I’m two weeks into this new mummy/ baby journey and still learning by the day. And gosh there is a lot to learn….

One thing I have had to learn very quickly is how to breastfeed and use my hands at the same time. Seems simple right? WRONG. When I saw people on TV feeding, they always make it look so easy, but I can tell you now, it is not easy. It takes lots of practice and I am only now just getting the hang of it. Using your phone, reaching for the TV remote, reading a book, answering the phone.. they are all troublesome whilst feeding. Most troublesome of all though is eating.

Where do you balance your plate? How do you avoid getting crumbs all over your baby’s head? How can you ensure you don’t dribble milk from your cereal on your little one? Oh and don’t even get me started on tea or coffee – that’s a whole different ball game.

Every mealtime in our house is the same now. It’s a mad rush to get some healthy and quick food prepared (thank God for my freezer COOK meals, see my blog on COOK here) in the hopes I can cook and eat before Amelia wakes up.

More often than not, and sod’s law of course, she wakes up just as I take my first bite. As such, many a time I have had to balance my plate on a cushion next to me and carefully shovel food over her head and into my hungry gob! Last night was a COOK casserole and thankfully I didn’t spill it on her. Not sure I could deal with any more stains on those lovely new baby grows!

Another thing I have realised is that you need a constant stream of healthy and easy to eat snacks whilst breast feeding (and of course litres and litres of water). This led me to start thinking of a list of top breastfeeding snacks to eat without making a mess of baby. So here are my top 10 snack recommendations:

1. Baby bell cheeses
2. Yoghurt
3. Grapes, bananas or apples (careful of too much citrus fruit if the baby has colic)
4. Cuppa soup or something similar in a flask
5. Flat breads or bread sticks (careful of the crumbs though)
6. Carrot / celery sticks with a dip (shop bought obs – as if I am going to have time to make a dip right now)
7. Raisin and nut mix
8. Soreen loaf (better than toast which can get crumbs all over the baby)
9. Bits of cold meat (left over roast chicken or ham)
10. Hard boiled eggs

Oh and for the coffee/ tea conundrum; get yourself a thermos flask with a sippy lid on so that you don’t spill anything hot on the baby. My Costa thermos has been a life saver.. (Other coffee shop brands are available though!)

I hope that if you are in the early stages of your breastfeeding journey you are also starting to find your way with ‘limited hand breastfeeding’. But rest assured you are not alone, we all find it tricky. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts around good breastfeeding snacks, as this list is by no means completed. DM me your recommendations and I’ll share them on the blog.. Oh and of course I’ll eat them too!