As I type, one of my dearest friends is preparing to welcome her baby girl into the world. Her body is moving through the necessary changes. Opening. Contracting. Stretching. I live about an hour away from her, and I’m already anticipating the moment I get to see her with her child. Birth is such a miraculous event. Eleven weeks out from Lucy’s birth, I’m still reeling in a flood of wonder. But as my friend and I chatted last night, I thought about the weeks that follow birth. The adjustment, especially for first time parents, of having a newborn in your home. So much emphasis is placed on pregnancy and childbirth…we often forget how much new mothers need support and love. These were five gifts I received during my first few weeks post-partum. They’re the gifts I hope to give to my friends and family when they welcome little ones into the world.
1. Food. I can’t tell you much it meant to have a homemade meal delivered to my door. For FIVE weeks, friends and family brought meal after meal after meal. We dined on grilled salmon, roasted chicken, fresh salads, whole grain bread…the list goes on and on. The last thing I thought about during my recovery was making a meal. Instead, Ryan and I focused on learning how to eat with a newborn (which is quite a lesson, believe me!)
2. Breastfeeding support. Contrary to what I thought, breastfeeding is hard. It takes days, weeks, months even to learn how to breastfeed. Both mom and baby are new to the game, and for many, it can be a struggle. I received loving support and encouragement from my family, from friends, from a lactation consultant, and my doula. I can’t tell you how much it meant to receive a text message from Ryan’s cousin. She told me she understood how hard it could be and offered simple and practical tips. Just hearing that I wasn’t the only one who had struggled made me feel SO MUCH BETTER. Whenever I talk to a new mom now, I’m always quick to share my own struggle with breastfeeding and to offer hope. We learned how to do it, and you will too!
3. A non-judgmental ear. I’ll be honest: there were moments when I felt like I had made a mistake. “Having a baby was simply too hard,” I thought. “I’m not cut out for this. I’m a bad mother.” These thoughts were accompanied with tears. Lots of tears. My hormones were fluctuating rapidly, and I had touched of post-partum depression. The one thing I really needed (and thank God, I received!) was someone to talk to, someone who listened to me without judgment and who encouraged me with gentle words. My mother and doula were life-savers. They helped me navigate during those first few weeks of emotional fogginess. If you’re a new mom, please know that it’s okay to feel these emotions. Find someone you trust and share your fears, your frustrations, and your tears.
4. Laughter. There aren’t many situations that laughter doesn’t help. Be it a funny text from my best friend or a marathon session of That 70′s Show on Netflix, the gift of laughter helped me through many tired and emotional days.
5. Understanding company. When first caring for a baby, you can feel like you’ll never enter the world of adults again. Those first few weeks are SO DEMANDING on a new mom. It can be hard to find time to take a shower, let alone get out of the house to visit a friend. Thankfully, I was blessed by friends and family who took the time to come and visit. They brought us food. They picked up coffee. They helped organize my house while I sat on the couch and nursed Lucy for what felt like the thousandth time. They provided me with much-needed adult companionship. But they never hovered. They made me feel like I could honestly express my needs. There were many times when I said, “You know I love you, but I think I need to go back into the bedroom and take a nap.” And they understood. They gave me a hug and Lucy a kiss and then they were on their way. Those brief and thoughtful visits were god-sends.
These banana bread cookies would be wonderful treats to bring a new mom. A cookie can make a midnight nursing session A LOT more pleasurable. And did you know that oats boost milk supply? A win-win on all fronts. These cookies are chewy, moist, and full of spice. I had a hard time just eating one (and I know I’ll have a few when I nurse Lucy later on tonight!)
Banana Bread Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
12 TBSP butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 banana, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together melted butter and sugars. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in egg. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold walnuts and rolled oats into cookie dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to chill in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes (not necessary…but definitely improves the texture!)
Scoop 2 TBSP of cookie dough onto cookie sheet. If desired, place a thin slice of banana on top of each cookie dough mound. Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven (cookies will look slightly underdone). Allow to cool five minutes on cookie sheet before removing to cool on rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
