into your home, you’re feeling up to getting out of the house together, and you’ve picked a location! Now what?

Taking a day trip with a tiny one can seem daunting, whether you’re traveling on vacation or just going to the grocery store. Babies seem to need so much stuff. With some doula-tested strategies and an eye on streamlining your packing process, you CAN manage to enjoy the big world outside without feeling like a pack horse in the process! Try our tips below for stress-free errands and excursions, no matter where you go.

Tip 1: Start with a great bag.

Before you decide what to bring with you when you go out and about, you need to decide where you’re going to put it all. Enter the trusty diaper bag! Diaper bags have come a long way in recent years, incorporating everything from insulated bottle compartments to holes for earbuds to thread through. Choose a bag that’s both sturdy in construction and fitting for your lifestyle. Are you outdoorsy, or will your bag be doubling as a board room briefcase some days? Do you love bold patterns, or traditional neutrals? Take space into consideration too- will you be packing cloth or disposable diapers? Are you traveling with multiple children? This will make a difference! Make sure whichever bag you choose has multiple interior and exterior pockets and compartments. Items stay more organized (and thus easy to access quickly) when they each have a designated place.

Tip 2: Stick to the Essentials

The best way to simplify your days out with baby is to bring only what you’ll actually need. While this can vary widely from family to family, try not to plan for every possibility under the sun. Leave surplus supplies in your car if you’ll be too far from home to pop back in quickly for unexpected emergencies. Include the basics – diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes, then branch out. Think of what baby will need to eat (will you need a bottle?), what the weather will be like (sun hat?), and if at all possible – multi-purpose! Blankets can also be changing pads and sun shades (we love these classic muslin style). Bibs can also be spit rags. Frozen water bottles can keep milk cold while doubling as a drink for you when they thaw. Leave the heaps of toys & gadgets at home.

Tip 3: Suit up

Don’t just think about what you’ll bring along when you venture out – think about what you and baby will be wearing! Dressing for success doesn’t end at the office. When venturing out with little ones, what you and they wear can make or break how enjoyable our day is.  

For parents, dressing in comfortable layers and choosing clothing with pockets can be hugely beneficial! No one ever plans for spit up or diaper leaks, but they happen. Being able to easily cover a small stain temporarily with a cardigan or scarf or making your undershirt your “over-shirt” can save your day from ending abruptly.

Keys and phones are easy to lose when juggling a baby and diaper bag. You set them down, turn around, and suddenly can’t remember where you saw them last. Keep them close in pockets when possible and avoid the hassle the search altogether.

For baby, we all know how cute ruffles and buckles are on small humans!

But when out and about, think minimalism on baby. Headbands get pulled off and lost, buckles can pinch in car seats (no one loves a crying baby on a commute), and outfits without snap-bottoms are both inconvenient and messy should a diaper disaster occur. Dress baby is breathable fabrics with quick access for diaper changes and outfit swaps. You’ll save yourself time and have the bonus of a more comfortable kiddo! We love snap-bottom rompers like this one during summer – they wash and wear great and can easily be paired with a sweater on chilly evenings.

Remember that every outing is a new chance to learn and make memories with your baby, no matter how small the reason! It’s okay to forget things and make mistakes. Like most things, the more you practice, the more confidence you gain. So get out there- the world is waiting!