Bumping with Baby #2!
I love the idea of a baby “sprinkle” – a smaller party to celebrate your second (or subsequent) pregnancy/baby! I had an absolutely wonderful baby shower for our first baby, but definitely didn’t feel like I needed that the second time around (largely because we could reuse most of Fitz’s things!). I also didn’t feel like I needed a party centered around gifts, or even myself! So I wanted to do something a little different…
Postpartum Nutrition
I recently got to enjoy a meal with Katie of Nurtured Village – a postpartum meal delivery service in Seattle – and a few like-minded women. It was one of those evenings that was food for the soul (and the belly). We had so much fun dreaming up ways to connect with parents, and also ways to spread the gift of delicious and nutritious meals. One thing we thought of was the idea of a meal prep party for expecting parents!
I shared this vision with my friend and sister-in-law for my own baby sprinkle and they fully embraced it. My friend collected three different soup recipes and one for some energy balls that would be easy to put together and freeze for after baby arrives. Then they asked my guests to sign up for and bring the ingredients to make the meals! This (along with diapers) were their gifts to me and my growing family!
“It Takes a Village”
We spent an afternoon together at my sister-in-law’s home chatting over snacks and mocktails, and then prepping the meals together. I felt fully embraced by my community and village and came away with double batches of easy to prepare and nourishing foods for me and my family. Seriously, what a gift. I will also be sharing a Meal Train with my friends and family once our baby is here, because taking a meal off the to-do list is one of the absolute best gifts you can give a new parent!
Other Ways to Feed New Parents
If you live far from your friends or family having a baby, and want to support them with food, there are still some great options! DoorDash gift cards are always appreciated, and one of my favorite meal care package delivery companies is Spoonful of Comfort.
One other idea is that instead of sending a gift card, a friend of mine signed up for our meal train from afar, and did the food ordering for us! She asked what genre of food we were in the mood for and took care of the rest. It was so fun to have her choose the dishes and be surprised with a delicious meal – and not have to do the choosing ourselves!
Lastly, one other tip for if you can contribute to a Meal Train, is (if you can!) also bring something for breakfast or a snack in addition to your dinner. A friend of mine also brought paper plates and plastic utensils which was a very thoughtful idea to give us a break from dishes for the night!
I hope this gives you some inspiration to think outside the box for what a celebration or gathering may look like for you! I’ve been listening to a few podcasts featuring Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering, recently, and I love her encouragement to think about what YOU want out of a gathering – and to share that with your guests! Your friends and family want to support and celebrate you!
The recipes we prepared together
- Lentil Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Chickpea Curry
- No Bake Energy Balls (my favorite to have on hand – especially for breastfeeding / midnight snacking!)
And also… the handy bag holders!
