I get it. I too am always stocking my freezer with as much prep as I can. And I am wildly grateful for the many families that have blessed us with Meal Train meals. But, can I tell you one of my favorite things to share with other mamas prepping for postpartum or friends considering what to bring to a new mama? Think breakfast too, and even more specifically? Postpartum muffins.
The thing is, dinner is absolutely so valuable. But I have found that as I’ve navigated postpartum, it is mornings when I am ravenous, exhausted, and have ZERO energy to get myself the good meal my body needs or provide anything good for my other kids. The friends who have brought muffins, quiches, or scones? It’s been an absolute gift. So, I want to share one of my favorite muffin recipes with you; something that is perfect to take to a new mama!
Who is The Labor Mama and Why Am I Here?
Hey friend! I’m Lo – also known around here and social media as The Labor Mama. I’ve spent my nursing career in labor, delivery, and postpartum, have birthed 3 of my own babies, have labored thousands of mamas at the bedside, have taught hundreds of students online, and have even delivered a few speedy little babies with my bare hands (oops).
Here at TLM, I offer online birth classes to empower you the way everyone should be. The education + support I offer gives you experience, evidence, and empathy; you’re getting all of my years of “clinical” RN knowledge, beautifully combined with my real experiences as a mama and a nurse. These are not your hospital birth classes (those won’t do it, I promise), and honestly, birth doesn’t follow a textbook or protocol anyway – you need to know so much more than that.
If you want to connect with me further, head to Instagram. There are hundreds of thousands of us over there learning together daily.
What’s a good postpartum breakfast?
When you’re postpartum, the name of the game is foods that restore and heal. Some also like to lean towards foods that *may support milk supply (ahem, oats). Mostly, we all want to think about nutrient dense meals, full of protein, healthy fats, whole grains, and fiber. A good overall goal for healing and recovery is to be getting adequate iron, vitamin A, C, D, and B12 and folate.
Some of the best foods to eat postpartum
- Protein rich soups (Zuppa Toscana, Fagioli)
- Healthy fats, like those from nuts and avocados
- Lean proteins
- Fruits and vegetables – variety is the name of the game!
- Whole grains (oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat bread)
- Good sources of dairy (yogurt, milk, cheese, eggs)
- Beans/legumes
Hydration is incredibly important, but you already know that! So we’re clear, know that drinking extra fluids has NOT been shown to increase milk supply. Be sure to drink what your body needs, but please don’t feel that drinking fluids to excess is the answer to any supply concerns.
Also, here is your reminder to continue to take your prenatal vitamin (or switch to a postnatal). These can help ensure you are getting the iodine and choline you need. Lastly, I’ve always loved taking collagen as well. It’s an incredible assist in healing, and it also benefits hair, nails, skin, bones, and your digestive system. This is the one I’ve always used.
Ok, let’s get you to the recipe ⇣
Nutrient-dense postpartum muffins recipe
BANANA OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
Ingredients
- 3 medium ripe bananas
- 3 C uncooked traditional oatmeal
- ½ C packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 1 C milk
- ½ C creamy peanut butter
- 3 Tbsp chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small mixing bowl peel and mash your bananas. Set to the side.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oatmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, chia seeds and flaxseed meal.
- Blend in the 2 eggs and the milk, being sure to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl. Blend in the peanut butter.
- Gently fold in the bananas and the chocolate chips, being sure to stir until well combined.
- Fill the cupcake tins (I recommend using liners) about 2/3 full. If you want, you may fill them a little more and change the yield to a dozen muffins.
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the muffins comes out clean.
Recipe Notes
- You can omit the peanut butter and/or the chocolate chips to make these recipes more healthy/kid friendly and/or nut allergy friendly. But, I think the extra flavors are worth the extra calories.
- The optional chia and flax are all about milk supply. Many believe those can support your milk supply, so you’ll find them (and oats) in a lot of postpartum recipes.
- The recipe yields about 15 muffins, which means you can freeze the extras. When you want one, you can just grab one and pop it in the microwave. Of course, you don’t have to reheat them…but then the chocolate chips aren’t all melty and warm. And that’s a waste.
Other favorite postpartum recipes:
My favorite thing to do is to make a postpartum mama dinner and include something extra for breakfast. But honestly, if you can only do one, be the person who shows up with breakfast! She’ll thank you for it!
What do you think? Postpartum muffins or breakfasts, a great idea or not? Let me know in the comments! xx – Lo
More resources (and freebies!) for you to take a peek at:
- Comprehensive Birth Plan and Birth Priorities templates
- A complete Third Trimester Checklist
- The RN + mama of 3 Ultimate Packing List
- The Labor Mama online birthing classes for every family
A note: This post may include affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will earn a small commission (thank you)! Rest assured, this comes at no additional cost to you. You can read TLM’s full disclosure here.
