I have started telling new mom's to keep a bowl or basket of quick and
easy snacks on the kitchen counter to grab on the go.  Things like
bananas, apples, Nutragrain bars (or similar product), boxes of raisins,
baby carrots or basically anything healthy and easily eaten on the run.
I find that these mom's are so overwhelmed with motherhood and the whole
babycare/wife/entertainer of visitors role that having to think of eating
a healthy meal is just too overwhelming.  The breakfast gets put off
until after the baby's bath, then aftr her shower, then it is time for
lunch and by that time she is so tired and hungry the idea of having to
fix something nutritous is just too much.   So now she grabs some cookies
and spends the rest of the day feeling guilty.  This of course leads her
to believe the baby is starving because of her poor lunch choice and the
guilt just compounds.  THese quick and easy snacks help her make sensible
choices, keeps her energy up and hopefully cuts down on some of that new
mom guilt.  I don't give calorie requirements, I don't give fluid
requirements, I give these ladies some common sense skills for healthy
survival in those first couple weeks after baby's arrival.   Drink when
you are thirsty, eat what you want in moderation, make healthy snack
choices, and above all, enjoy and trust the miracle you hold in your
arms.   Rules and requirements just reinforce the misconception that
breastfeeding is hard and complicated. Common sense empowers them to make
sensible decisions on their own.
                                                        Ann H. McAdoo RN
                        (who has had her share of parents without a shred of common sense this
week!)
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