Preparations for Baby, Food and Drink

Now that I finished with the herbal preparations for birth, I've been focusing on the food piece. I'm making lots of goodies to enjoy during labor and just after, and I've also prepared a grocery list to make sure the house is well stocked to feed the birth team. 

Labor Ade

Labor and birth are hard work, and it's silly to think a woman can stay healthy without eating or drinking during labor. Last time, I wasn't able to eat without vomiting (thankyouverymuch, castor oil), and I think I stayed hydrated on watered down GatorAde (gross).

I came across these recipes for electrolyte balancing drinks on -of course- Pinterest, and most are very similar. I made a big batch of the base, and then split them up and made two separate flavors. The base contains: coconut water, fresh squeezed orange and lemon juices, local honey, organic maple syrup, and essential oils (lemon and grapefruit). After mixing all that in the blender, I took out about 3/4 of the batch, and added a cup of frozen berries to the rest. Now they can just hang out in the freezer until labor begins, and they should thaw pretty quickly on the counter top.

Protein Power Balls

I used my basic raw lactation bar recipe for these, because it's an old reliable. They contain oatmeal, peanut butter, honey, coconut oil (which I leave out when the bars will be at room temp, it makes them a little floppy), dried fruit (I used dates because they are supposed to be really good in the last few weeks of pregnancy), shredded coconut, flax seed, nutritional yeast, wheat germ, chia seed, cocoa powder, and a bit of vanilla. Usually I just blend all that up and then press them into a pan, but I wanted to have something "pop-able," so I rolled them into balls and then rolled them in granola. I tossed them in the freezer to firm up, and then I'll store them in the refrigerator for a quick snack! (And E loves these as well, so it's a quick and healthy snack for him!)

Protein Banana Muffins

I love muffins when we are camping and other times when I feel like I never get enough protein, so I knew I'd want to have some for a healthy snack in the days after baby arrives. This recipe has banana, yogurt, flax seed, and chia seed. I was so pleased with how beautiful they are, and they taste delicious!

Bone broth 

Bone broth is chock full of highly available minerals and nutrients, making it a perfect during and after labor food. I made a strong stock of grass fed buffalo bones with vegetable scraps, then simmered it down by about a third. It became a thick, gelatin-like broth, which will be the base for my after birth stew as well as a possible food option in labor. 

Smoothie Mixes

A fair number of crunchy mamas prepare placenta smoothies after birth to start getting the enormous benefits of placenta immediately. I'm not certain I'm hard core enough for that, so I've prepped a few smoothie blends to use with or without placenta. These little bags are full of protein powder, greens, berries, and all kinds of smoothie goodness.