Alternate title: βThe Art of the One-Handed Meal.β π Thank you to New Chapter for sponsoring this post!
When I was pregnant, you guys heard a lot about food from me β but mostly about how I really wasnβt excited about it. I spent most of the first and third trimesters just generally feeling βehβ about food β I was really hungry, and I felt worse if I waited too long to eat, but it was always really hard to decide WHAT to eat, and often there were many foods that turned me off entirely. What I wanted to eat also changed minute to minute β I remember one night calling Matt on his way home from work and telling him that I HAD to have taco salad (a childhood fave). I literally could not eat anything else ever, it had to be taco salad, and it had to be immediately. Iβm sure you guys can tell where this story is going β by the time poor Matt got home from the grocery store with all the ingredients for taco salad, I had decided that taco salad was actually the last thing I ever wanted to eat, and proceeded to have chocolate milk and watermelon for dinner instead while Matt ate taco salad. Lol! So as you can imagine, now that Iβm no longer pregnant Iβm loving actually enjoying food again β and not having to worry about whether Iβll still want something once itβs in front of me (vs. just wanting it when I ordered it, or when we started making it).
For the first month after giving birth, I wasnβt all that hungry β the pain meds I was taking early on due to the C section were probably messing with my appetite, and I had a lot of digestive issues during pregnancy that hung around for awhile in the early days postpartum, too. I had heard from friends how crazy hungry they were when breastfeeding, but I wasnβt experiencing that myself. It probably didnβt help that my sleep patterns were so all over the place, especially at first β Iβd take a 2 hour nap some days and wake up to dinner, which felt like breakfast, so it was hard to eat a big hearty meal. And we were up all night, of course, which was also weird hunger-wise because each day felt like one really long endless day vs. a day and then night. And on top of that, I was extremely sedentary that first month, even compared to the end of pregnancy where I was still walking a ton. In short, my body (and my stomach) were very confused.
And then, suddenly, about a month and a half or so after Riese was born, BAM. I was STARVING. All the time. And I have been ever since. There was that breastfeeding hunger Iβd been hearing so much about! Give me all the food!!
I find Iβm especially hungry earlier in the day, so Iβve usually been doing two breakfasts. My first breakfast is typically avocado toast with a fried egg or two and tomato and/or some greens. I love this because itβs a great combination of protein (eggs), carbs (toast), and fat (avocado, egg yolks), plus some fruit/veggie volume. Keeps me satisfied more than a minute!
My second breakfast is usually something sweeter β a muffin, for example, plus some fresh fruit and a whole milk latte on the side (I stick with one shot of espresso).
For lunch, I mix it up, but generally do either a sandwich with some veggies on the side, or a big grain salad bowl.
In the afternoon, I need more than one snack now, and often have to remind myself to eat amidst the chaos of the day. Riese is extremely adept at starting to cry the second I sit down to eat, which makes it easy to let myself get too hungry because Iβm taking care of her rather than taking care of myself. After several episodes of getting overhungry, I wised up and started to make eating much more of a priority, usually by having one-handed snacks available to tide me over while I feed her. Things like fruit, hard boiled eggs, lactation cookies/muffins/bites, etc.
Dinner is generally all over the place in terms of what we eat, but I again make sure itβs a mix of protein, fat, and carbs, with some veggies for volume. And I make sure to have more volume in general than usual, too! Pregnancy and the postpartum period have both been good lessons to me in intuitive eating β when your hunger levels change so drastically from your norm you really have to pay attention and listen to your body because being on autopilot will mean you end up not eating enough.
In addition to making sure Iβm responding to my hunger and thirst (breastfeeding makes me SO THIRSTY), itβs also important to make sure Iβm meeting my nutrient-specific needs in this postpartum phase of my life, especially with regards to breastfeeding. I think itβs common knowledge to take a prenatal vitamin while pregnant, but itβs also smart to take a vitamin once the baby is born that is specifically formulated with the postpartum period in mind. Shortly after Riese was born, I switched from my prenatal to a postnatal vitamin to make sure that we were both getting the nutrients we need.
Iβve been taking New Chapterβs Perfect Postnatal Multivitamin; I like New Chapterβs postnatal multivitamin in particular for a couple reasons. First, they take a sustainable, quality, whole foods approach to their products. The perfect postnatal is made with organic vegetables, herbs, and superfoods, all of which have been chosen specifically to help moms with new babies by incorporating targeted nutrients that help nourish and provide energy, mood and lactation support.* These include fermented B Vitamins that work to support energy needs during early motherhood, and fermented iron, which is required for red blood cell production. If youβre breastfeeding, the iron, vitamin B6, vitamin D3, and iodine in particular will help to support lactation.*
Second, the multivitamin is gentle enough to be taken on an empty stomach, thanks to the fact that New Chapter uses fermented vitamins and minerals that are easily digestible. This was especially important in the early days when I was in a weird sleep-deprived haze β I didnβt have to worry about remembering whether Iβd just eaten or not before taking the vitamins, and they never made me feel even remotely nauseous like multivitamins Iβve taken in the past have. The perfect postnatal is also Non-GMO Project Verified and 100% vegetarian with no artificial flavors or colors.
The other supplement Iβm taking right now is New Chapterβs Wholemegaβ’ for Moms Fish Oil supplement made from sustainable 100% wild Alaskan salmon. The essential DHA fatty acids help maintain heart health and support visual and cognitive development for babies when taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding.*
New Chapter Vitamins can be purchased on their website (hereβs a link to the Perfect Postnatal Multivitaminβ’ and the Wholemegaβ’ for Moms Fish Oil), Amazon, Whole Foods, and Momβs Organic Market, among other retailers. Click here to find a store near you.
Fellow new moms β are you taking a postnatal vitamin? Did you take a prenatal vitamin? Alsoβ¦ any tips for mastering one-handed eating? π
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*Certified Organic by International Certification Services, Inc., Medina, ND, USA.
**These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.