Feed the freezer, thank me later.

When we talk about postpartum preparation, we often speak in very vague terms. “Will you be getting any extra help?” “How long will your partner be able to stay home with you?” “What does your support system look like?“… I feel like we need to narrow the lens and ask more specific questions. My favorite question to ask at prenatal visits when talking about postpartum is: “What’s happening in your freezer right now?” Here is when heads cock to the side and question marks appear on faces. The answer is usually something about ice cream and half-bags of various frozen vegetables.

Did you know that a well stocked freezer can be one of your best allies in the postpartum period?

Here’s the thing- The laundry and dishes can wait, the floors can be left unswept for an extra day (or four!) , the beds don’t need to be made; but no matter what, you will always need to eat. There will be days that will breeze by smoothly, and there will be days were it feels like all you have done is feed your baby and change diapers. On those days, your freezer will be your saving grace. UberEats and convenience foods are great when you are in a pinch, but nothing beats a home-cooked meal after a long day.

This is when your “present self” is eternally grateful to your “past self” who has anticipated this moment and has dutifully prepared meals that are ready to go to save you time and money and give you profound “I’ve got this!” feelings. So, how does one go about become a master of their meal prep in order to reap all of these benefits? Feed the Freezer!

There are two ways to go about this. If you are an avid cook and generally enjoy making meals, double (or triple) up on those recipes! Feed your family AND the freezer. If you are not a fan of the culinary arts but would like to know how to maximize your freezer space and learn quick and easy recipes that will make you feel great about how you are nourishing yourself and your family, hire a pro.

Before following my calling into the doula world, I was the owner and chef of a restaurant for 7 years, and then a stay-at-home Mom for the next 6. My brain never really shut off from “restaurant mode” and I was running my home kitchen like I was expecting a dinner rush every night (In my defense, I rarely ever only fed my family because my husband would compulsively invite people over because I made too much food, but you see what kind of vicious circle I had created there…) This was not a sustainable arrangement and I needed to find a way to make my restaurant brain work in my favor.

I then teamed up with two other Moms and we started developing “batch cooking systems” and we still meet up once a month to cook together and feed our freezers. As the kids get older, and our lives somehow only get busier, I am eternally grateful for the systems that we have put into place over the years because I can’t tell you how many times I have silently thanked my “past self” for saving my backside.

In my work as a doula, I also offer meal prepping sessions, during which I share the knowledge that I have acquired over the years. You can learn more about it here https://www.doulamtl.com/meal-prep-sessions . Call me up and let’s set up a plan for your freezer, you can start by eating that ice-cream!