Feeding Yourself After a New Baby

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It’s so important for YOU to eat when you have a new baby! Whether you’re breastfeeding, formula feeding, exclusively or partially pumping or using a feeding tube, whether your baby came to you via your own birth, surrogacy, fostering or adoption, YOU NEED TO EAT TOO! Taking care of a baby, no matter your circumstance, is physically grueling, and fuel is required to make it happen. Of course, some days that fuel is coffee and candy.

We wanted to provide you with some ideas to help keep yourself fed:

• Focus on feeding your baby and accept help to feed yourself. It's OK to ask your partner, family and friends to bring you food. Keep in mind that babies seem to get hungry the second you sit down to eat - be ready to feed them too!
• Keep portable snacks near your favorite feeding spot. Trail mix, dry cereal, durable fruit, nuts, and other favorite snacks are key when baby is eating and you get hungry, too!
• If loved ones bring large containers of food, transfer it to smaller single-serving containers or bags and freeze what you can't eat right away.
• Babywear! It will free up your hands to cook and eat. Just make sure you're not eating anything too hot in temperature! Don't be surprised if some food drops on your baby.
• Foods that can be eaten with one hand (wraps, salads, burritos, smoothies) may be easier if you get stuck in a long nursing, bottle feeding, or pumping session.
• Take advantage of grocery or food delivery apps and services. This is the time of your life when you need them the most.
• Breastfeeding increases your protein and water needs. Hard boiled eggs, nuts, Greek yogurt, beans, fish, peanut butter, and meat are great sources of protein. Stash water bottles or cups of water wherever you feed baby.
• Your Instant Pot or slow cooker will be your friend - try to prep ingredients when baby sleeps (or ask a loved one to do this) so you can pour and cook!
• Screen shot menus for your favorite restaurants and keep them in a file on your phone. If someone wants to pick you up food, you'll know just what to order.

We know that feeding a baby is emotional, especially in those early months. Hugs those of you struggling with your feeding experience. We are sending you a big virtual high five for the amazing job you’re doing!

Look below to see photos from some members of our Clients Only Group on Facebook as they feed themselves in various way. Notice food dropped on babywearing babies, dads rocking the bottle (or getting their grub on), combo feeding mamas sneaking in a few bites of food while they feed baby a bottle after a breast feed, new moms finally eating after birth, it’s all wonderful and it all represents our own unique stories as parents.

Thank you to the hundreds of parents who contributed photos - what a fun thread to read! It was such a great reminder that we are all doing our best and are all in it together!!

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