Here I am, four weeks postpartum, sitting in the rocking chair holding my baby at four a.m. because tonight she refuses to sleep any other way, and among many other things I’m thinking I’m so thankful for the meal train that was organized for us because I don’t have to think about dinner for today or tomorrow.
For families like ours, where we live far from family and lifelong friends, the village is practically nonexistent when you have your firstborn. I still can’t remember what we ate the first few months when my first baby was born. That baby slept way less than this one, so now I’m questioning how we survived it and how I was able to breastfeed him if I barely ate. This second time around, it’s a little different.
First of all, I tried to be more prepared because I knew what having a newborn in the house would be like. Thinking of the no-sleep and contact nap days, plus having a four-year-old that needs to eat, I knew I had to be more on top of things. So this time my freezer is full of ready-to-eat meals; I know all about ordering groceries to be delivered, and we stocked up on snacks. Also, this time around, we have a new little village we’ve built over the last four years since we had our firstborn. We have an amazing school community and great friends from the bilingual group we joined when my first was 7 months old.
Since my son started school, I’ve really liked and appreciate the kindness of the community at school, and one thing new to me is the meal trains that get organized when a family is in need, like when there’s a new baby in the family or when someone is sick, or the caretakers are not able to cook for their family. So far, I’ve cooked seven meals as part of meal trains, and it’s so rewarding to know you’re doing a little something for a family in need. I’ve tried to make some Mexican dishes, a vegetarian one, and a big pasta meal for a family that had just welcomed their 6th baby. I always like to include a little salad and a treat too. I hope the meals I cooked took some of the load off the parents and that they enjoyed the home-cooked meals and treats.
So when a friend from school asked if I wanted her to throw me a baby shower or something else for the baby on the way, I asked her to please organize a meal train for us, and it has been great. Friends have delivered delicious sushi from the restaurant Asaka, ready-to-eat meals from Costco, snacks that are good for breastfeeding, and one has tried one of those meal prep services.
I’m so grateful to be part of these communities where we come together to help each other; it’s been great to be on both the giving and receiving ends.
So, if you know someone who had a big change in their life, organizing a meal train is always a good idea. You don’t need to know how to cook; you can send a grocery order, buy a gift card, or order from their favorite restaurant. Another good tip for participating in a meal train is to try to do something different; lasagna and casseroles are the meal choices for this type of situation, so either ask for suggestions from the family or try to be creative with a meal that is easy to heat and eat and that children would like too. It will be so gratifying, and you can expect the same people will be there for when you need them, too.
