Cooking for a New Mom

[linekelei]

My sister just had a baby by c-section this past Sunday. I would like to make some dinner items that can be frozen so that she and my BIL can just pull them out and heat them up. I can come up with a lot different items to make, but she is trying to breast feed and I'm concerned about what she can and cannot eat. So far, no one at the hospital has given her any limitations, but is there anything that I should avoid when making the meals? And is there anything in particular that any of you especially liked?

[maplekitty]

I'd limit the amount of dairy or cheese, just because some women have lactose intolerance problems with their babies. And also...constipation after having a c-section (ie, no stomach muscle control) is NO FUN!!

Also, stay away from "gassy" foods, like broccoli or peppers.

Soups are awesome for quick lunches, and I wish I had more of the turkey soup our uncle made us!! You're always thirsty, so to have a meal of broth, LOL, weird as it sounds, is so yummy! So a brothy veggie soup is perfect!

[berry]

I'm not a mom, but I've heard from many new mom friends to avoid sending/giving meals that are spicy. I also have two friends who could not eat any kind of red sauce (marinara) while breastfeeding.

You are so sweet to do this.

[NYN]

there is nothing that a breastfeeding mom can't eat unless there is a history of severe allergies in the family (e.g. baby #1 was severely intolerant to milk protein and the mother had to limit dairy). this notion that a mother's diet needs to be restricted or that certain foods need to be limited is a myth.

[kindermom]

I would also stay away from high acid foods like tomatoes. It is not like she can't eat them, just go easy on them.

Maybe it is my poor manners but anything that did not require silverware was great so that I could grab a little bit to eat while nursing. Using cutlery while nnursing was over my head.

Healthy snacks would also be great. Your sister is going to need to eat alot because of the BFing and have good snacks was excellent. Nuts, trail mix, crackers, popcorn, etc are great when you are trying to grab something between nursings.

Kellymom has some great resources. This link (http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-foods.html)takes you to the section on foods to eat/not eat while nursing.

Congrats on the new niece/nephew.

[lml41981]

You can make anything you want to make. Every kid will react to different things, if anything at all. I eat all the broccoli I want and DD was never gassy (and now broccoli is her favorite food). Also, there have been studies that show that babies whose mothers eat a wide variety of foods grow up to be less picky eaters.

Probably the only things I'd stay away from would be nuts because the proteins can be highly allergenic and the proteins can be transferred via breastmilk. Additionally, I'd not use dairy for the same reason.

[Sevilla]

I second bringing nutririous snack foods - oatmeal raisin cookies/bars are yummy too. My favorite meal someone made us was an herbed pork roast with potatoes.

[mamax2]

My favorite was the chicken and rice soup my doula made us. I also pre-made a bunch of my own meals such as a chicken, mushroom and rice casserole and primavera or sausage ziti. A lot of baked pasta dishes are easy to prep/freeze as well.

And while it may be a 'myth' that a BFing mother needs to limit or restrict her diet, every mother and every baby are different. Certain foods *are* more likely to cause gas, allergic reactions, etc. For instance, my second baby was sensitive to dairy - a pan of lasagna would have been useless to me. My first baby was sensitive to beans so a batch of chili had her writing in pain. I would probably avoid dairy and if there is a family history of other food allergies, any of those items, most other foods, even cruciferous veggies should be o.k. if they're in limited quantity. Oatmeal stuff is great for BFing too - cookies, homemade granola bars, etc. I'd check over in the cooking forum for some additional ideas on freezable meals.

[ihearttx]

there is nothing that a breastfeeding mom can't eat unless there is a history of severe allergies in the family (e.g. baby #1 was severely intolerant to milk protein and the mother had to limit dairy). this notion that a mother's diet needs to be restricted or that certain foods need to be limited is a myth.

True but I would still suggest not bringing over a broccoli cheese casserole or a giant side dish of cabbage as most breastfeeding moms would rather their child not have terrible gas.;)

[lml41981]

True but I would still suggest not bringing over a broccoli cheese casserole or a giant side dish of cabbage as most breastfeeding moms would rather their child not have terrible gas.;)
Again, these foods don't affect all babies. My daughter isn't affected by broccoli or cabbage. It is really a trial and error kind of thing.

[QPDoll]

What I was grateful for were snacks: powerbars, cheese balls and crackers, veggie trays, fruit trays, etc.

[NYN]

True but I would still suggest not bringing over a broccoli cheese casserole or a giant side dish of cabbage as most breastfeeding moms would rather their child not have terrible gas.;)
gas is produced by bacteria that normally inhabits the intestines, primarily the colon, so while what you eat may make you gassy it won't be passed through your milk. even if your baby were "reacting" to brocolli it wouldn't be the way that you do. also, a baby is more likely to have a reaction to dairy than to a "gas producing" veggie and most likely, an exclusively breastfed baby won't have a reaction to any food in the mom's diet at all (we read a lot about babies reacting to food on these boards b/c people tend to look for help here and most of us w/ babies who didn't have problems don't need to talk about it). once again, this notion that breastfeeding moms can't eat brocolli, cabbage, beans, spicy foods, etc. is a huge myth that has been passed on and now the general public believes it.

things that cause gas in a newborn: rapid, uncontrollable swallowing (when you just point the bottle straight down and the baby has to either drink or drown), an immature GI system (totally normal and will start maturing around 6 weeks or so) and the fact that babies aren't very good with coordination and haven't yet learned how to fart on cue.

[ihearttx]

gas is produced by bacteria that normally inhabits the intestines, primarily the colon, so while what you eat may make you gassy it won't be passed through your milk. even if your baby were "reacting" to brocolli it wouldn't be the way that you do. also, a baby is more likely to have a reaction to dairy than to a "gas producing" veggie and most likely, an exclusively breastfed baby won't have a reaction to any food in the mom's diet at all (we read a lot about babies reacting to food on these boards b/c people tend to look for help here and most of us w/ babies who didn't have problems don't need to talk about it). once again, this notion that breastfeeding moms can't eat brocolli, cabbage, beans, spicy foods, etc. is a huge myth that has been passed on and now the general public believes it.

things that cause gas in a newborn: rapid, uncontrollable swallowing (when you just point the bottle straight down and the baby has to either drink or drown), an immature GI system (totally normal and will start maturing around 6 weeks or so) and the fact that babies aren't very good with coordination and haven't yet learned how to fart on cue.

Thanks! I am going on 14 months of breastfeeding so I am well aware of these facts. I also had a dairy sensitive baby and a restricted diet until she was 10 months old.

Our pediatrician gave us a list of foods that could cause "possible" issues, and I followed that list.

Had someone brought me dinner that contained items that were on the list my doctor gave me, I wouldn't have eaten them...such as large amounts of broccoli and cabbage or spicy foods or beans. That was my point to the OP's question.

:)

[Delta]

RE gas and mom's diet - http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-foods.html

[NYN]

While I understand (and respect) your point in answering the OP’s question, I think that perpetuating the myth that certain foods should be restricted in a nursing mother’s diet is doing the OP (and anyone unaware of these facts who is reading the thread) a disservice. I work with nursing mothers everyday and I can’t tell you how many times I am told that someone didn’t want to continue nursing because she wanted to enjoy her rice and beans or have a cocktail from time to time. That kind of ignorance exists because of misinformation within the general public (and many in the medical community as well) and affects society as a whole. Forgive me for trying to be so adamant about changing that. I realize I can only do so much. :)

[SaraSchlick]

Count me in on the snacks! I was a grazer after my son was born because eating a large meal just didn't sound good to me. One of our church ladies brought over several days worth of veggies and dip, cookies, baked chips, etc. I liked being able to grab a handful of something and focus my time on my baby.

[Chimichanga]

Oatmeal (as I've been told) can help milk production, and oatmeal cookies fall into that category! ;)

Anything that your sister liked before she'll probably like now. I had a c-section and still ate the foods I loved during and before my pregnancy. While each baby reacts differently to foods, there are some things (like milk, nuts, broccoli) that could affect them. Unless your sister LOVES these foods, I'd say try to limit the recipes that use these items to 1-2. If the baby doesn't have a reaction, great! But if the baby does, it's not like all of the food you made has it.

There was a thread in the cooking forum about freezing meals - it was a godsend! I made calzones, ravioli, a cornbread casserole and a soup before my c/s. the meals turned out great. I also made BBQ meatballs and a chili mac casserole. PM me if you want the recipes.

The chili mac casserole did make DD cry a bit more (it was a touch spicy) but that was only the first time I ate it.

[ihearttx]

While I understand (and respect) your point in answering the OP’s question, I think that perpetuating the myth that certain foods should be restricted in a nursing mother’s diet is doing the OP (and anyone unaware of these facts who is reading the thread) a disservice. I work with nursing mothers everyday and I can’t tell you how many times I am told that someone didn’t want to continue nursing because she wanted to enjoy her rice and beans or have a cocktail from time to time. That kind of ignorance exists because of misinformation within the general public (and many in the medical community as well) and affects society as a whole. Forgive me for trying to be so adamant about changing that. I realize I can only do so much. :)

Well I guess I am curious then why my pediatrician, who is known as one of the best in the city I live in, would have given me a list of possible problem causing foods. Was this only because my baby was having a problem? Even at the hospital Iwhere I gave birth, also one of the top hospitals in the country, the lactation consultant explained to me that what I eat could effect the baby.

Maybe in Texas people are just ignorant. :confused:

Believe me, I won't post any more about what to cook or not cook for a breastfeeding mom! :)

[wine_o_girlie]

Linekelei,

I am not a mom yet (due in Jan.) but a lot of our friends have babies and I always take them food. I usually try to stay away from the casserole/lasagna type stuff because it seems like 99% of the people take something like that. When my husband had surgery we had 3 lasagnas dropped off! :eek: While we certainly appreciated the work people went to, we were hard pressed to eat that much lasagna.

Here's what I usually take during the fall/winter-

Pot roast with carrots (cook in crockpot which is a lot easier for you since you work I believe), mashed potatoes, and a salad.

-or-

Chicken and rice soup, french baguette or rolls, and a salad.

Congrats to your family! :)

[maybebaby]

Trail mix and fruit were really appreciated.

[Franni]

I would just like to add another voice to NYN's post. BF mommies can eat ANYTHING they want unless she's found something that her baby is sensitive to. It really depends on the mom's previous diet also. If she's always been into spicy food, then there should be no problem.

It would be great for you to send her some oatmeal cookies or anything oatmeal, oatmeal has been known to up milk supply.

ihearttx There is so much misinformation out there about BF. Even the nurse who worked alongside the lactation consultant day-in-day out in one of the best hospitals in NYC fed me a bunch of baloney about BF, which the LC corrected the next day. Many many many doctors are not educated in BF either. My friend's ped told her that after the first few months of BF (a little over 6 months) that she should give her baby more formula because breastmilk does not contain enough iron. Again, baloney!

[linekelei]

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. I'm just going to make a few things that she likes-she's not avoiding any foods right now. And I do plan to make a big batch of oatmeal cookies, as she can't stand regular oatmeal (had really bad morning sickness and threw up oatmeal multiple times, so it's not exactly on her list of "favorites").

Thanks again!

[AlisonCO]

The best things that people brought me were:

turkey noodle soup and bread

roasted chicken with veggies

enchiladas and salad

cookie bars and fruit salad

These were great because they are easy to heat up, quick and filling.

[Mrs. M.]

I loved a banana bread a friend brought me.
Oatmeal cookies also sound great.

[Chicksinger]

It's also nice to bring over something that is a favorite of the new dad. While not quite as tired as the new mom, he is probably finding himself on his own a bit (while mom catches some sleep) and since he may be grabbing whatever meals are available, a favorite dish would be a special treat.

This is not to say that dads can't or don't cook! It was just our experience that my DH was not able to come home and make a big dinner from scratch, because he works such long hours, and he will readily admit that he doesn't cook as well as I do!

The earlier suggestion of "not needing utencils" was a good one. I was often eating with one hand while jiggling/shushing or nursing DS. A knife was definitely out of the question.

[lml41981]

Well I guess I am curious then why my pediatrician, who is known as one of the best in the city I live in, would have given me a list of possible problem causing foods. Was this only because my baby was having a problem? Even at the hospital Iwhere I gave birth, also one of the top hospitals in the country, the lactation consultant explained to me that what I eat could effect the baby.

Maybe in Texas people are just ignorant. :confused:

Believe me, I won't post any more about what to cook or not cook for a breastfeeding mom! :)

I am from Texas and I am most certainly NOT ignorant.

My OB and DD's pediatrician both agreed that I can eat whatever I want.

[lil_nance]

We had friends bring baked ziti with french bread one night. Lots of acidic tomato sauce and dairy rich cheese. YUM!!!! Didn't bother DS one bit. The other night we had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and salad. The fried chicken was from a to-go place and not the best I've had. However, not having to cook and still getting a decent meal made up for it. Anything you make will be appreciated.

[dzmattie]

I appreciated ALL food that my neighbors and family brought over!!! It was the best gift!!

Some of the things -
Baked Ziti
Chicken cutlets
Banana Bread
Coffee Cake (I bagged up pieces to eat in the middle of the night!)
Chicken Casserole