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6 Tips for Getting Dinner on the Table After Having A Baby (or Twins!)

Mom trying to get dinner on the table with a new baby and trying to juggle motherhood.
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I should have prepared more. I should have known it was going to be virtually impossible to cook with new babies while supervising my older children. This list of suggestions is what I wish I had known to get dinner on the table after having a baby (or babies).

Also in this post, tips and ideas from multiple bloggers sharing ways to help a new mom, or prepare as a new mom. Let’s talk making meals after baby.

Getting Dinner on the Table After Having a Baby

Double Everything
When you are still pregnant, double as many recipes as you can so you can eat one tonight and freeze the other for after baby is born. I started doing this around 32 weeks in my twin pregnancy and managed to store a few things, but I should have started earlier and stored more! Even now with two infants, it is impossible to make dinner from scratch each night. I wish I had cooked more before the babies were born so I could have packed our chest freezer.

On a side note, doubling breakfast recipes is a great idea as well. Since you may be a bit sleep-deprived with a new little one (or in my case, two) in the house having a breakfast you can pop in the oven is so helpful. >>>Here are some simple and yummy ideas for breakfast recipes from other moms.<<<



Cook with a crock pot
I know you know this, because even cooking with children around when they are not babies can be challenging. For some crock-pot recipe inspiration, check out this post.

Purchase a chest freezer

Life saver. Hands down. This was my Christmas present before the twins were born-my choice. (Yes, I am ok with getting appliances as gifts.) It has been so valuable. Even if you do not have a large family, think of the benefit to stocking up on some extra groceries so you have items on hand if you just can not get out of the house to get groceries when sleep-deprived, shower-deprived, or just plain deprived of the ability to leave the house. I am not the only one with days like that, I know! 

If you do have twins or multiples on the way, a chest freezer has given me the ability to actually be able to warm up a hot meal for my family. Peanut butter counts as dinner all too often in my house, but we do prefer a hot meal at least once a day, and our chest freezer allows that to happen-Halleluiah!

Use a freezer inventory
Sarah of My Joy-Filled Life shared this free printable freezer inventory and I made sure to use it after the twins were born. (I just love it!)

Free Printable Freezer Inventory for Prepping Meals from My Joy-Filled Life shared at The Stay-at-Home-Mom Survival Guide
Used with permission from Sarah at My Joy-Filled Life.

I printed one out and slipped it into a plastic sleeve so it could be used with dry erase markers. At one glance you will know what meals and how many are in your freezer-so handy!

Pumping and Bottles

Buy a breast pump, if you are not formula-feeding, and prepare a bottle so dad can feed the baby while you cook dinner. I had the Avent manual pump for the first two babies-it worked well. I wish I had purchased the Medela fancy schmancy pump back then, but we could not afford it. I do highly recommend it. I have it now for the twins. But go with what your budget will allow.
If you are already bottle feeding, let dad take this feeding, and then you can get dinner ready. Or you can feed baby and he can cook. I know some babies are not happy with bottles. My second baby was like this. But, if your baby is willing, it can buy you some time to prepare a meal.

Accept Help

Accept as many meals as friends and family are willing to bring you. It helped so much that we received meals after our second child was born and after the twins’ birth. Multiple nights of free meals are amazing!
See how much you need that freezer?  Getting dinner on the table after having a baby can be done. It just takes some pre-planning and patience.
New mom's guide to getting dinner on the table after having a new baby.
This post was featured in A Complete Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms: Recipes and Meal Planning Tips & Resources for Feeding and Caring for Baby.
 
 




On another side note: Write and send thank you notes to friends and family who bring you a meal. It is such a blessing to receive help and to receive thoughtful thanks for help.



What tips helped you get dinner (or any meal) on the table with a new baby in the house? Comment below-you never know who may be helped by your tip!

Ultimate Guide to Baby's First Year-over 30 bloggers and resources, giveaways and more!
Join the other bloggers sharing their tips for helping moms in The Ultimate Guide to Baby’s First Year:

Taking Time For Mom
Look Better Feel Better ~ Plain Vanilla Mom
Gift Ideas For New Parents
Tips for Newborn clothes ~ La Cité des Vents
Helping Hands
Frugal Tips for Parents
Tips for Parents of Multiples/Preemies
Parenting Multiples ~ Bambini Travel
Successful Mom Daily Checklist to help you gain balance between housework and play time with the kids. Get more done, and feel more successful as a mom and homemaker.

Enjoy your time at home!

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Comments

  4. Betsy Finn says

    I love the freezer printable! Pinning this post, for sure. We definitely rely on leftovers, and use our chest freezer a lot (mostly for meat and components of meals, though).

    Reply

    • Jaimi says

      Chest freezers are awesome! 🙂 I am so glad you like the printable-it is fun to share if for Sarah from My Joy-Filled Life. I just love her ideas!

      Reply

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