Visiting a new mama? Make her this.

Flowers, onesies, and pacifiers are a sweet gifts to welcome in the arrival of a new baby, but as a post partum doula, I usually recommend that visitors forget the flowers, and bring a meal instead.
Learning how to breastfeed, up multiple times in the night changing diapers, and catching a 30 minute catnap in between feeds while recovering from the birth physically and emotionally is the reality of life with a newborn. It takes a village (for real!) and lots of nourishment to sustain a babymoon.

So, want to show a new mama that you love her, and that you got her back? Bring her food.

I had the pleasure of attending a magical birth this Monday for dear friends of mine, and while getting ready to go over for my post partum visit (today also happens to be her birthday!) I decided to whip up some groaning cake, a traditional post partum cake that involves high energy, high protein and high fat whole foods to make a quick, one handed snack.
I first heard of groaning cake from the book, The Birth House, by Ami McKay, where it was prepared for women during labor, so that she had a nourishing, celebratory meal after the baby arrives. The idea behind the groaning cake is to pack as much nutrients, fat, fibre and protein into one delish pastry. Sounds good, right?

 

It's also pretty darn simple and versatile too. Here's how I make Groaning Cake with ingredients you'll probably find in your pantry.

  • 2 Bananas, ripe

  • 1/4 cup Molasses

  • 1/3 cup Coconut Oil, melted

  • 1/4 cup Maple Syrup

  • Zest and Juice of 1 Orange

  • 2 Eggs

  • 1.5 cups of Spelt flour

  • 1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

  • 1/2 cup Oat Flakes

  • 2 tsp. Baking Powder

  • 1/2 cup Nuts, chopped

  • 5 Dates, chopped

  • 1 tbsp. Cinnamon

  • 1 tsp. Nutmeg

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Combine wet ingredients until well combined. Slowly add in dry ingredients and keep mixing. Pour batter into a cake pan (mine was 8x8) and bake for 40 minutes.

That's it! Now you have just created a simple nourishing cake that has so many benefits, such as:

  • Blood Building (Molasses is high in iron!)
  • High in healthy carbs high in B- Vitamins that sustains energy!
  • Full of Fiber to keep things moving smoothly ;)
  • High in protein, which helps with post partum healing
  • High in healthy fats, which help with mood balance + hormone health
Enjoy!
XO

LM

Post Partum Recipes

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