I just adopted a puppy, who wants to bring me that delicious looking salad?

Goat cheese is verboten during pregnancy. Are those rules lifted as soon as the baby arrives or is there a proscription on them while mom is breastfeeding?

ElleBee: I'm sure there are differing opinions out there, but my understanding (from my doctor) is that any cheese that's pasteurized is fine. I'm pregnant, and I frequently eat goat cheese.

Oh lord, here we go with the nanny state litany of rules that mommy-babies can't eat while pregnant or breastfeeding. Give the mother food that she likes. Period, the end.

Now that I've got that little rant off my chest, I will add that cheese cubes, nice crackers, smoothies, and good chocolate were my go-tos while nursing (however, this did not help with postpartum weight loss!). Cookies, too. Cut fruit and muffins, as mentioned, were lovely. Luna bars.

I wish the lunch idea had come to me before now, after I've delivered dozens of postpartum dinners! And I've had two kids and often bemoaned the lack of a lunch option while stuck at home with nurslings!

Listeria won't be transferred through breast milk as far as I know.

I've had 2 babies. And I can honestly say the hunger and cravings I experienced during pregnancy were nothing compared the the hunger I experienced post-partum. I was famished constantly. I had prepared a few meals for my freezer, but found that eating during the day was the hardest. I remember wishing "would somebody just please bring me a sandwich and a diet coke? Please?" I'm so glad you suggested alternate meals of kindness, besides dinner. Sandwiches, pasta salads, cut fruit, muffins, a cheeses/meats/breads, a fun beverage, maybe a sweet treat. All great ideas.

I have babies on the brain. I wish someone close was having a child so I can dote on them and the kiddie.

Thanks for this great suggestion! I have two friends who are both new moms and I was going to go with a lasagna but now I'm going to make a basket with lunch options and snacks. thank you thank you :)

this is a great post! When I was post partum, I wanted lots of SALAD. We had our child in October and everyone brought us stews, lasagnas & very heavy meat dishes. It was great because I was craving meat- but here in Northern California the weather was too warm for that warm/hearty cuisine.

What I really craved was veggies! When my sister in law had a new baby a few weeks ago, I brought her a few salads in tupperware that i arranged for her (dressing on the side). She really appreciated it! And it was not something that people brought for her.

You can also make chicken or bean burritos ahead of time and wrap them up in foil & freeze them. It's a great idea for a new mom because it takes about 3 minutes to cook and they don't have to hurry to eat it!

We set up a "food train" for friends who have had babies. One important element is to also make sure that the meals can be eaten at anytime and at any temperature. I agree that I was more hungry after the baby than while pregnant, and you eat at such off hours, so I remember gleefully eating roasted chicken or pasta salad at 2 a.m. Note: if you make salads, place all of the toppings in a separate zip loc bag or container, as well as any dressing you pass along. Also, consider fruit! Easy to grab and very satisfying. One friend brought me containers of sliced pineapple, berries, melon, etc.

As a breastfeeding mother of a 5 month-old, I can say that right away pretty much everything is okay to consume except for excessive alcohol and caffeine. So all cheeses are fine, especially if you have been avoiding them during pregnancy! It's fun to have all those restrictions lifted. I recommend including something that is a real treat for the mom, whatever that might be. After going through a long labor and being up at all hours with a newborn, I felt like I really "deserved" to treat myself with big slices of the double-chocolate cake my mom made for our birthdays (my daughter was born on my birthday). So use your knowledge of the mom and along with the healthy lunch, give her a side of chips, a brownie, or a soda. She deserves it!

Thanks for the info, new moms, good to know.

Boxingoctopus, it was a question, not an edict or enforcement of nanny state rules. If I were bringing food to a new mother, of course I would take her whatever she wanted. In the absence of a request, it seems like no-brainer, basic respect to bring food widely regarded as safe rather than just whatever I felt was good. I'm no expert here, which is why I asked the question.

Oh where has this post been all my life!!! We just had baby #8 and for the first time ever a whole lot of friends brought over meals - lots of lasagna but everyone eats it and loves it. So that was wonderful... My best post birth present: my mom always comes over with a gigantic fresh fruit salad - yum... just grab a bowl and eat and eat... it doesn't last well but then I just use the leftovers in breakfast smoothies. I do rather yearn for something to just grab on the run, muffins would be perfect and I always give them to new mums - the eat anytime snack!!!

I second the muffins. I usually try and have a huge stock of them before I have a baby (we don't tend to get a big influx of friends and family bringing food) and they can be breakfast, snack or dessert.

A really really yummy muesli and some yoghurt is a great idea. Quick to prepare, filling, healthy and yummy. Great to have on hand if you have a midnight munchie attack after feeding the baby! Anything that can be eaten one handed is great too - cookies etc. I would love the big fruit salad!

As well as salads, some nice side dishes can be a great idea too, rice mixes, potato dishes etc. Standing at the sink peeling veg etc. is something I find I don't have a whole lot of time for just after a baby is born. I can whack together a batch of pasta but fiddly salads and side dishes can be a bit of a problem.

I think the only major "don't" I would add is don't rock up with a big box full of veg from the garden that needs labour intensive preparation and/or preservation. This was done for me by a well-meaning relative and I ended up tossing out most of the 2 kg of silver beet that she bought for me as well as many other things that we didn't get around to using.

I just found a recipe for breastfeeding cookies. These are supposed to boost your supply of milk and look YUM

Breastfeeding cookies

* 1 cup butter (225g)
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 4 tablespoons water
* 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal*
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 cups plain flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups oats
* 1 cup chocolate chips
* 2 tablespoons of brewers yeast* (be generous)

Preheat oven 190 degrees C. Mix together flaxseed meal and water, set aside for 3-5 minutes. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mix well. Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanilla to the butter mix. Beat until blended. Sift together dry ingredients, except oats and chips. Add to butter mixture. Stir in oats then chips. Scoop or drop onto baking sheet, lined with baking paper.

Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies.

*put flaxseeds in a food processor to make your own meal if you can’t see it in the shops.

If I was a new mum, I'd love it if someone brought me a big chocolate cake.

I have a one-month old baby and I would have loved to have gotten a big pile of stuff that I can eat with one hand (as TASJESS said), since that's usually all I have free. Muffins, homemade granola bars, deviled eggs, some kind of cheese treats, cut up fruit like pineapple and canteloupe, pimiento cheese tea sandwiches, pasta salad, nuts, etc. Basically some really good appetizers that involve fresh veggies, fruit, and some protein. Being awake all hours of the day with the baby, breakfast-lunch-dinner don't necessarily happen, I'm just snacking when I'm hungry but I don't like processed food.

I am feeling good about what I brought my friend J. last year then: chicken salad, a pesto & white bean spread, a loaf of good bread, salad greens, fruit, baby carrots, sugar snap peas, healthy muffins, and brownies. I'm told her husband ate all the brownies but that's okay, he was a new parent, too!

KittTheDog - I was just going to say the same thing. When you are feeding a newborn, especially breastfeeding, it seems as though feeding time literally takes up a majority of your life both day and night. Having food ready to go that you can eat while feeding a baby is really helpful.
My group of friends has a tradition of bringing over a dinner for the whole family but also what we call breastfeeding foods. Easy to eat with one hand (preferably no utensil), non-messy, good refrigerated or at room temperature so they can sit around or be grabbed quickly out of the fridge. This can include pita, crackers, prepped fruits and veggies, nuts, hummus, cheese cubes or slices, nuts, cold salads, etc. Sometimes we will make these into boxed or tray meals so the mom doesn't even have to think about picking up more than one thing. One of the things I get lots of compliments on is a brown rice salad with chicken, peanuts, veggies, and a lime dressing. It does require a spoon but if you drop a little on the floor or the baby's head it isn't a big mess. It is very nutritious but also light. Also, it is good warm or cold so you can just scoop some into a bowl anytime.

This is sooooo on track!!! I have an 8 month old and when she was born we got waaaayyy too much heavy stuff: lasagna, casseroles, pasta salads. But don't get me wrong it was still awesome to be showered with love. All I wanted was something with lots of veggies and fiber (fiber for new mom problems that are probably a little tmi for this comments section). When a friend brought over veggie and bean curry I was so excited.
Also the myth that breastfeeding moms can't have spicy stuff is so annoying. That's all I wanted! Maybe some babies are bothered by it but I would venture a guess that it's a small, small fraction.

There must be something in the air - I'm planning meals for the time I'll be helping my college roommate after the birth (just a few more weeks, we hope!). These are great suggestions - thank you!

I'll never forget my delight in the apple pie my friend made.

@NIAMH, will you share the recipe for your salad? Sounds terrific.

@TasJess -- my reader cut off part of your recipe, so I only saw the first four ingredients, and thought that was it:

* 1 cup butter (225g)
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 4 tablespoons water

Wow, that would put on the calories! Ha!

Soon after i had my son, a friend sent the perfect gift of ice cream. A GIANT box of It's It. A California treat i had craved throughout my pregnancy (in NY). I remember splitting one with my husband every night after dinner for weeks! Ridiculous bliss... wish i had one now!

Frozen toaster oven ready pancakes or waffles
Frozen wraps
Chili
Hearty soups
lentils
beans
Sauces to go on noodles (i really like Gochujang)