The Atlanta Doula | Top 5 Hospital Bag Must-HavesDo you have any suggestions for what to pack in my hospital bag? This is one of the most common questions I get as a doula. And for good reason. Not only do you have to plan for yourself during a 1-3 night hospital stay, but you'll also need to plan for the new human you'll be bringing home as well! Here are my Top 5 hospital bag must haves: 1. Your own pillow, in a brightly colored pillow case- If there is nothing else you bring to the hospital, please bring your own pillow. Picture this: you're sitting on your birth ball, leaning over the hospital bed, rocking your way through a contraction. What would you rather have your face buried in? A small, flat, crunchy hospital pillow OR your own comforting pillow that's soft, fluffy, and smells like your home? I think we both know the answer to this question. I always also recommend to my clients that they bring the pillow in a brightly colored pillow case to avoid the pillow being mistaken for a hospital pillow. 2. SNACKS! For mom and her partner- Your food options may be limited depending on the time of day that you're in labor. If it's the middle of the night there may be no take-out options and the hospital cafeteria may be closed, leaving you with very limited choices for meals and snacks. Here are some of my favorite snack options for laboring moms (and postpartum moms!) that partners may also enjoy: single serving almond (or other nut/non-nut) butter packets, freeze dried fruit, granola bars, easy to eat fruits such as bananas and clementines, applesauce cups, and trail mix. I also recommend bringing your own drinks such as apple and cranberry juice and homemade "laborade." 3. Lip balm and face moisturizer- Hospitals are often very dry and chapped lips and a dry face are the worst! Bring along your favorite moisturizing products for a quick refresher anytime during your hospital stay. My personal favorite face moisturizer right now is Skin Drink from Lush and my favorite lip balm is Jersey Shore Sun Mongongo Lip Conditioner. 4. A nursing bra and nursing tops- These are SO important and often overlooked. I highly recommend packing a nursing bra and a few nursing tanks or tops. These tops are often flowy and super comfy, but are easier to move around in than hospital gowns. It also makes it easier on your if you have visitors postpartum. Latched Mama makes gorgeous nursing tops, dresses, and pajamas. 5. Postpartum care products- While your hospital may provide with some postpartum products like a peri bottle, sitz bath, and possibly Dermoplast spray, you may certainly want to bring your own products! I highly recommend the items from Earth Mama Angel Baby like the New Mama Bottom Balm and New Mama Bottom Spray along with their bath herbs. So there you have it- My Top 5 hospital bag must haves! What did you have packed in your hospital bag? Any items that you couldn't have lived without?
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The Atlanta Doula | Creating a Postpartum Meal PlanOne thing that I often spend time talking about with my clients in our final prenatal appointments is the benefits of having a postpartum plan. The days following birth should be filled with snuggles, bonding, and joy, not worry about feeding your family. For this reason I often encourage new clients to come up with a postpartum meal plan- while they are still pregnant! One tried and true tip to help facilitate this is to create freezer meals. Often times friends and family are happy to come over and spend a day cooking to help fill your freezer. Another idea is to double meals that you are already cooking- just freeze the extra! I've surveyed clients and scoured the internet and put together a list of some of the best, and healthiest, freezer meals I could find. Turkey Chili with Sweet Potato and Black BeansRecipe courtesy of Thriving Home Blog This recipe is a double whammy! Not only is it a freezer meal but it's also made in the slow cooker. When I was pregnant with my now 17(!) month old, I was the queen of crock pot meals. Seriously. What's easier than throwing ingredients into a crock pot and coming home to a delicious, and healthy, meal. My advice is to double the recipe, eat half for dinner tonight, and throw the rest in the freezer for later. Any honestly, what's better than chili? My favorite part is the toppings. I love throwing some shredded cheddar cheese and diced avocado on top, but sour cream (or greek yogurt) and some cilantro would be delicious as well! Ingredients
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Notes Freezer Meal Instructions: To freeze: Cook according to directions. Let fully cool. Freeze in air tight, freezable container or zip top bag. To Prepare: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm gently on the stove top, in slow cooker on LOW, or in the microwave until warmed through. Mediterranean Quinoa BurgersRecipe courtesy of Well Plated I've been a vegetarian for almost 2 years now and one of the hardest things to give up was hamburgers. Or so I thought. Enter the quinoa burger. Easy, healthy, delicious and so much better than frozen veggie franken-burgers. This particular one hits all of those notes, and even better, is made almost entirely in a food processor (or blender.) No chickpea mashing required. I oftentimes eat this burger on its own, without a bun, with a big side salad and some roasted veggies. Best. Freezer Meal. Ever. Ingredients: FOR THE BURGERS
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Cooked leftover chickpea burgers will keep well wrapped in the refrigerator for up to three days. Uncooked patties can be tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for two days or frozen for two months. Let thaw in the refrigerator prior to cooking. Unstuffed Pepper SoupRecipe courtesy of Stockpiling Moms Another slow cooker freezer meal! You're welcome. But seriously, it doesn't get easier (or more delicious) than this. The bonus is that this meal is also Whole30 friendly. Getting my toddler to eat much of anything other than cheese sticks these days is kind of a struggle. Except for soup. She loves soup, especially this soup. I'm not sure if it's the spices, or all of the wonderful veggies, but she devours it! So go forth and make, eat, and freeze this soup. It's toddler approved, after all. INGREDIENTS
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Sunday Night StewRecipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman The recipe is from The Pioneer Woman aka my girl Ree. We're friends, she just doesn't know it yet. One of my favorite things about her (aside from everything) is her ability to continually provide wonderful home-cooked meals to her friends and family. I need to get on her level. But in all seriousness, who doesn't love a stew. You can serve this over mashed potatoes, brown rice, or just by itself. It's honestly delicious any way you serve it. INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS Salt and pepper stew meat. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add butter, and as soon as it melts, brown half the stew meat until the outside gets nice and brown, about 2 minutes. (Turn it as it browns.) Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it on a plate. Add the rest of the meat to the pot and brown it, too. Remove it to the same plate. Set the meat aside. Add the onion and garlic to the pot, stirring it to coat it in all the brown bits in the bottom of the pot. Cook for two minutes, then add the tomato paste to the pot. Stir it into the onions and let it cook for two more minutes. Pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly. Add the Worcestershire and sugar. Add the beef back to the pot, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. After 1 1/2 to 2 hours, add the diced turnips and carrots to the pot. Stir to combine, put the lid back on the pot, and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. The sauce should be very thick, but if it seems overly so, splash in some beef broth until it thins it up enough. Feel free to add beef broth as needed! When the carrots and turnips are tender, stir in minced parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve piping hot in a bowl with mashed potatoes, letting the juice run all over everything. Sprinkle with extra minced parsley at the end. Notes Freezer Meal Instructions: To freeze: Cook according to directions. Let fully cool. Freeze in air tight, freezable container or zip top bag. To Prepare: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm gently on the stove top, in slow cooker on LOW, or in the microwave until warmed through. Hawaiian ChickenRecipe courtesy of New Leaf Wellness You guys. Hawaiian. Chicken. And it's gluten free. Need I say more? This one is honestly so simple and so very tasty. It's perfect for snuggling up on the couch with your family and watching a fun movie. Comfort food at its best. Ingredients
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So there you have it. 5 simple, healthy, and yummy meals to prepare you for a blissful postpartum. I would love to hear your thoughts if you've made any of these dishes. What was your favorite meal postpartum? I'd love to hear from you!
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StefanieAtlanta birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, cloth diaper expect, yoga enthusiast, and baby snuggler. Archives
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