The Needs of New Mothers (1st time moms vs. 2+ moms)

One thing was clear from the very beginning of our business: every mom is different. Each mother wants different things and has different needs. And it starts to get interesting when you pair new moms with doulas. I didn’t realize this right away, but doulas have varying approaches. Some doulas are more educational. They’re there to help mom learn in the beginning of motherhood and to transition with grace. Others are more practical. They get down to business in the household: dishes, laundry, meal prep. Most doulas are just – simply – there for mom and whatever her needs are that day. Doulas are jugglers! They roll with the punches and do their best to use their skills to bless a new family.

Of course, there are certain postpartum no-brainers. Mothers need rest, time to heal, and moral support after childbirth. But beyond those things, things might be different every time. First time mothers need more of the educational side, things like tips on newborn care and lactation consulting. Mothers that have other children just want a clean house and to know their older kids are okay! The needs of mothers are widespread and as various as the mothers themselves. Surely it teaches us that one-size-fits-all doesn’t apply to the postpartum world. Did your needs change from baby to baby?

How does Marabou support women?

We live in culture where “bouncing back” is more valued than proper rest. As admirable as it may be for a sports star to get back on the field, the same rules don’t apply to postpartum recovery. The traditional resting period has been stolen from women through pressure to get back to their job or simply through lack of presence.

Grandmas, sisters and best friends who otherwise would have been there to help a woman transition into motherhood often live too far away to be of any help. Household chores and caring for older children inevitably fall on the mom. But she just delivered a new life! She needs rest.

Marabou Services is a unique gift registry which provides services instead of stuff. Most mom’s get too many onesies, too many baby blankets and not enough helping hands. Break out of a destructive cultural norm and start a Marabou registry today.

Start a Marabou Gift Registry!

With a Marabou registry you can sing up for any service which will benefit you or someone you know during the postpartum recovery period.

Postpartum doulas for a first time mom

House cleanings for moms of multiples

Childcare for moms with older children!

Once your registry is created, add it to any other registry or post it to your Facebook and ask friends and family contribute to your postpartum service, rather than buying you more stuff.

More and more moms find they have to figure out postpartum alone. Is it any wonder why PMDs are on the rise? Or women are embittered by the journey of motherhood? We can change that by giving the gift of peace.

As I said in my other post about adding simple nutrition to any dish (see here), I love the ability to add simple and subtle superfoods to my snacks and meals. This is also handy when feeding kids. They can sometimes be … how shall we say … averse to things that are good for them.

As a subtle last touch, I love to add walnuts to many of our dishes. And here’s why:

They’re rich in antioxidants (higher than any other nut! See here and here).
They’re also the highest nut in omega-3s (one serving is enough for your daily intake! See here).
They contain several inflammation-reducing compounds and nutrients, including magnesium and the amino acid arginine. This is huge for disease prevention!
All these nutritional benefits contribute to lowered risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. They promote healthy aging (see here), good brain function (here), and male reproductive health (here and here).
Also: they’re calorie-dense! They satisfy you and fill you up. Some scientists even speculate that they’re satisfying enough to your body that they help you resist unhealthy eating habits (see here).

Phew! See why healthy eating is so important? Super foods are chocked full of all the things your body relies on to protect itself, develop efficiently, and age with grace.

You can add walnuts to pretty much anything: stir fry dishes, curries, and salads! But here are the two things I love to add them to most:

Porridge

My personal favorite is a millet breakfast porridge (find the recipe and PDF printable here). Millet is a little tough to find, but I’ve been able to find it at one branch of my local grocery store. Bob’s Red Mill is also a good source (here) or look at your local health foods store. If you don’t care to search for millet, feel free to use any other porridge recipe that suits you or just go for old fashioned oats.

I prepare this millet from start to finish and then sprinkle hemp seeds and walnuts (chopped up using this) and stir them in. My kids are none the wiser and get all the nutritional benefits listed above.

Homemade bread

Carbs are a great way to get a kid to eat, amiright? I make a wheat walnut bread that also includes sesame, sunflower, and poppy seeds and it’s delicious! All three of my kids are what we call “carb fiends.” They become little gremlins ready to attack for a morsel of bread. They love it! Find the printable for this homemade bread here. Chopped up walnuts are probably necessary here, too (instead of whole). 😉 And don’t let making bread at home intimidate you, it’s super easy to do and incorporate into your routine once you get used to it.

So, there you have it! Walnuts for the win! Add them to your diet and sneak them into your kids’ food!