Are you making pre-baby freezer meals? There are few things you need to know before spending all that time and energy making postpartum freezer meals! This guide will share some important things to know before getting started and some essential tips for success.
Our mission here is to help you get ready for postpartum recovery by stocking your fridge with healthy meals to freeze before baby so that after delivery you can REST and RECOVER without having to worry about what to eat.
Almost no one talks about the unexpected realities you will face after having a baby and how you will have to take care of yourself.
So many new moms do not understand what they are in for and so they do not plan ahead.
Even if you have supportive loved ones helping you, there is going to be a point where it’s just you and you are going to need to eat.
This is where postpartum freezer meals come in and we are going to show you how to make it happen, so that you can be nourished and enjoy your time with your new baby, rather than be stressed.
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Why should you make freezer meals before baby?
The first few weeks after having baby can be tough enough, but if you haven’t done any postpartum meal prep, you will be reliant on takeout, cooking yourself, or the good will of others
Takeout may seem like a good option, but after awhile it gets old and expensive.
So, What will you eat? Who will shop and cook? And how will you manage a new baby AND do all that?
Yeah, if you haven’t planned for ANY of that, life is about to get a whole lot harder.
There are a few ways you can avoid the stress around what to eat postpartum and what to eat when breastfeeding.
You can ask family and friends to bring meals for the first weeks. Which is lovely, if you have supportive people living near you. Having a meal train definitely can make life with a newborn easier.
For most Moms, postpartum freezer meals are perhaps the best option for ensuring you have meals after delivery without much effort.
Stocking up on food for postpartum can make the first weeks with baby soooo much easier.
So with that in mind, here are some tips that you can use when preparing pre-baby freezer meals.
PRO tips for making freezer meals before baby
Making freezer meals for postpartum is a really smart thing to do! It ensures that you actually have food to eat the weeks (and months!) after delivery.
Why make freezer meals for postpartum:
- saves you tons of wasted energy worrying about what to eat
- helps you stress less because you have a plan
- relieves anxiety over how to feed your family while you are recovering postpartum
- makes caring for your newborn baby a little easier!
But there are a few things you should know before you make pre-baby freezer meals.
PRO tip #1 – Make more freezer meals for postpartum than you think you need
Many Moms wonder how many freezer meals to make before baby?
Ideally you should make enough freezer meals for postpartum to cover your meals for the first two weeks postpartum. That would be about 10-14 meals. This way you will have meals for the most critical recovery time.
If you plan smart, you can take just a few recipes and double and triple to save yourself tons of time and work.
Plus many freezer meals yield lots of leftovers that can be used for dinner another day and meal prep lunches.
So while you may make 10 freezable meals you will actually be able to eat off of those for 15 – 20 nights without making dinner.
This means you only need to find 5 to 7 freezer meal recipes that your family will eat.
If you are struggling for time to make freezer meals this is the best method for making freezer meals before baby.
PRO tip #2 – What you eat postpartum matters, so plan your freezer meals accordingly!
Just like during pregnancy, what you eat after having a baby will greatly affect how you feel. Eating healthy is even more important postpartum! You are recovering physically, while also providing nourishment for your baby by breastfeeding. This double strain on your body requires a lot of fuel!
Basic Breastfeeding diet tips:
- Eat a diet rich in nourishing foods such as healthy fats, fermented foods, superfoods and protein.
- Eat anti-inflammatory foods to help reduce the strain on your body and facilitate recover.
- Focus on nutrient dense foods. This will ensure that you are not filling up on foods that provide very little nutrients (umm bread and muffins we are talking about you!).
- Include immune boosting foods in your diet.
- Eat at least 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day.
- Drink at least 100 oz per day while breastfeeding to keep up milk supply.
It takes a lot of nutrients to provide a constant milk supply for a growing baby!
Make sure your freezer meals for postpartum contain all the best foods for postpartum recovery and healing after childbirth.
PRO tip #3 – Make your freezer meals breastfeeding friendly
There are certain foods that can improve your milk supply (quality and quantity) and some foods that can cause it to tank.
This is something most people ignore when it comes to to making pre baby freezer meals! There are a few common herbs that can decrease milk supply and almost EVERY post I’ve come across on Pinterest and Google includes at least one recipe with these ingredients.
So definitely check out the list of foods to avoid while breastfeeding and leave them out of your freezer meals, so that you don’t inadvertently sabotage your milk supply or irritate your baby’s gentle stomach.
There are countless stories of moms that have relieved colic, GERD and even baby eczema by changing their diet while breastfeeding. Many first time breastfeeding moms don’t know this.
Don’t underestimate how much this can impact your mom life postpartum.
The difference between a crying, fussy baby who constantly wants to eat and never seems pleased, and a baby that coos and smiles after feeding are freaking priceless!
Make sure you avoid putting foods that can irritate your baby in your freezer meals. This seems like a no-brainer, but I see post after post all over Pinterest recommending these foods for pre-baby freezer meals with no thought to the effects on breastfeeding.
There are also foods that can boost your milk supply. This means how much milk you produce and also the quality of the milk you produce.
It’s a good idea to include as many of these lactation foods as you can into each meal to ensure quality breast milk supply.
PRO tip #4 Make a list of postpartum meals
Take some time to sit down and write out a list of meals that you and your family like to eat. This will help you see clearly some options for days when you don’t know what to cook.
This postpartum grocery list and meal ideas is a great place to start.
PRO tip #5 Chose healthy recipes to freeze before baby arrives
This is a big one! Make meals with high quality ingredients so that your meals are clean and healthy.
Look for freezer meal recipes in the following diet categories – Whole 30, Keto, Paleo, Gluten Free and/or Dairy Free.
Check out this collection of Healthy Freezer Meals for New Moms (19 recipes included for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks!)
PRO tip #6 Remember to freeze ahead breakfast recipes too
Freezer meals are not just for dinner. It’s a good ideas to prep at least 2-4 freezable breakfast ideas.
When there is a new baby in the house it can be a struggle getting out of bed in the morning, especially in early postpartum. Make ahead breakfasts can save you so much stress in the mornings. All you have to do is reheat.
Things like lactation oatmeal packs, smoothie packs, and lactation overnight oats are good to prep ahead for the postpartum period as well for breakfast.
Pro #7 Freezer snacks are a must!
After having a baby you may experience an insatiable hunger that seems to never end. This is especially true for breastfeeding moms.
Stock you freeze with some of these healthy freezer snacks so that you can always have healthy options on hand when hunger strikes.
It’s also a good idea to make a basket in your pantry, next to the bed, or in your nursing station just with postpartum snacks.
Nourishing Postpartum Meals that actually support breastfeeding
So if you really get down to it, lots of the freezer meal recipes for new moms out there could sabotage your recovery and breast milk supply! They are filled with foods that could tank your milk supply or even irritate you baby.
When I had my 4th baby, I discovered the concept of freezer meals, but quickly realized that so much of the advice out there is not tailored to new moms who are health conscious and breastfeeding savvy.
So that’s why I created a freezer meal ebook with recipes specifically focused on healing your body and breastfeeding friendly foods.
I wanted these freezer meals to be:
- easy recipes that are family friendly
- healthy crockpot meals
- gluten free, dairy free and adaptable for Paleo or Keto
- real food based, but budget friendly
- good as leftovers, so that you don’t have to cook all the time
My 4th Postpartum recovery was aw-mazing. I spent way less time stressing and more time focused on resting and bonding with baby. And a big part of that was because I prepared with these pro tips in mind when making my freezer meals for postpartum.
And you can too! Get your copy of Healing Freezer Meals for Postpartum and Breastfeeding here. Your guide to starting your postpartum off right!
More Postpartum Resources
The Easy Way to Make Freezer Meals for After Baby – this post will show you how to make freezer meals without having a big prep session. This makes it so much easier to stock your freezer!
Essentials for Natural Postpartum Recovery – this will tell you what to stock up on to heal FASTER after birth
The Ultimate Postpartum Grocery List & Meal Ideas – this is list of food to stock up on in your last weeks of pregnancy for the postpartum period to make breastfeeding easier