You guys know I’m passionate about eating in a way that nourishes my body…
but that’s also REALISTIC.
As a busy working mom, I do my best to get healthy food on the table in a way that’s time-efficient, straight-forward, and no-drama. ✌️
(Translation: While I love holistic nutrition, you will *never* catch me sharing a recipe that takes hours to prepare or that includes 37 obscure ingredients that require a scavenger hunt through Erewhon. We keep things simple here, team!!!).
And while I’ve always prioritized my nutrition, it is feeling like an Olympic sport lately… 😮💨
If you're new around here (first of all, welcome!), I actually gave birth to twins about 4 months ago, and I'm so grateful to say that I’ve been able to exclusively breastfeed both of them so far. 🥹
I shared more details on the highs and lows of my breastfeeding journey in my postpartum update, but in short, it’s been a mix of tandem feeds (so efficient, but sooo challenging to get the positioning right), 1:1 feeds (amazing & straight-forward, yet takes a lot of time to do both babies individually), and a lot of pumping (not my favorite thing ever, but it’s simple & allows others to help with bottles so that I can get much-needed breaks!).
While it hasn’t been all rainbows, it has been relatively straight-forward. I’m grateful to say that I generally enjoy the process of breastfeeding most of the time. It’s undoubtedly a lot of work, but the quiet, bonding moments it provides are so sacred to me...
But holy cow (pun absolutely intended) —feeding two babies has been a lot
A lot of effort.
A lot of learning curves.
A lot of time.
A lot of milk.
And a whooooole lot of eating.
I always laugh when someone says “Well, at least breastfeeding is free!”
Um, first off, it’s only free if you believe a woman’s time is worth nothing. 🙃 Let’s please stop downplaying the energy and effort and TIME that go into nursing, pumping, cleaning bottles, and beyond.
Second, have you seen my grocery bill? 😅 The amount of food I eat (and the amount of extra groceries I consequently need to buy) while breastfeeding is actually insane.
But, throughout both of my breastfeeding journeys, one thing has become crystal clear: if I’m not eating enough while nursing, my body lets me know—and fast.
My milk supply drops,
my energy crashes,
brain fog sets in,
and my mood can only be described as, well, hangry. 😇😇😇
Thankfully, I’ve learned how to properly fuel myself during this ultra-depleting time, keeping my health and nourishment top of mind while managing the demands and time constraints of postpartum.
In short— I aim for maximum nutrients, with minimal time.
🍼 And, today, I’m giving you a real-life look at exactly what I eat in a day to maintain my milk supply & my energy (hint: it’s a lot):
Here’s what to expect:
✨ Mostly whole foods & healthy choices, but… I’m not tracking a dang thing in terms of calories or macros or my weight— too busy counting ounces of milk 😉
✨ A peek at when I’m pumping and how much I’m making: …spoiler: I made 77 oz in this day 🐄
✨ 5 core breastfeeding nutrition approaches: These are my 5 no-fluff guidelines for fueling yourself while nursing & maintaining milk supply.
✨ The best postpartum gift I received: It’s quite random, relatively affordable, and could make a HUGE difference for fueling a mom in your life! (Hint: I’ve used it every. single. day. of my postpartum so far)
✨ Real-life scenarios: I didn’t record this on leisurely Sunday with no plans and a perfectly stocked fridge— but a busy, chaotic weekday filled with mom-ing, working, and everything in between.
Ya ready? Let’s go! ⬇️
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A few quick notes:
While I usually do a mix of pumping and breastfeeding, on this particular day, I exclusively pumped—mostly because 1) I thought it’d be fun to quantify it for this post and 2) I was curious exactly how much milk I was making. I do this every few weeks just to keep tabs on my supply! (What can I say… I love me some data 🤓).
This “day in the life” was actually recorded about six—maybe seven?—weeks ago. Not that it really matters, but I just a note that since then, my pumping routine has shifted a bit and I am less diligent now (for example, I finally dropped my middle-of-the-night pump— hallelujah!).
Before we dive in, just a reminder—this is my approach. Every mom feeds their baby in the way that works best for them—breastfeeding, pumping, formula, or a mix of it all. ◡̈ And let’s be real: some women do everything “right” and still struggle with milk supply. There’s so much nuance here, and I want to hold space for that.
So, take what’s helpful, leave what’s not. This is simply what works for me, my babes, and my family! As always, you do you. And I’ll do me ⬇️
3:30 a.m. — 19 oz. pump & a quick midnight snack
Because, yes, this “what I eat in a day” actually starts in the middle of the night…
Woke up to pump for the babies and felt genuinely hungry. This happens often to me during postpartum! With the amount of energy my body is using to make this much milk, I often need some fuel in the middle of the night.
So, with sleepy, blurry eyes, I marched to the kitchen & grabbed…