What can I make friend to eat/drink whilst in hospital/breastfeeding/recovering from horrific birth experience...

[Jackaroo]

She's barely touching the hospital food (no surprise there), and doesn't seem to be on top of drinking either, despite being a nutritionist and knowing the theory, I think she's jsut getting through.

I have a couple of hours tomorrow between u/sound, toddler and work, and thought I would make her some soup, but then starting worryinga bout onions etc.. what about just mixed root veg but not onions?

And milk drinks? banana smoothies etc?

Any ideas gratefully received, it's wretched to see and I remember in a similar position living on toast and hot chocolate, but I suspect that wasn't a great choice :-)

J

your poor friend
perhaps a chicken broth with barley?
hope she recovers soon, is the baby ok?

Flapjacks with lots of dried fruit in them?

Nice and easy to eat, but full of oats and fruit.

I would steer clear of anything that can't be kept for a few days. She may not feel like eating/drinking while you are there.

god the poor love. she has my sympathy.

How about just some delicious sandwiches, on nice bread. bread or rolls with pumpkin seeds in etc...?

smoothies are a good idea too.

When I was in hospital, DH made me huge rice or pasta salads and brought them in in cool bags with packs for me to keep by the bed.

I think making up a cheap cool bag with a big carb and protein salad, some cereal bars/flapjacks, dried fruit and smoothies (plus cutlery etc) would be lovely, then she can pick as she wants and when she wants. Soup a bit tricky to eat over the top of a baby

has she had a csection? if so her bowels may be upset so you dont want anything with fibre in - so no bananas/wholewheat/dried fruit etc

Sounds a bit pretentious but if you can get some sushi from a good takeaway place that did the trick for me - lots of protein and white rice.

Milk drinks very good - the Mars one is surprisingly good for recovery - lots of triathletes use it.

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i ate nothing but flapjacks and quavers for the first 3 months. i felt fine on just that, didn't want anything else.

Fruit and nut mix (I know you don't have to make it as such, but buying it would be helpful for her). Easy to eat when bf and good for avoiding constipation after delivery!

Nice homemade cookies/biscuits?

Smoothies sound like a good idea.

Interesting giantkatestacks...didn't know the point about avoiding fibre. The mantra we kept hearing from the midwives was fibre and water/fibre and water...plus dried fruit excellent for iron levels.

Fab ideas, thank you so much... I'll make some scotch broth, and I think that will help her electrolytes a bit (I'm sure she's dehydrated). I'm not being particularly nice, I just see me at that point 3 years ago, and it just suddenly occurred to me what I needed at the time. Just like my DS, her DS is just dandy, feeding like a termite (sorry!), so I'm sure that doesn't help. The anti-b's are making her nauseous and they have the drip on whilst she's supposed to be eating ???????!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, yes she had am Em c-section, local anaesthetic didn't work (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and now has a serious wound infection although it's turned today and has started receeding from the pen marks iyswim, so that's a relief.

All those sound plans sound great, and there is a fridge I spotted this evening, and will take a cold bag.....

cheers!

J

yes - found out the hard way after an excruciating 6 months and help from the dietician.

If you've had a section and lots of adhesions around your bowels/uterus/bladder have formed (percentage-wise very common after any abdominal surgery) then fibre will cause swelling and pain, bloating, constipation etc.

did you get thsi pain straight afterwards katestacks? Or did it take a while for them to develop (the adhesions I mean)something for me to look forward to then.. ps, Sushi is a wonderful idea, and here in Sydney it's v. common, and not at all pretentious :-)

a breastfeeding woman can eat anything she likes, including onions. there is a lot of myth about breastfeeding and diet.

she may love some chocolate ice cream at the moment.

True, I suppose I was just trying to give her something she would approve of too - she's very fastidious about eating healthily, so I will need to appeal to her sensible side, even at a moment like this.......!

I'll pack a bit of everything, including an ice cream. I bet if she doesn't eat it, her husband will.

When I was in hospital my mum brought me in loads of cut up fresh fruit. It was so yummy and refreshing and easy to eat with a fork and one hand while feeding DS Maybe some cut up veggies and dip too? Carrots/celery/cucumber etc? I think smoothies are a good idea too.

after a section you often are really bloated anyway - the bowels dont like being handled and so blow up a bit - it normally calms down in a few days but mine just carried on being ultrasensitive and bloated - am quite thin so looked permanently 6 months pregnant.

The adhesions were caused by my first e/cs which stuck lots of organs to things they shouldnt have been stuck to and then my second e/cs just added more on.

fresh fruit is a great idea - icecream too...I ate quite alot of those miso soups that come in packets - boiling water being plentiful.

i had a c section and didnt avoid fibre (had wind for a day bu was back to normal after that )

so i think its individual - fruit cake and chopped up fruit would be top of my list

a magazine?

sooo nice of you

When I had an ECS, I was given lots of Rachel's organic yoghurt and kept it in the hospital fridge. I don't usually eat yoghurt but I lapped it up. Soup is a great idea.

The best food I was brought in was carrot cake, very yummy and some value nutritionally? ... at least that's what I told myself.

No of course Newgirl - not everybody will be as unlucky as me but I think its good at first to have easily digestible food - especially as there so much else going on medically.

Yoghurt is another good one mimizan - especially live varieties.

I craved cold drinks. My dp brought me a thermos full of ice and water - it was wonderful. And flasks of real coffee.

What about some perfect ready to eat fruit? Chilled watermelon? But make sure it's cut up into bite sized pieces and peeled and de pipped. Strawberries? Greek yoghurt sprinkeld with brown sugar?

Flapjack sounds good and carrot cake .

What about some acidophilus from a health food shop if she's on all those antibiotics?

What does she really love to eat? When I feel that way I always want yummy food from my childhood. Might her dh know?