Leading up to my baby’s birthday, we spent almost two weeks of peaceful, serene bliss in a private birth house in a rural country farm environment. We enjoyed fresh, locally grown vegetables and locally farm-raised meat and dairy. I ate cucumbers and tomatoes with olive oil and garlic every day and cut out unsweet tea completely, only drinking water with fresh lemon or herbal teas such as red raspberry leaf for prepping the uterus for the birth.
Labor started in the late evening and progressed throughout the night and early morning. Our little one was born later in the early afternoon, ending one beautiful and life-changing experience, and starting a new one.
Being a new mother has presented many new, unexpected challenges, including cooking and preparing meals! For the first few weeks we had food that family and friends prepared for us. Most of it was not exclusively NSNG, but honestly we were so grateful for meals, we didn’t mind it. When those meals ran out, I leaned heavily on my husband for help with cooking, on top of all the cleaning and general help he was already doing for me. We’ve even joined together in the kitchen to get dinner ready. I’ve been looking for recipes now that are more simple and quicker since my time is so limited.
As a breastfeeding mother, I’ve been consumed with ensuring my supply is sufficient for feeding my baby well. I’ve been eating oats every morning with unsweetened almond milk, crushed raw walnuts, and cinnamon to maintain/boost my supply. Also, my appetite is greater than when I was pregnant – so postpartum weight loss has been slow, but I know I’m doing what is necessary for my baby’s growth and development. I keep nuts and sunflower seeds (great for supply!) close by to snack whenever I get hungry and can’t move the sleeping baby or during a feeding. Sweet potatoes, eaten in moderation depending on your goals with NSNG since they will raise blood sugar levels, can also benefit your supply. I would normally peel and slice them into fries to bake with olive oil and garlic and eat with our bunless burgers. Now, it is so much easier to wrap whole sweet potatoes in parchment paper and bake them at 400° for about an hour depending on size of potato. After giving it a squeeze to see if it’s soft, I put a slice of butter in a cut slit with a few shakes of sea salt and cinnamon.
I’ve also had to cut out several things to help my baby’s tummy with gas and bloating. I cut back on broccoli and had to completely eliminate cabbage for now after one terrible night for both of us… Dairy can usually cause digestion problems for baby, and I initially eliminated dairy, but found that it didn’t cause as much problems as the cabbage and broccoli. I have made Anna’s Ultimate ‘Fat Head’ Pizza and noticed the amount of cheese did cause some fussiness. Tip: to cut back on prep time with the pizza, spread the crust into a casserole dish and continue recipe. Also, I get two meals out of homemade spaghetti sauce! I make sauce with 80/20 ground beef, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, tomato paste, blended stewed tomatoes, and a can of Rotel for spice. The leftover sauce is great as a pizza sauce for the next day!
I want to recommend the book I was reading when I went into labor! I was only halfway through the first edition copy that was in the birth house when I felt those early labor surges. I plan to get a copy soon and finish that second half (when I have time!!!), but it contained fascinating birth stories that definitely prepped me for what was about to happen! Spiritual Midwifery is one of the first books published by The Farm’s publishing company, Book Publishing Company. Written by Ina May Gaskin and the midwives, it is currently in fourth edition that has updated information on natural childbirth, new birth stories, VBAC’s, and breech births.