How do you eat healthily when you're looking after a baby on your own?!

[jadericho]

My partner works all day 5 days a week so I'm alone looking after the baby and let me say he isn't the easiest of babies.. he's 10 weeks and still feeds anywhere from half hourly to hourly and outright refuses naps unless he's on me during the day. My question is how the hell do I eat healthily?! I don't have time to cook with him, I've tried him in a sling and he screams. So needless to say I find myself reaching for crisps and biscuits and the only meals I have are cereal and toast (which I've mastered to make one handedly). But obviously I'm never satisfied because they're not proper meals plus I'm breastfeeding and I swear it increases your appetite - hence I'm reaching for the crisps and biscuits! I still have my fruity snacks like a punnet of raspberries or a banana but I don't find that very satisfying either. Anyone got any tips?

[toomanyflatwhites]

I think I lived on toast and croissants mainly at that stage, but how about buying pre-prepared salads? M&S usually do 2 for £4 and you can buy a selection of grains, roasted veg, beans, that kind of thing (some are heavy, but you can pick out the healthier ones) and I like to mix them with some salad leaves, cherry tomatoes and maybe some avocado if you can manage to chop one up! By adding to them you can make a few pots last 3 or 4 days so doesn't have to be crazy expensive. Also for snacking how about houmous and something like lentil chips - again M&S do amazing ones that are tasty like crisps but high protein/low fat, they are in the wheat free section and come in a big bag.

[Hundredacrewoods]

Tins of tuna/salmon/chicken?

[VanillaSugar]

I was going to say houmous. And sugar snap peas straight from the packet!

[ElinorOliphantIsCompletelyFine]

Are you trying to split the childcare between you? Obviously your partner can't feed the baby if you're breastfeeding but he could hold him and distract him while you put together healthy snacks and food in the evenings. Or he could just make them for you.

In the early months, DP did all the food shopping, and reached for DS as soon as he got in, which gave me the time I needed to cook or shower or have a nap!

In general, we snack on a lot of veg sticks, hummus, fruit, crackers or toast with pate or spreadable cheese,

[overmydeadbody]

Don't buy crisps or biscuits.

Instead stock your fridge with pre prepared veg, carrots, sugar snap peas, beetroot, hummus, ham, cooked chicken, cheese. Have nuts and dried fruit available, lots of fruit, drink milk...

[TeddyIsaHe]

I put dd in a bouncer on the dining table whilst I cooked. Even if she whinged I was right there and nothing terrible happened to her.

Bf does increase your appetite! I ate constantly for the first few weeks, but high protein meals worked well. I still ate biscuits of course, but I felt better with proper food in me.

Have you tried a baby mat with toys hanging over? You can pop him down where he can see you/the toys and they generally lay for a few mins.

[lulu12345]

For what it's worth it will soon get much easier! In about another month or so your baby will probably go into a seat or lie under their gym much more happily and leave you time to actually cook. At that stage I just lived in prepared salads or ready meals I could put in the microwave. I tried hard to avoid buying in crisps etc as I knew I'd guzzle them all immediately. I ate healthily but loads of it and justified it to myself on the basis of needing energy for breastfeeding (on serious note dieting can reduce milk supply).

[Waitingonasmiley42]

I’ve seen it suggested to make a packed lunch the night before and keep it in the fridge.

[MaverickSnoopy]

I know exactly how you feel. With both of mine I put on 2 stone in pregnancy and it was gone by day 5 post partum. However I then put on a stone while breastfeeding from all the convenient crap.

These are the healthy choices I made: preparing porridge and milk the night before in a bowl with cling film so I just popped in microwave in the morning. Ditto for overnight oats. So that was breakfast sorted. Stocking lots of healthy fruit and veg cut up. Leaving bottles of drinks around the house so that I made sure I always had a drink to hand. Can you or your partner find some time to do some batch cooking and freeze so you have some portions of healthy dinners? Also tins of soup and packets of cous cous for lunch? I found limiting bread was what helped me in the end.

As for the sling my DD screamed blue murder in it every single time without fail. Until one day she didn't. She then became totally reliant on it and wouldn't give it up. DH said he wanted to burn it once she was finally out of it. So that could be worth a try again.

[SnuggyBuggy]

I resorted to protein shakes. If I had the chance to go out to the supermarket I would get some cold meat and fresh berries but otherwise just ate the sort of crap you can eat one handed with no prep.

[RabbitsAreTasty]

DH used to make me a packed lunch at night for the next day when it was particularly rough. I still love him for having done that.