Food prep for a new baby

Post-Partum: My Dream Freezer
image: Southern Living

I am counting the days until my baby decides to arrive. In the past two months, I have tried to overcook meals when I could. Half of my freezer is now filled with yogurt containers filled with leftovers and ziplock bags of veggie burgers and marinated chicken. A quarter of the freezer of it is now filled with frozen Trader Joes food that my husband had a blast buying last weekend. We usually don't buy pre-made foods but I am predicting that I may not want to eat my own cooking and that restaurant delivery gets old after a while. It will be nice to have a variety at my finger tips.

During my past pregnancies I was not so concerned about stocking up food. Thankfully, my mom visited to help with the transition of each birth. It is the time AFTER she leaves that I plan for. For baby #1, it was only my husband and I who had to eat and we didn't care if we ate the same food for days. For baby #2, we left the country so soon after giving birth that there wasn't much prep work needed. Now for baby #3, the kids eat more than they used to and there is more of them! They do not want me to serve the same bean stew for lunch and dinner three days in a row.

I find meal planning to be a lifesaver now that our family has grown. Once a week before I go grocery stopping, I make a list of what we will have for dinner each night. I buy only the ingredients for those meals and stick to the plan so I don't have to think during the week. Post-partum, I will also have a meal plan but it will require me to thaw food the night before so I can reheat it for dinner. Our breakfasts and lunches will be standard each day so I don't have to think. This little bit of preplanning means that our family eats healthier and there is almost no food spoilage.

All new moms must fully taking advantage of anyone who wants to deliver meals.  If someone offers, quickly ask what day they can bring something by and enjoy it because you deserve it!