Do I need to worry about batch cooking?

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Just reading all the baby books and they all seem obsessed with the notion of batch cooking masses of meals ready for the new arrival.

Is this really necessary? I've just got visions of having tonnes of bolognaise languishing with frost bite in the back of the freezer.

I was planning on freezing some meat, and a few bits and bobs that can be slung in the oven, and utilising my slow cooker and local take away companies but I'm I being a bit short sighted?

First baby so preparing for a very steep learning curve

I didn't with DS1 and we never found it a problem. DH does most of the cooking and would do it while I was with baby. I breastfed so would spend a lot of time sitting on the sofa with baby attached and DH was quite happy spending time in the kitchen and making himself busy. We made sure we had lots of frozen meat, jars of sauce and pasta/rice so made a lot of quick curries and pasta dishes or stir fries. And occasional takeaway. If you know how to make a quick meal then I wouldn't bother.

I didn't batch cook either time, I wasn't really a freezer type person.

DH cooked lots and my DM brought me food round too...it depends on whether you normally freeze I think. If I were to have another now I would definitely batch cook here and there, or at least make 2 portions extra when doing stew, chilli, tagine, pasta sauce etc. just because I am way more confident at it now.

Slow cooker is always good but the first few weeks you may not even feel like thinking about what to put in it. Again, you won't know until you get there, but either way it'll work out - so just do what you want!

I batch cooked about a weeks worth of meals for after I had ds2 but portioned them individually. Tbh I'm glad I did as I was in hospital for 4 days so expect had meals sorted and there was something ready when I got home late afternoon.

Exp not expect.

Honestly you'll have so much to do even a slow cooker will seem like a challenge.

Do a few meals for the freezer but have easy stuff in there too like sausages, kievs etc.

We didn't really have family bring us meals etc so the freezer stuff came in handy.

I got OH 'McCain tapas' as I call it when I had first. Easy stuff to throw in the oven and just cook. So chips, kievs, waffles etc... You know the sort of thing. He loved it!

We didn't, but really should have.

The problem is, you just can't predict how labour will go, how well you'll recover, or how demanding your baby will be.

I have friends who had great, easy experiences and were happy cooking from scratch every night.

In our case, I had a difficult birth and recovery, and baby didn't sleep for more than 45 minutes at a time for the first few months, and then only if held upright by one of us, so we were both completely exhausted, so sleep deprived we were hallucinating and frankly unsafe to try and cook. I think we subsisted on toast for a couple of months until my mum took pity on us and moved in :)

Expecting the second now and will have a freezer full of very easy and quick meals :)

I did. It really helps, especially if your baby will only sleep on you!

Fab thanks for your advice!

DH has just turned his nose up at my suggestions of freezing meals (they taste "freezery" - he's a competent adult I swear) so I've handed over all catering responsibilities to him from now until Christmas. He's now gleefully planning a trolley dash round M&S for ready meals

Aside from this I think I'll just stock the freezer with meat and frozen veg and make sure we've got plenty of pasta and sauces in too for emergencies. Both sets of parents are close by so can rely on them for tasty home made deliveries.

Thanks all!

I did a few bits but haven't used any of them in the 6 days since DS arrival. I think once DH goes back to work they will get used but at the minute he does the dinner while I feed.

I did, and had an emergency section followed by bad infection. Was very glad of the meals in freezer when I got home.

I've got a tiny freezer so wasn't really an option. Mum and Mil brought meals for the first week or two, I'd had a c section and dh only had 2 days off work. After that, quick easy stuff. Pasta, stir fry, curry, grilled stuff with veg.

I didn't bother. There are things you can buy that can make cooking easier. I think me and dh lived on jacket potatoes and fresh pasta. Plus, when there two of you it's easier as you can take turns cooking.

I didn't as I only had a small fridge freezer so not much room to store stuff. If you're not the type to freeze stuff usually then maybe don't bother. There are plenty of things you can buy in the supermarket that will keep for a while in the fridge and are quick to cook. I'm no longer in the U.K. so M&S Food is sadly not an option otherwise I'd be stocking up there too!

I have vivid recollections of DH getting us a takeaway pizza on our first night home so we didn't have to worry about cooking. We were so overwhelmed with looking after our DD that we didn't even manage to eat it Thankfully it got easier with time!

I found batch cooking useful. Mostly I just cooked too much for each regular meal and froze the leftover portions in foil takeaway tubs. I made several puddingy things, like custard flans, in the foil containers, too.

Mostly dh cooked in the evenings after dc were born. Pre prepped food was usually for my lunch.