Any ideas for a food hamper for a new mum?

[shelldockley]

My friend is pregnant with her second child, and knowing how much she struggled in the begining with her DS, I was thinking of putting together a food hamper. With feeding her DS, she found she didn't have time to eat, and as she was bfing she needed even more calories and became quite run down. Will she find it easier this time around? With a toddler also on the scene I'm guessing not!

She is quite organised and will prob batch cook some frozen meals like she did last time, but I'd like to put together a hamper of snacks for her for when she doesn't have time to eat properly. If it was me I'd eat my bodyweight in chocolate but she's quite health concious so it needs to be healthy stuff mostly.

So far I've got:
Seeds (she doesn't eat nuts)
Yogurts
Bananas
Soya drinks/milkshakes
Cheese

Any other ideas, or anything i should be avoiding due to bfing? Is this a good idea or a bit silly?

[Kendodd]

Why don't you cook and freeze some home made stuff for her, you know chicken curry, spag bol, that sort of thing. A proper meal that she can just defrost and eat in the evening.

[shelldockley]

I did think of that Kendodd but I'm pretty sure she will fill her freezer with stuff herself!

[akachan]

What about some nice soup?

[GingerMaman]

I think however much she has done, I think she might welcome more food. Because snacks can be bought and so can fruit etc, but home made food is difficult to buy. O

[puddleduck16]

Holland and Barrett do great yogurt coated dried fruit. Is there such a thing as healthy cereal bars? I've gone through a few of those as can eat one handed!!

[TheSteveMilliband]

That sounds healthy! Think my diet when time allowed was hobnobs and....that's it really . A hamper sounds lovely

[shelldockley]

Good point GingerMaman perhaps I should be doing this after her own freezer reserves have been eaten.

[RalphRecklessCardew]

Chocolate. Lots of it. I practically inhaled the stuff.

[TheWomanWithTheMysteriousLump]

I agree with the people suggesting meals. DM wanted to make me cakes etc when I'd had DD, but I told her that you can buy perfectly nice packets of biscuits from the corner shop, but you can't buy my mum's lasagne - frozen in a foil tray and ready to go.

Some nice home-made seedy flapjacks / oaty biscuits might be nice though.

[DoctorTwo]

One thing which is not food but is incredibly gratefully received is lip balm. I recommend Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula. It's very good stuff for moistening lips left dried out by sucking on gas and air.

[GingerMaman]

I did eat loads of energy bars (flap jack type ones) and loads of bonne maman cakes, in seperate wrapper so easy to eat.

[Haahoooo]

Lovely idea! My MIL made about 10 quiches (mix of fillings) for in our freezer before DD1 was born and it was so wonderful to have a quick meal to hand!

[notadoctor]

Really lovely idea! When I was breast feeding I really craved flapjack/ granola bars and tons of dried fruit. And as a family we also ate a lot of dips and pitta, cheese and cracker type snacks which kept us going when meal times were all out of the window! So, maybe some nice crackers/ oatcakes/ flatbreads and some dippy things.

[Smerlin]

Dried apricots are useful in the early days ...

[Pixielady83]

If she's breastfeeding oats are supposed to help with supply- I've bought loads of those Quaker oats instant porridge pots- you just add hot water so its very quick and easy as a snack.

DD2 is 5 days old and I am currently enjoying the m&s ready meals and puddings we have stockpiled in the fridge maybe some of the little pudding pots like lemon cheesecake or chocolate muffin dessert?

Also, non food items, I found good hand cream (cracked hands due to lots of nappy changes and handwashing) and dry shampoo pretty invaluable in first weeks with DD1.

[Hotmad]

There are little bars called nakd bars, they are vegan and incredibly good for you as all natural ingredients like I think mainly made from dates I think, good for snacking on and filling. If you don't want to do the frozen food thing then I'm thinking of things I felt helped me when bf my baby in the early days (now 3 months). Easy food like some packet microwave rice, tinned beans, tinned potatoes and veg ( may not sound great but it was so easy and still getting veg in that way. Also get her water flask as that was great, I just closed lid and popped next to me on sofa instead of cup or glass. Hth

[outtheothersidefinally]

Quiche. Any food you can eat with one hand! Lovely idea!

[Auntierosemary]

Fruit loaf, fruit cake, panettone, fruit bagels, nice loaf of bread. Some not strictly healthy, but pretty much all I wanted to eat while bf! Oh, and marmalade.

[Hotmad]

Oh yes I ate loads of Soreen malt loaf. Reading this is making me hungry but I have a 3 month old sprawled accross my chest so can't move anywhere! I think also take you friend a food hamper weekly! Ha I wish someone would for me

[WillSingForCake]

I'm pregnant with my second and am so hoping you're one of my friends! Though the "health conscious" comment sadly suggests that your friend is not me (currently eating family size bag of Doritos)

[NotCitrus]

Fruity flapjacks and any not too crumbly filling similar things - look up recipes for Powerhouse Cookies.
Malt loaf, cheesy stones. Also some long-life milk to ensure she never runs out.

And some chocolate. My wise friend with 4 kids told me you need at least 2 chunks of Dairy Milk per night feed. I improvised with the giant box of chocolate liqueurs I received!