Newborns and Meal Preparation

[Rembrandtfan]

When you had a newborn, how did you and your spouse handle meal preparations the first few weeks? Did anyone bring you meals or stay with you for a few weeks to help out? Did the husband do the cooking? Did you order takeout or stock your freezer ahead of time?

If you had no one to help with meals, would you have liked to have help, or do you feel you did fine managing on your own?

 

[Laurie919]

I think the most awesome shower idea for a new mom is for everyone to make something that can be frozen so that the mom to be does not have to worry about cooking for the first few weeks.

Can you stock the freezer ahead of time?

Personally I ate peanut butter and crackers but it was just me...

 

[cobweb]

My husband cooked for the first week or so. I didn't really want any outside help. Having people over made me feel like I had to entertain them instead of resting.

 

[Laurie919]

My husband cooked for the first week or so. I didn't really want any outside help. Having people over made me feel like I had to entertain them instead of resting.

I was that way during labor. I would wake up have a contraction, scream, apoligize for not being a better hostess then go back to sleep. After they gave me meds, lol.

 

[Manna]

Oh man, I would have killed for someone to help me out...LOL. I just learned to cook well with one hand, baby in the other arm. =)

 

[coffeegal]

i do a lot of the above. i do get meals from friends from church, husband cooks, and we eat a lot of frozen pizza.

 

[CarrieAg93]

We had friends and church members bring us meals. My mom also stayed for about a week.

 

[jgonz]

In the past, friends of mine brought food for the first week. This time I'm thinking I'll just have DH & my teens cook.

 

[coffeegal]

In the past, friends of mine brought food for the first week. This time I'm thinking I'll just have DH & my teens cook.

my kids have been informed that they will do some cooking too.

 

[OrangeHope]

I think DH will be cooking and I will freeze stuff ahead of time. I really don't think I'll be in the mood for having people over!

 

[MyaShane]

The first few weeks we ate in shifts. It was worth it to us so that we each could get a hot meal.

 

[GolfingMom]

My mother helped out by bringing us dinner. It was nice but I was happy to get back to cooking after about 2 weeks.
With my second child I had the freezer stocked with 4 dinners knowing I'd be in the hospital for 4 days so DH wouldn't have to worry about cooking dinner. Once I got home, DH helped me or I did it myself. I liked it both ways.

 

[lucypevensie]

With our first I don't know how we survived. Our cupboards were pretty bare. I remember eating stale bagels and bruised apples for lunches. With our second we were a bit better prepared with more food in the kitchen. DH cooked, but there were also people from church who brought a few meals. That was really nice.

 

[-~Truth_N_Trust~-]

newborns usually sleep a fair bit, then wake up screaming around dinner time!

DH usually cooked the first week when he was home, we'd have a lot of 'gift' dinners (people dropping around easy to prepare/reheat stuff when they came to see the baby), and yep, a lot of takeaway.

Same as when I was 9 months pregnant and thoroughly over it!

 

[Birbitt]

With my oldest our church brought us meals for the first week and most often we had leftovers so it lasted us more like two weeks.....With my youngest child I prepared a few meals ahead of time and then I would prepare other items early in the day when I had more energy and then we'd reheat for the evening.

 

[Neenie1]

To be totally honest I find meal preparation with a new born around much easier than with an active toddler around.

First baby i was living with MIL, she did most of the cooking. Then when ds got older we shared cooking (MIlL one night, me the next)

Then when I had dd, dh stayed home for 3 weeks, we had some freezer meals, then we also had some meals made by family friends etc. But seriously, I didn't find meal preparation any harder than I find it now.

I am not a keen cook. I like baking, but I find meals rather boring, even just deciding what to have.

Something that makes life easier (well for us anyway) is a slow cooker. You can put the food in at a quieter time of day, turn it on, and then when you are ready to eat, it's ready for you. I love mine and use it at least once week. The other good thing about it is that it only uses one pot. I don't think it could get any easier than that.


the other thing is that sometimes you just have to accept that egg on toast with a side salad is a good meal too.

 

[sparassidae]

Wetend to get a couple of weeks of meals provided by friends at church. My mum is notoriously not around during that newborn period (for me, but manages with my sister, but that's another rant).

Apart from that we might get more takeaway.

And Neenie, for us, eggs on toast is always a satisfactory meal, even without a newborn : )

 

[JulySheMustFly]

Our small group from church was a huge help those first two weeks. After that my in-laws and parents helped. So, yes help was important to me for about the first month till I was able to work out the new family rhythm.

 

[gracepaints]

DH cooked.

 

[fuzzymel]

When you had a newborn, how did you and your spouse handle meal preparations the first few weeks? Did anyone bring you meals or stay with you for a few weeks to help out? Did the husband do the cooking? Did you order takeout or stock your freezer ahead of time?

If you had no one to help with meals, would you have liked to have help, or do you feel you did fine managing on your own?

Have you gone to the other side?