My baby girl is four weeks and she will be one month on Saturday April 2. Time sure flies. I meant to put up this post before she was born, however while I was preparing and awaiting her arrival I never got around to it. This is my second baby and having done this before I prepared completely different – food wise – for my labor and delivery than I did the first time.
With my first pregnancy I scoured Pinterest and pregnancy
boards to find the best labor snacks recommended by other moms. I ended up
packing coconut water, some hard candies and granola bars from what I can
remember. Once at the hospital I discovered that I did not like the taste of
coconut water, the hard candies were useless and basically all I had to hold me
over were the granola bars and ice chips neither of which provided much
nutrition. My labor was relatively smooth until 12 hours after checking in at
the hospital. I became extremely exhausted, ended up getting an epidural that I
really did not want and then I was induced with pitocin. After 18 hours of hard
labor my son was finally here. Looking back I honestly think that if I had had
the proper nutrition or more food fuel during labor I could have endured better
and I could have had the natural labor I had hoped for.
This time around I went on a search for easy to eat snacks
loaded with good stuff that would give me tons of energy. Before deciding on
what to bring with me to the hospital I actually tried the food and drinks in advance to determine whether I even
liked them – I know, minor detail I missed the first time.
Baby girl was four days late and by the night before her
birth I was convinced we would have to get the induction we scheduled “just in
case” she didn’t arrive within a week of her due date. I guess she got the
message after we scheduled the induction because she decided to make her way
that night. Her labor was so short (she was born two hours after checking in at
the hospital) that I actually didn’t even end up eating most of these snacks,
but since I did have all of them during my recovery right after her birth and during
my stay in the hospital, I still believe they would have been great choices
during my labor if it were longer. I am also happy to report that I had the
natural birth I always desired and would not have had it any other way.
If you’re an expectant mom or just someone on the hunt for nutritious
snacks I would recommend trying these to see if they work for you.
1. Perfect Bars
These Perfect Bars are one of my new favorite snacks. I discovered
these while grocery shopping at Sprouts one day while they were handing out
samples. I was delightfully surprised at how good it tasted. The peanut butter
bar (my favorite) is full of protein (17 g), contains 20+ organic super foods,
and along with all of their bars is non-GMO, gluten and soy free. These can be eaten in place of a meal, so they
are a quick and easy way to provide energy during labor. I had a Perfect Bar in the car on my way to the
hospital and it definitely held me over until after the birth of baby girl.
I love chia seeds.
They are fun to eat and provide an abundant amount of health benefits
and nutrients including protein. Because
I am not a coconut water fan, which is highly recommended for labor, I decided
to give the Mamma Chia drink line a try. I also wanted something healthier and
more natural than Gatorade. Right after the birth of my daughter the nurse
wanted me to eat something to keep my energy up but I didn’t really feel like
eating given that it was 1 a.m. so instead I drank one of these. I love the
guava mamma flavor.
3. Protein energy bites
Hubby makes these delicious energy bites containing oats,
peanut butter, chia seeds, chocolate chips and cranberries. We use Enjoy Life
dairy, nut and soy free chocolate chips. They are delicious and Paleo friendly.
The chia seeds and oats provide a great amount of energy and nutrition and just
one of these is such a great and satisfying snack. Let me know if you are
interested in the recipe, otherwise these are really easy and could be made by
eyeballing the ingredients. After mixing everything refrigerate for an hour or
more before rolling these into individual bites.
4. Cuties
Who doesn’t love Cuties? Easy to peel, quick to eat and super
refreshing.
These are one of my new favorite sweet snacks. The best part
about these are that my son loves them too. Each strip contains ½ a serving of
fruit and ½ a serving of vegetables. Our favorite flavor is Mountain Berry
Spinach which contains berries, spinach, apples, sweet potatoes and nothing
else.