What luxury foods would you buy if you were bedbound this Christmas?

[blindfate]

I'm giving birth this week (Thursday) via c section, so Christmas is going to look a bit strange this time around!

I'm normally a big xmas entertainer, love being surrounded by family, and I'm the cook of us all, but barring a potential one hour visit on 25th from ILs it's just going to be DH and I (and the new baby!).

We've ordered in a ready made Christmas lunch from Cook which is waiting for us in the freezer (and I've done a months worth of batch cooking for after the birth), but I plan on doing a big Waitrose shop this week for nibbles and luxury bits to see us through the first week or so. I'll be mostly laid up in bed/on the sofa, DH is not a great cook, so I really want to buy in some treats that will feel lovely and decadent for my recovery.

So far I have:

• a cheese board and a couple of nice chutneys
• pâté, as I've missed it!
• smoked salmon for Xmas morning
• oj and Prosecco for Bellinis
• some party food, because who doesn't like beef in mini yorkshires
• tin of chocs

What else would you get?

Trifle, cheesecake, lemon tart, lots of cream😋 A good selection of deli meats and pickles.

Trifle and deli meats - yes!!!! (Not together)

Arr you planning to breastfeed?

Good luck for the birth! I would say whatever you get should be easy to eat one-handed, as you will find you are spending a lot of time holding the baby. Party food sounds absolutely ideal. If you are planning to breastfeed, you will need the calories.

I'd also make sure you have plenty of fruit in, if you like fruit. Lots of Vitamin C to help with healing and iron absorption, fibre to help with getting your system moving again, easy to eat. Prepared fruit like fingers of mango, melon and pineapple might be nice.

I would definitely not want anything that might cause constipation!

M&S Our Best Ever Macaroni Cheese. The posh one with breadcrumbs on top. It's so delicious. With a glass of red wine

Yes I'll be bfing

That sounds like heaven

Caveat my glass of red wine only if not breastfeeding. Although a teeny tiny sip would be okay!

A rare steak

Turkish Delight
Dates
Nuts

Good shout on the fruit - I've been so laser focused on the cheeses I've missed the last 9 months I hadn't considered beyond the indulgent stuff

Aww our son was born on 22nd! He is 14 on Thursday 😱
Good luck with the birth OP xxx

I don't know about anyone else, but when I was breastfeeding, I craved cream after a lifetime of not being that fussed. So, in anticipation of this possibility, I'd say cream slices, pavlova, raspberry roulade, profiteroles ... you get the idea😃😃

I remember a lovely friend brought a super fresh cheese shop brie to me after I gave birth.
I was supposed to be getting out of hospital but DS ended up in special care (all fine after a few days) and the brie ended up out of the fridge for too long.
I am still sad about that.

I might get a few croissants in as well, maybe frozen ones, lovely with a glass of orange juice on Christmas morning.

Some really nice bread or crackers to go with the cheese, pate, smoked salmon etc. As others have said, the fibre will come in handy.

Bagged salads with bottled dressing.

Christmassy roasted nuts selections.

Pre-cut fruit salad. Takes out the prep time and easily eaten one handed.

If you’re sober enough to hold a baby, you’re sober enough to BF. Assuming OP isn’t going on a Christmas bender (and very importantly, that she’s not co-sleeping), she doesn’t need to constrain herself to a sip, tiny or otherwise.

Dates, figs and prunes, and grape juice - these will sort out the constipation

Chocolate yule log & cream

Some really really nice chocolate

@MolesOnPoles thank you for saying what I wanted to say a lot more articulately than I was going to say it.

The list is a good start. I’d say you want some Pringles or big bags of Walkers Sensations or similar. Sausage rolls, pork pies, charcuterie cuts. Get some of those part bake baguettes so you can have fresh crusty bread.

Frozen bread rolls for turkey and ham sandwiches with cranberry sauce and stuffing
Some nice chocolate truffles
Fancy Cheese and pate
Dates
Crackers
Black label butter
Pickles
Fruit cake
Christmas pudding and brandy sauce
Kir royale

And if you Can manage it with aNew born a Camembert for baking - Aldi with honey and truffle is fabulous.

Vanilla ice cream (to eat straight from the tub-so you will need your very own tub which nobody else gets to touch)

Fresh pineapple
Fresh raspberries
A fresh crunchy salad

I wouldn’t want all my food to be rich and heavy if laid up.

@DreamingOfAGreenChristmas quite right.
Whereas I gave a list of what I wanted to eat this Christmas!