Did guests bring you precooked meals when you had a newborn?

[Redcargidan]

Not an AIBU but a question. We have a newborn baby. Multiple people have asked me if our friends/family/visitors have brought things like precooked meals in tupperware (that can just be put in the microwave) when they visit, that sort of thing.
Nobody has done this and nobody did when our eldest was a newborn. In truth, nothing would be more appreciated right now than a meal I did not have to cook. Is this a thing? Do other people generally do this, or are the people that have said it just expectant?

I am fighting the urge to spend a fortune on takeaways because we are way too tired to cook, and am VERY jealous if other people generally receive precooked meals from visitors!
YABU - this isn't really a done thing
YANBU - this is a thing

The temptation to ask people to bring these instead of clothes that will only fit baby for 1 week when they come round! (Joking but wish I had the balls to do this )

My mum and sister did this for us and it was absolutely amazing! I don't think we cooked for a month. All healthy stuff too, when we did not have the head space to sort for ourselves. Endlessly grateful and will be repaying the favour for my sister when the time comes ❤️. Fully recommend as a gift.

At my baby shower with my first my SIL gave me a menu of what meals she would be bringing over for the first few weeks instead of a present, I've never been more grateful for a practical gift! Was an absolute lifesaver.

But aside from that, no one else has. I've taken lunch round for us to share if I've gone to see friends with newborns but never taken actual meals for them.

It is a really nice idea though.

My Mum made us a load of pasta sauces when I had dc2 but only because when she asked how she could help, I asked for this. My Mum is Italian btw.

I think this may exist more in theory than as a done thing tbh

This may have been asked already, but why are the people asking if others have cooked you meals not done so themselves? Or bought you vouchers for Cook or similar.

No. DH and I just managed the cooking between us and also had some takeaways.

In my culture that's what you do. You spoil the new parents with food, offers to help, take care of the older kids, etc. Although in saying that, when I had my baby a year ago some of the mums in DS class got together and got some lovely meals ordered for us and for our freezer. Very much appreciated.

If someone asked me to cook them a family meal after they had a baby, I'd gladly do it. I'd offer to take an older child for a few hours too, so a new Mum could rest.

We do this in our church...a whole rota! It's probably a couple of weeks every day and then a meal every couple of days and then taper off.
When I had my own children, I cooked a lot of meals while I was pregnant, and put them in the freezer. Had a whole meal plan for 4 weeks!

We've done this for friends who've just had babies (we're child-free).

Friends who had babies, and my sister in law who had little ones did bring us round food, mainly M&S ready meals such as cottage pie, lasagne etc. Was absolutely wonderful to just pop in the oven and one less thing to think about. Think it was people who remembered how hard those initial first few weeks were who popped round with food. Was heaven!

Why are there a few posters being so smug about not having help. Why are they sneering at a kind gesture. I didn't expect it at all was just so thoughtful and helpful .

Nope! Wouldn’t have done us much good anyway. In the days following the birth I was extremely fussy ! Huge appetite but had to be very specific. The day after DS was born (EMCS) as soon as I got back from hospital Dh cooked me a massive steak with garlic mushrooms and his signature chips which I washed down with a massive glass of red wine. It was the best meal I’d ever eaten I had tears in my eyes as it felt like such an amazing treat to be at home with his food and everything after the trauma of hospital. In the days that followed we had a couple of takeaways and a lot of sushi, blue cheese and pate because advice at the time was that I couldn’t have them while pregnant so I went nuts on them as soon as DC was evicted. DH was bloody good though, he made all the bottles and meals and cleaned while I wafted about in a kaftan and popped painkillers and napped. First meet and greet for close family was at the local pub on about day 6, we wheeled DS pram into the beer garden and let everyone do the mandatory photo and had a couple of drinks with them all. So much less stress than letting family descend on the house and needing to provide drinks and cake and stuff. I’m forever grateful that I got my way with all that.

For my sister I did and my mum did for me. My close friends don't live near so trickier to do it but I would always try and do something useful when there or take a treat round

We had many meals brought to us. But, in all honesty, it was a little chaotic. People turning up at all hours when I was still recovering after a traumatic birth. I was absolutely, so grateful but when someone knocks at your door at 11pm.... We had to say no more after a certain point.

Order your shopping online. Get as many microwave meals that can fit in your freezer, if you can. They do healthy(ish?) versions now. It basically kept me alive the majority of the time. That and batch cooking (when you get the chance) was an absolute must.

In some cultures it is the standard. The idea being when you have a baby you concentrate on the baby not on the household. Normally for 6 weeks.

Maybe this is more common if you live in a rural area as going shopping is harder. Several friends and neighbours did this and those further away sent cakes, breakfast muffins etc.
All very appreciated!
Husband and I also stocked our freezer in advance 😉

Nope. But our families are crap.

Nope nothing. I pre cooked meals first time, second time I didn't.

My mum’s not the best cook but she came with lots of fancy ready meals that were really appreciated. Before I had children I would just think buying things for the baby was the thing to do but I realised that buying things to make it easier for parents or to treat them is much better IMO.

Most new parents are totally sleep deprived, tearful and starving amongst the joy. Most family and friends want to rally and help. It's the difference between struggling/muddling through and accepting small gestures of comfort and support. If you don't have to do everything on your own, why would you?

Like you, we just got on with it.

I think I may ask a couple of close relatives if they wouldn't mind, as many have suggested. I will also order one of the cook box things. We have been cooking (DH mainly) and also getting ready meals, we did batch cook before birth too but we've gone through that fairly quickly.

It's so lovely that so many people have networks that do this, especially church groups.

We didn't get any precooked meals. But personally I think I'd rather not have it as I tend to want to eat what I fancy rather than a random dish. Can you get lots of oven food in like chips, microwave meals, pizza etc? But also, can your partner bulk make some meals?

Yes, multiple people brought cooked meals over. We also got a couple of Cook vouchers to stock up on freezer meals.

This should be written in law in my opinion!

Could you tell me how this works please? Do people ask for meals to be provided or do members of the church just pop round? It sounds like a great idea.

Never had it done for me but I do it for neighbouts/ friends or DP's colleagues.
I got the idea to do it from an American friend, I think its lovely ♥️