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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

What was the first thing you ate/drank postpartum?

113 replies

curiouscat18 · 01/06/2023 12:16

What was the first thing you felt like eating or drinking once you had delivered your baby?
Also, which foods would you recommend to help you recover from labour? About to be FTM and I'm just curious for people's recommendations for food/drink as part of recovery after labour?

Thanks 🙂

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Spottypineapple · 01/06/2023 12:20

What I planned: a glass of champagne and a Five Guys (home birth)

What I actually had: tea in a polystyrene cup with two sugars and two slices of hot buttered white toast (hospital delivery)

CocoPlum · 01/06/2023 12:22

Tea and toast! It's the traditional post birth meal.

I needed sugar and carbs, I was STARVING especially in the hospital. A bowl of rice krispies for breakfast wouldn't touch the sides. I would have loved porridge, oat bars, bananas, pasta.

I also started taking half a teaspoon of sugar in my tea for about a fortnight. I just felt like I needed it.

But honestly, try not to worry too much. Anything you can eat one handed! I found much like in pregnancy I knew what my body wanted. Also if you have another baby, you have to feed your older child, so indulge in being able to order takeaway/live on pizza etc while you can.

bettynutkins · 01/06/2023 12:23

Everyone I know seems to have gone for a McDonald's (or similar). I got one on the way back from the hospital 1st time and my husband went and got me one 2nd time when I had a home birth.
I just wanted loads of calories!

ArseMenagerie · 01/06/2023 12:23

Toast and marmite on repeat from immediately post birth to around four weeks 😆

orangeclubsarebest · 01/06/2023 12:26

Tea and toast. All 3 of mine were born in hospital so I always had the standard post-birth offering.

Hazelnuttella · 01/06/2023 12:27

White toast and a black coffee (in hospital). There probably won’t be much of an option apart from stuff you’ve brought with you.

Once I was home I can’t even remember, it’s an absolute blur.

I was anaemic and on iron tablets (which cause constipation) so I was trying to counteract that with a lot of fruit and veg.

fairgame84 · 01/06/2023 12:28

A cup of tea which I made myself.
I didn't eat until I got home and I just had toast.
I gave birth just after midnight and got discharged at 8am.

Thesearmsofmine · 01/06/2023 12:29

Tea and toast all 3 times and it was the best thing I had ever eaten. Once we got home i didn’t have much of an appetite for the first few days, I had c sections and don’t know if it was to do with the drugs or something.

nythbran2 · 01/06/2023 12:29

Black bean burrito and a glass of stout

fairgame84 · 01/06/2023 12:29

Ah no I remember I took those Malteser biscuits with me so I had them.
They don't feed you on labour ward where I gave birth

mynameiscalypso · 01/06/2023 12:29

The day before DS was born, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies so I had a stash with me post-birth. My DB and SIL came to visit that afternoon with a big box of fancy brownies so that was my dinner that night!

AlligatorPsychopath · 01/06/2023 12:30

The dried apricots that were in my birth bag. They were THE NECTAR OF THE GODS. When my DPIL got there about ninety minutes later, they brought us a McD's because it was late and there was one by the hospital.

Honestly, it doesn't really matter what you eat and drink after you give birth, just that you do.

DaisyWaldron · 01/06/2023 12:30

Orange squash immediately after. I always want to cook in early labour, so I made food during both labours (quinoa salad with dç1 and stew in a slow cooker with DC2 - I think I surprised the woman in the corner shop when I was having contractions while buying potatoes). I do remember celebratory pizza and champagne after DC2, and going into the living room the next morning to see an empty pizza box, an empty bottle of champagne and a book of baby names.

varsitychic · 01/06/2023 12:32

Chocolate digestives that were in my bag, a few hours after c-section when I felt wobbly

TooOldForThisNonsense · 01/06/2023 12:32

tea and toast both times! I thought that was standard hospital post birth Fayre

Newyeardietstartstomorrow · 01/06/2023 12:34

Tea and toast (thank you midwives 😀). I remember eating my actual meals once in the ward still holding my baby as she would not settle out of my arms. I was gutted when I spilt a fork full of baked beans on her brand new baby whites!

WombatBombat · 01/06/2023 12:35

Tea and toast immediately followed by Lucozade Sport and flapjacks!

MaryJean87 · 01/06/2023 12:38

Probably a sandwich from the hospital shop with all 4 of mine. I've never had the tea and toast as I've had all c sections. First was emergency and wasn't allowed to eat for a few hours after. Second, they forgot to offer me any food. Third and fourth I got someone to go the shop for me.

Pteryl · 01/06/2023 12:39

a flapjack I brought with me. When I got home 6hrs later, I had all the cheeses I wasn’t allowed, full charcuterie board and some champagne. The next evening (as my iron levels were low), I had a delicious rare steak and creamed spinach with a glass of Bordeaux - heaven!!

Alarae · 01/06/2023 12:39

I gave birth at near 11pm after not eating for three days (had lucozade but that's it). First thing offered was two slices of toast with Jane and orange juice, which I snarfed down at nearly midnight. In hindsight I shouldn't have eaten that quick as it very quickly ended up on the floor...

Now when I was finally released from the hospital after spending 5 days there, we went straight to KFC on the way home and I ordered a gigantic popcorn bucket. I was outraged to find that the advertised 80 pieces was in fact, 74.

They tasted so good though. Not to say the food on postnatal wasn't nice though.

ApolloandDaphne · 01/06/2023 12:40

Tea and toast followed by a Mars bar chaser. I was starving!

Vitriolinsanity · 01/06/2023 12:41

Tea and toast.

I've eaten at Gordon Ramsey's and it didn't taste as good as that tea and toast.

Mrsjayy · 01/06/2023 12:43

Tea and toast then a can of cola and a packet of ready salted crisps !

lemonyellows · 01/06/2023 12:43

Toast and jam with my first, and a can of coke. It was heaven.

Don't remember with my second.

PinkPlantCase · 01/06/2023 12:43

Probably a cup of tea! I don’t really remember though, I had baby at home so carried on as normal really. The next day I ate the cake that I had baked during labour 😄

For post baby food in general-

High iron foods - however things go you’ll loose some blood and iron will
help with that

High Fibre foods - pooing is quite the event post birth

If you’re breastfeeding - high calorie snacks that are easy to eat in bed in the middle of the night, think flapjacks and things like that. I think I had a tin on them on the bedside table for the first few weeks.

On a less healthy note lucozade was also pretty helpful when I needed pepping up.

Other cultures have quite set guides for what to eat, have a look at some Chinese info in particular if you’re interested. They have a focus on warming foods and nothing raw.

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