Best Meal to Bring New Mom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t people on DCUM bring meals in disposable pans?

Because this isn’t Kansas. We aren’t obese with disposable casserole dishes in large pantries the size of a kid’s bedroom in DC.

[Anonymous]

New mom who is nursing has to watch out what they eat. Anything and everything crosses to the milk and can cause all kinds of problem for the baby.
Just to get you started on foods that can cause all kinds of problem from colic to sleep problem to diarrhea in the baby..:

chocolate.
spices (cinnamon, garlic, curry, chili pepper)
citrus fruits and their juices, like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit.
strawberries.
kiwifruit.
pineapple.
the "gassy" veggies (onion, cabbage, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, and peppers)
fruits with a laxative effect, such as cherries and prunes.
Fish. Fish are a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids and are okay to eat in moderation during breastfeeding. ...
Coffee and Tea. ...
Alcohol. ...
Chocolate. ...
Parsley, Peppermint and Sage. ...
Garlic. ...
“Gassy” Foods. ...
Medicines to Avoid While Breastfeeding.


So back at you.. do you want really to make a new mom more miserable? It is enough to deal with the struggles of the first days and weeks of mothering without added stress of complications from food and results on newborn.

Just give them choice to feed themselves and therefore a baby (as a result) with whatever they are comfortable.

If you start going over the list and try to avoid anything that can make a baby miserable.. starting with onion,
garlic, spices, cabbage etc.. you will be really in a very narrow zone.

If you would press me to bring something, I would bring bagels as others suggested. Least harmful of all the offerings listed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t people on DCUM bring meals in disposable pans?

Because this isn’t Kansas. We aren’t obese with disposable casserole dishes in large pantries the size of a kid’s bedroom in DC.

And also because disposable usually means aluminum that if exposed to acid or scratched leaches into the food
and you can figure out the rest. And btw.. plastic has the same effect...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:See what others are bringing, so you can add some variety.

My go-to is quiche, baguette, fruit salad, and homemade cookies or brownies. I usually do two full-sized quiches, so there will be leftovers.

I never felt like I needed only things that could be eaten with one hand, but fajitas probably would have required too much assembly, much as I love fajitas. If you wanted to do Mexican, there are some great enchilada-style casseroles that I would have happily gobbled up as a new mom!

Then you’re doing it wrong. A spoonful of meat, a spoonful of veggies, a sprinkle of lettuce, a dollop of guac or salsa. Then eat. Or take the handheld option away and eat it as a salad with a fork. You all are insane. I would love to have someone bring me cooked components for tacos or fajitas because there’s a million ways people can customize it to what they like. Much easier to do than with a casserole or quiche or whatever. One meal that everyone can eat in the way they like to eat it. And I don’t understand the people who can only eat things one handed when they have a baby. Put the baby down for 5 minutes and eat. It really will be ok.

You realize that just because you think fajitas are easy not all of us do right? They take steps and have multiple, multiple things to clean when I'm already drowning in things to clean. Great that you don't think it's too much work but a lot of the rest of us do and are giving OP feedback like she requested.

I can't imagine being this impaired. Ok, no fajitas. If your thumb works, go for the UberEats/PostMates/Caviar and call it a day. I barely understand the mealtrain thing at all in a city for a normal birth and I extra don't get people with these hyper specific requirements. I still fail to see how a bag of tortillas and a glass dish of chicken and veg fajitas is some onerous amount of work. Someone might even clean it for you? I am an enthusiastic mealtrain participant, but I'd tell you to pound sand and get out that delivery finger.

Human connections are always important, but even more so following childbirth. It is exhausting to give birth and exhausting getting through those first weeks - it's among the biggest adjustments that we make as humans over the course of our lives.

People with money can throw it at the challenge by ordering food to be delivered. Without money, that's a challenge, particularly given that most maternity leaves are unpaid.

Moreover, the power of human connection can be conveyed with delicious food. Could I order in sushi, Greek food, pizza, whatever? Yes, of course. Does it have the same degree of comfort, meaning, and deliciousness as a full meal delivered to my door by a caring friend? No, not even close.

When my second DC was born years ago and I was struggling to BF, waking up every few hours, fighting with DH, and helping my toddler adjust, it was the most amazing thing to have a full meal delivered every day for a couple of weeks. Just amazing. Brisket, roasted chicken, lasagna, stir-fry with rice, homemade pies and cut-up fruit - no food had ever been so welcome or tasted so good.

In the midst of the bleeding nipples, toddler tantrums, exhaustion, my family and I basked in the love and support we received from our friends and family - and I've returned that love and support many times over.

It's not all about the food itself.

You get it, PP.

Make a dish in your own kitchen, and deliver it with a smile and a hug to your friend. You won't regret this at all.

Just no fajitas or anything like that. That would be inflicting a huge amount of work on a busy new mom. Don't punish her with all of that work and the burden of washing a pan.

Why are you assuming it’s the mom who washes the pan??

Because it's a mom griping about how much work it is for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, now day and age this kind of thing is kind of not a thing anymore. People really prefer food cooked by professionals in their restaurant kitchens.

Speak for yourself. I don't have that preference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t people on DCUM bring meals in disposable pans?

Because this isn’t Kansas. We aren’t obese with disposable casserole dishes in large pantries the size of a kid’s bedroom in DC.

Then why are you all up in arms with the suggestion of healthy tacos or fajitas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New mom who is nursing has to watch out what they eat. Anything and everything crosses to the milk and can cause all kinds of problem for the baby.
Just to get you started on foods that can cause all kinds of problem from colic to sleep problem to diarrhea in the baby..:

chocolate.
spices (cinnamon, garlic, curry, chili pepper)
citrus fruits and their juices, like oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit.
strawberries.
kiwifruit.
pineapple.
the "gassy" veggies (onion, cabbage, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, and peppers)
fruits with a laxative effect, such as cherries and prunes.
Fish. Fish are a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids and are okay to eat in moderation during breastfeeding. ...
Coffee and Tea. ...
Alcohol. ...
Chocolate. ...
Parsley, Peppermint and Sage. ...
Garlic. ...
“Gassy” Foods. ...
Medicines to Avoid While Breastfeeding.


So back at you.. do you want really to make a new mom more miserable? It is enough to deal with the struggles of the first days and weeks of mothering without added stress of complications from food and results on newborn.

Just give them choice to feed themselves and therefore a baby (as a result) with whatever they are comfortable.

If you start going over the list and try to avoid anything that can make a baby miserable.. starting with onion,
garlic, spices, cabbage etc.. you will be really in a very narrow zone.

If you would press me to bring something, I would bring bagels as others suggested. Least harmful of all the offerings listed.

Roasted chicken, salad, potatoes or rice.

It's not difficult.

No one wants empty carbs.

[Anonymous]

If someone brought me fajitas (disposable pan or not) I would probably kiss them. DH does and would wash all dishes, btw. Not that I have ever been given any food in a dish or pan that needs to be returned.

[Anonymous]

Mushroom risotto would be lovely

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bring a dozen bagels with a jar of peanut butter, a tub of cream cheese, a jar of pizza sauce, a bag of shredded mozzarella, some easy hand fruit, and some freezer bags.

Everything is fairly nonperishable ( I ask if they want me to slice and freeze any bagels before I leave) and can be eaten one handed at different times of day. A bagel with cream cheese or pb, or a pizza bagel, are super easy and gives some variety.

I like this idea! Just make sure they’re good bagels

NP Good bagels aren't from around here. If you have good friends who bring you food than you should be grateful and not complain about them not being good enough. I was grateful for every meal we got.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meal trains are sexist. It’s assuming the man is unavailable to cook and help take care of his partner. Participating in a meal train is enabling the patriarchy and the unpaid labor performed by women. Instead of one woman cooking for another woman, the partner should step up and help take care of his family.

There are exceptions for women without a partner, disabilities, etc.

If your partner isn’t going to help provide you with food after the birth then you need to stay on birth control

My husband did 100% of the cooking and 100% of the cleaning for at least the first 6 weeks while I struggled with trying to recover from a c-section and breastfeed and pump every 6 minutes. He also woke up with me for every night feeding and took the baby for walks and did diapers and laundry. He's an amazing partner and father, but he's still a person who gets tired, and when we were able to eat a ready-made meal (either pre-cooked by us in anticipation or dropped off by a lovely friend) it was a really nice break.

And I don't want to break your brain, but: not all of the lovely friends who made us meals were women.

[Anonymous]

Our wonderful friends stocked our fridge with cut fruit, veggies, croissants from Costco, and that ravioli lasagna. It was the nicest thing ever.

My signature move is like a month in, filling a bag with kid- and adult-friendly snacks and beverages (either seltzer, iced coffee, or both) leaving it on their doorstep, and texting that it has been dropped off. At this point (in our circle anyway), the meal train has kind of dried up and mom and dad are just tired.

[Anonymous]

Salmon con carne

[Anonymous]

Something that needs to simply warmed up in the oven.

A casserole dish or possibly homemade lasagna?

Also, keep in mind if the new Mother is breastfeeding her baby, it would be best to forgo any spicy food, onions, chocolate, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t people on DCUM bring meals in disposable pans?

Because this isn’t Kansas. We aren’t obese with disposable casserole dishes in large pantries the size of a kid’s bedroom in DC.

I’m from Missouri, and we hate people from Kansas, but you are an ass that nobody likes.