Are you batch cooking for babys arrival?

[Orangemochafrappacino]

Some of my baby books/internet forums have recommended that we batch cook some healthy meals and freeze them for when the baby arrives, so that we dont have to worry about cooking amongst getting to grips with everything.

However a few people I've mentioned this to have been a bit and have said of course one of us will be able to find time to cook. DH has a month paternity before going back to work when itll be just me.

Is anyone else doing/done this or is it not worth it?

I don't bother batch cooking.
We'll be a family of 8 when this one arrives so I will just do meals with short prep times that can be left to simmer or bake in oven. I don't let dh cook, he spend far too much time asking me questions or reading stuff rather than actually getting in with it and that drives me nuts. Once he's at work he's away from home for days at best and sometimes months so it's best I just crack on and make it work from early on.

We batch cook usually anyway so will do a fresh batch before baby arrives

My present to all friends/ family who have had babies has been a full box of batch cooked meals (having checked they have freezer space) and they’ve all really appreciated it!

Just hoping nobody returns the favour as we won’t have room in the freezer once I have done my own 🤣🤣

I did and swear by it. Will do the same again this time especially with a toddler. OH is totally capable of cooking but after a difficult birth and all that goes with it, cooking would have been the later thing on his list of priorities. We'd have spent a fortune living off takeaways for sure.

No I don’t particularly care for freezer slop and being a vegetarian also makes it harder because the recommended make ahead meals are typically meaty. If baby’s dad is around and not completely useless then there are 2 of you so one of you can look after baby whilst the other does dinner. We didn’t find it particularly difficult at all, even after we had our second.

I did with my first and stressed myself out in the process wanting everything to be "perfect". I'm pregnant with my second and I might do one or two things if I get chance or can be bothered but I won't obsess about it. First time round I didn't want to keep eating chilli or bolognese tbh and people brought meals too. We also did have time to cook with two adults at home and a baby who slept a lot. I reckon we will survive a lot on posh freezer meals like Cook this time too!

We didn’t, we just switched to easier food like ready to cook ranges(the healthy ready meal ranges!). Worked well

I spent 2 days cooking at about 38 weeks. Did about 50 meals x2 portions last pregnancy and plan do do the same again this one plus lots of toddler baked snacks.

It was a genius move, DP really didn't understand why but has begged we do they same for this pregnancy s it made life so much easier. We didn't have lots of family turning up to help cook and clean like some friend's did.

We didn't eat any whilst he was on paternity but had a couple a week for the following few months. It just took pressure off if we were having a difficult day or even if I was out and then wanted something easy. Everything was frozen in foil trays so straight into oven, 30 mins, do some fresh veg and boom easy peasy meal.

Was so much healthier and satisfying than eating lots of processed ready meals or expensive takeaways.

@Orangemochafrappacino

Some of my baby books/internet forums have recommended that we batch cook some healthy meals and freeze them for when the baby arrives, so that we dont have to worry about cooking amongst getting to grips with everything.

However a few people I've mentioned this to have been a bit and have said of course one of us will be able to find time to cook. DH has a month paternity before going back to work when itll be just me.

Is anyone else doing/done this or is it not worth it?

@Orangemochafrappacino definitely worth doing if you have time! If you don’t need to use them during that first month when DH is home then great, but they’ll be so handy when he’s back at work 😊

Thanks all! I think I'm going to do a few healthy curries and such things to stash away, but defo when this heatwave ends as I dont fancy being stuck in the kitchen in the current climate!

Also going to look at cook for inspiration!

@TooManyAnimals94 thank you! Congratulations to you as well, I'm 35 weeks

I think you do find time to cook (if both of you can cook) and I think it’s important for routine and your own sense of normality when life has suddenly turned upside down

There was a similar thread the other day, a mixed bag on that too!

I did for baby one and it's a habit that's stuck, which is great as we probably have a 'aluminium dish' dinner once a fortnight or so. Will be doing the same for this baby, when we have a normal dinner like lasagne for example it's just as easy to make a bigger one and stick it portioned up in the freezer. We do have a big freezer, luckily.

My daughter arrived the morning of the day I was going to cook (at 37w). It would have helped loads if she could have held off another day. Do healthy stuff you actually like that you can eat with one hand.

I never bothered with either of mine. I just made quick, easy meals until we got settled in a routine. Lots of pasta, salads, frozen pizzas etc.

If your partner is home in time you could get him to cook, but I preferred to pass the babies to him for cuddles so I could do it myself!

Nah, newborn babies sleep loads.

I didn't, but I'm a terminal non-preparer. I can't remember much about it all now, but probably involved M&S ready meals.