Your favorite foods when you attend a home birth

[PuppyFluffer]

The ladies of the May Due Date Club are discussing foods to have on hand to feed the birth team (midwife, assistant, doula types).

Are their any particular things that you like to eat. I remember asking my midwife the last time if she was a vegetarian and she laughed out loud and said, "Heck no, I can't afford to be that picky if I want to eat at a birth!"

We had some food in the freezer for my dd's birth but she ended up being a 4:30am arrival and so it was more breakfast time. I don't recall what my dh fed her as that job fell to him. I do recall he made a home made lemon merangue pie that was so yummy!

[memiles]

If you are going to supply food, be sure to ask if anyone has any food allergies. I generally travel with several days worth just in case, but I'd melt with appreciation if a family took that into account when shopping!

Of course, when asked, I generally say "you just worry about feeding your family" because I don't expect it from any of my clients.

[MsBlack]

I am an easy keeper and have no allergies. the only thing I tell fams is to PLEASE have food on hand, because at some point I am probably going to need to eat and so are the parents/other kids. This, after a birth that happened on a due date--when mom was sure she would go 2wks past--and her labor was looonnnngg. First, apprentice and I scrounged the last few things for ourselves and parents. Later, we had to go out for a meal. They were nearly out of groceries entirely that day, which was her intended shopping day but baby had other plans .

I ask fams to maintain a reasonable supply of handy food, starting around 36wks--whether they lay in a supply of premade frozen casseroles/soups, or just make sure that they at least always have peanut butter and jelly and bread. But it's great when fams do try to have good food onhand rather than just pb &j.

Great idea to ask about allergies or other preferences/prohibitions in the food dept.

[wendy1221]

We ordered pizza and my mw was happy with that, mentioned how nice it was at a later appt. But he was a day birth. I didn't really plan ahead for that, my sister was in charge of food. lol. We had plenty of leftovers in the fridge, and fruit, salad, veggies, etc, and some frozen things in the freezer, casseroles, chicken nuggets, that sort of thing. My sis could have easily found something for everyone from our fridge/freezer, but pizza was easy and fast, and made the day even more special for the kids (btw, my nephew has an anaphylactic milk allergy, and I have a mild one, so she still had to cook for us.)

If we have another birth where it's possible, we'll probably just order pizza again. Everyone likes pizza. My midwives don't have food allergies, and I can always eat leftovers. I remember eating cold leftover chicken during that labor and it was SO good. lol. But this is a good discussion. I'm gad someone brought it up. I'll have to make sure we have something easy on hand this time. Although I don't expect this labor to be as long. We expected a 1-2 hour labor last time, ad it was 8 due to malpositioned baby who needed to turn. THis one will probably be pretty quick. Hope the the midwife makes it time. Probably won't have to worry about feeding her.

[momileigh]

If it was ME I'd love for you to have on hand:

purified water
organic skim milk
stuff to make great turkey sandwiches
frozen pizzas (like Amy's)
chocolate ice cream
bananas
all-natural cheetos-type product

That's MY easy/quick food. Of course everyone's different

[tlcdoula]

I can honestly say I have never been fed by families either when I am laboring with them in their home or at home births. I always make sure I bring along enough of my own food, because I don't feel it is the families job to feed me.

[momileigh]

I bring my own food because a lot of people don't feed you. But I TRUELY APPRECIATE when someone DOES feed me. I don't think the OP feels obligated to provide food, but is asking how to go above and beyond to make people comfortable. I think it is decent and considerate, when someone is going to be in your home for a possibly long time, and possibly without the opportunity to leave, to provide for their most basic needs, including nourishment. And although I don't think a doula/midwife should demand a specific menu, I think she can graciously accept an offer to get something she would like to eat and have it on hand.

[avalonfaith]

caffine!

[wendy1221]

Originally Posted by avalonfaith

caffine!

Oh yes, That's the ONLY thing my midwife requested ahead of time. She asked if I kept coffee and had a coffee maker. And if I didn't I suspect she would have brought her own. lol

[teachermom]

the last birth I was at the mom had started a pot of yummy soup early in her labor and just left it on the stove. really, I am good with a pot of hot water for tea (I carry my own).

[PuppyFluffer]

My first birth was a birth center birth and we were asked to bring food for mom and enough to share with the midwife and her assistant. She said that health rules and codes didn't allow her to "cook" food and serve it as she didn't have a food service license. She was able to heat anything up if necessary. To that birth, we brought cheese and crackers, juice, some fruit and my dh's frozen cassarole dish he'd prepared in advance - chicken breasts stuffed with ricotta, spinach and water chesnuts in a cream sauce. He likes to cook! They were well fed and quite happy!

A lot of us homebirthers just love making our midwife and any assistants comfortable and happy! I really appreciate the work that goes into midwifery care and more than the work, the genuine love and consideration and compassion!

A little yummy food is the least I can do if I am going to call you at midnight and have you hoof it to my house for what could be hours of work in the middle of the night!

[mwherbs]

I usually ask for cheese , veggies/salad makings , corn chips or corn tortillas
I have lots of allergies and those would be the safest and most mainstream things to have around. I bring some foods with me because I never know what someone will have-- caffiene is nice to have around as well, I usually bring my own but sometimes I don't have it.

[durafemina]

most memorable HB meals (as a student mw):
cold leftover roast potatoes
homemade frozen pizza at 6am
homemade oatmeal coconut chocolate cookies
raiding the cupboard for cereal at 4 am (I was pregnant at the time so I HAD to eat!)
and loooots of tea and biscuits (New Zealanders always have that stuff around).

at my birth, my brother's gf was instructed to show up immediately after with fresh baguette, tomatoes, shaved ham, black olive tapenade, red grapes and champagne. So that's what the midwives ate too
I recall during labour the poor mw and DP scrounging for nuts and stale crackers. I birthed at my mum's house and implored her to keep snack food on hand but she ignored me. There was probably lots of frozen foods around but DP had no idea where in the deep freeze to look and I was totally not in the mood to have anyone cook anything (I snapped at him to stop eating crackers a few hours in) - I didn't want my mother there, so no-one ate! oops!

[Peppamint]

I'm happy with snacks and some juice (I carry water and granola bars, and usually stop at Starbucks on my way).

I've been to births where the birthing mom cooked two meals for us because she wanted to be up and active and I've been to births where there was hardly any food in the house.

I'm not vegetarian, but I'm kinda picky about meat so I tend to veer away from meaty dishes unless I can pick off the meat easily.

[crazydiamond]

Originally Posted by wendy1221

Oh yes, That's the ONLY thing my midwife requested ahead of time. She asked if I kept coffee and had a coffee maker. And if I didn't I suspect she would have brought her own. lol

Too funny! I asked my MW a few weeks ago and that's the only thing she requested too!

We always have plenty of food in the house (I'm an indulgent shopper). We could probably go over a month without shopping LOL

Fresh fruits/veggies might be a little low, depending on the last time I went, but we typically have plenty of milk, cheese, bread, canned and frozen foods, lots of frozen meats and veggies, etc.

My mom is coming over explicitly to care for DD and cook, if necessary. She's an awesome cook and will be sure to whip up a tasty meal with whatever she finds in my house. Even if my mom can't be there, I'm sure the midwives will be able to eat OK, just because we have so much food on hand.

[Traceyky]

The nicest I found was a mom who made some nice sandwiches and sliced some apples, and left them on the table with a note that they were for me :-) (She was in very active labor by the time she called for me to come)

Amish grandmas cook some GOOD breakfasts - home made bread, fried potatoes, eggs, sausage - yum. Not my usual fare, but unfailingly good after a long night!

Sandwich stuff is always nice - and/or soup - home made or canned.

Fruit is usually welcome.

I carry tuna lunch kits, granola bars, canned soup, juice, water, and mints.

2 families ordered pizza.

One grandma shows up at the end of labor with a meal, home made cookies, etc.

One family put 2 healthy choice frozen meals in the fridge for me.

I do ask families to have enough food to share (If I know they can) as I might be called out not having a chance to eat, or going from one birth to the next..

[BrooklynDoula]

Fruit, raw veggies, hummus, corn chips, juice.

[Jane]

I've had some tasty food after a birth. The most memorable:

Take out BBQ from the local award winning shop. With corn bread, yum!
Homemade banana bread or pumpkin bread with tasty honey butter
Fruits and Veggies
Waffles
Champagne

[DallasCPM]

Bottled water
Caffeine
Cheese and veggie tray -- I like quick little bites during labors.
Several births I've attended, they've ordered pizza as soon as the baby was born.

Although my most memorable was a friend's birth I was attending. After she birthed, her husband ran down the street and picked up $100+ worth of sushi to bring home as her post-birth meal. The new parents, myself, and the other midwife were in heaven. : The student midwife, however, had never had sushi and looked a bite pale at the thought.

[CarolynnMarilynn]

I am pretty easy to please, too. Bread for toast, cheese, fruit, tea or coffee, juice. Just basic real food. I don't eat a lot of sweets and it wouldn't sit easy on my stomach after being up in the night anyhow.

Two funny stories:

One client lived in this gorgeous million dollar home with her chef partner. In labour all they had in their fridge was a whole fresh fish and some rock-hard salami. The salami it was!

Another client was really considerate and told me that they bought a coffee maker and coffee for the birth (not my requirement or even suggestion but I do like coffee!). They even bout premium coffee, they joked, because it was a premium event! They called me out one night at around 9pm, and had the baby at 930. The partner proudly brought up some fresh brewed coffee which I couldn't drink because of the time of night! I'd be back in my bed by 1am and didn't want to be up all night on a caffeine high. During the postpartums though, I did drink some. I felt a little bad that I couldn't partake in their generosity at the birth.

At another birth recently the sister made an amazing plantain stew -sooo good. They also made a bunch of peanut punch - but I wasn't found of that.

I love that working in a diverse city has exposed me to lots of interesting hospitality from Korean roasted corn tea to curry to Indian sweets to stuffed Italian manicotti. Yum!