can you eat healthily with a newborn?

[aroha77]

Hi,
I've got a 4 week old and I'm breastfeeding. I know it's too early to think about losing my baby weight but I'm being a bridesmaid in a couple of months and the dress is unflattering as it is!

So I'm looking for ideas of how to eat healthily while looking after my newborn. I find myself just eating the easiest things to get my hands on which will fill me up - biscuits! Any great tips?

Thanks!

Definitely don't cut down calories, you really need loads if you are BFing, but you could try to swap biscuits for healthy snacks. High fat is better than high sugar.

Things which are healthy and easy to grab:

• Nuts, eg bags of blanched almonds, cashews, brazils.
• Avocadoes
• Oatcakes
• Cheese
• Muesli
• Hard boiled eggs (you can make a batch at once and they last several days)

Make a packed lunch the night (or whenever is convenient) so you have food to eat. Hardboil a batch of eggs at some point and keep then in the fridge - that and a brown bread roll was as healthy a breakfast as I could manage! if you take the baby out for a walk in a buggy try eating an apple while you are walking.

Remember to drink lots of water - put a jug out at the beginning of the day so you can tell how much you have drunk.

Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Nobody will judge you however you look in the dress! No problem with trying to be healthy but life ia hard enough without setting yourself too many challenges!

Sod the diet and buy spanx. You'll burn up a crazy amount of calories breastfeeding anyway. And buy hardcore under eye concealer for the wedding.

Other than that what minipie said.

Bananas are good for energy. Actually when you're 'newborn knackered' nothing is good for energy except grabbing sleep when you can but you feel better if you're actively doing something.

Walk for miles while baby sleeps in the pram. Won't do much for your under eye bags admittedly but it might mean you can eat whatever you want!

I agree about walking loads with the pram and keeping active, doesn't matter too much within reason what you're eating! Obviously healthy snacks, smaller meals works too but don't be hard on yourself, you are tired and need fuel.

I remember when I was breastfeeding I was ravenous all the time and biscuits were a quick, easy thing to eat! I used to put a packet of biscuits and a bottle of water in almost every room of the house so I knew I had supplies if I needed them!!

Healthier snacks could be nuts, fruit, cereal (with or without milk), bread / toast, bits of cheese, carrot / celery sticks, rice cakes / crispbread type things, cereal bars / fruit bars, breadsticks, and raisins.

I agree that taking bub out for long walks will help - especially if you live in a hilly area!

Swimming would be good too if you have time / can get someone to look after baby for an hour or so.

Thanks for all your ideas! My sleep deprived brain couldn't think past biscuits!

I do live in a very hilly area - need to muster up some energy and get out there!

I didn´t breastfeed however I would advise ensuring that you have plenty of healthy food on hand such as bags of washed and prepared salad, fruits like apples and bananas that you can just eat without any fuss, tins of tuna or mackerel, soups, skimmed milk to drink. Stock up on healthy things that you like.

Also I recommend eating 3 meals and 2 snacks each day rather than "grazing", if you possibly can. I appreciate that this can be tricky, but it will help you to lose weight. Good luck, take care.