Hallowed Mama Doula

Nest Preparation

Hot Carob “Cocoa”

This creamy, cozy, concoction in a mug is a delicious treat for a postpartum mama! Giving credit where credit is due, this a spinoff of Shell Luttrell’s postpartum ceremonial hot chocolate. This hot carob “cocoa” is a great alternative to traditional caffeinated coffee or hot cocoa and still hits the spot if you’re craving something decadent. Drink up, you amazing postpartum mama!

a white table with a heart cookie cutter sitting in a pile of carob powder for hot carob "cocoa"

What is Carob?

Interestingly, carob is actually a legume! It grows in a pod (like a bean) and the pulp on the inside is dried and ground down into a powder. It’s naturally sweet and high in fiber. It is an easy substitute for cocoa or cacao, but it’s naturally caffeine and theobromine free.

Theobromine is a natural chemical component in cocoa which gives it (and chocolate) that bitter tinge. It can cause stomachaches in some people. This makes carob a great alternative ingredient and a friendly postpartum and breastfeeding choice.

You can buy carob powder from health food stores and online. It’s becoming more readily available in traditional grocery stores also. It’s quickly gaining popularity as a good source of fiber and substitute for caffeinated alternatives. Pick up some on your next splurge so hot carob “cocoa” can be on your menu!

HOT CAROB “COCOA”

Enjoy this decadent spin on traditional hot cocoa! Naturally sweetened and caffeine-free.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp carob powder
  • 1 tbsp cornmeal
  • 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • maple syrup (or other natural sweetener of choice)
  • orange peel (optional)
  • 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Warm the coconut milk in a small pan over medium heat.
  • When steamy, add the remaining ingredients.
  • Stir until the carob and sweetener are dissolved.
  • Remove orange peel.
  • OPTIONAL: Froth or blend to fully mix remaining bits of cornmeal and carob.

Notes

Add a dollop of whipped cream or cinnamon stick for an added kick. Enjoy!

As with all of my recipes, do your best to source organic ingredients first when it’s financially doable for you. I try to offer recipes that are user friendly with few ingredients and instructions. Postpartum women and their caregivers just need things to be quick, easy and nutritious! Please, feel free to sub where it best suits you, accommodating doctor instructions and food allergies/intolerances.

Kitchen Gadgets & Favorite Ingredients

Carob Powder

Coconut Milk

Milk Frother

a wooden table with carob pods and a wooden scoop full of carob powder to make hot carob "cocoa"

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Tomato Sausage Stew

We saw our first snow of the season last week! If you know anything about Colorado, it’s that our seasons (while we get all four) can be temperamental in their transitions. Much like preterm labor, you just aren’t quite sure when the next season is here for real! As I stood in my kitchen observing the dichotomy of fluffy snow rolling in with the last of summer’s beautiful garden tomatoes sitting ripe on the counter, this recipe struck me as a perfect combination of the two. A hearty tomato sausage stew brimming with postpartum goodness!

plate of red, ripe tomatoes piled high

Postpartum Healing from the Inside Out

The postpartum body is a fragile one. While American culture suggests jumping right back into daily life once you’re no longer pregnant, it just is not practical or safe. Women desperately need time to heal during the postpartum season. After giving birth, our bodies go through a period of purging – water, blood, fat, hormones…you name it! It is a necessary transition out of the pregnant state. The gentler we are with our bodies, the easier and faster we heal (physically and mentally).

Many cultures practice strict protocol with food and drink during this time. The idea is to consume only warm foods and beverages, specifically with “warm” properties (EX: cinnamon, pepper, ginger). While I’m not a practicing herbalist, this principle just makes sense. Consuming warm, easily digestible foods are a postpartum mama’s best friend. Increasing warmth in the body is one way to speed up circulation and increasing circulation promotes healthier digestion. Getting things moving efficiently in other systems of the body improves function in the reproductive system too!

Let’s talk organic

pacific foods chicken broth box on stove in front of a dutch oven of tomato sausage stew

I am of the opinion that food today is not as pure and healthy as it used to be. God gave us these beautiful body healing foods and, as people do, we have “fixed” them into being broken. That being said, I also live on a budget. Buying the absolute cleanest of everything isn’t an option for our family. When possible, we aim to grow/harvest our own foods. When we aren’t able to, I work to buy fresh, organic foods. When that’s not possible, I try to buy the least processed options available. Sometimes that means just skipping the grains, dairy, soy or options with preservatives and ingredients I can’t pronounce.

I say this to encourage you! It’s easy feeling defeated when you’re browsing through new recipes, and they have a thousand ingredients or very expensive ingredients. Just do your best! When you can’t purchase organic, try to buy fresh produce. When that’s hard, try to stick with frozen produce over canned. In making postpartum decisions, think – 1) nutrient dense, 2) warm, and 3) easily digestible. And then, pat yourself on the back for making the best choices for your healing within your budget!

If you really want to dig in to “clean” eating, there are many sites available, like EWG, that serve to keep consumers ‘in the know’ about food toxins. Shopping locally, seasonally, and in bulk often helps offset some of the exorbitant costs of buying organic.

Making Tomato Sausage Stew

a close up photo of kielbasa, purple potato, tomato, onion, mushrooms, and spinach

Let’s get your postpartum body healing from the inside out with a tasty tomato sausage stew! I’m going to give you a recipe, but there’s not really a wrong way to make it – just throw your favorite healthy ingredients in it. Also, we are a family of six, so if you don’t plan to freeze it, you can cut ingredient quantities in half, and it would make a solid meal for 2-3 people.

If you prefer a thicker tomatoey bisque (think chili) you can add an 8 oz. can of tomato paste.

Add other proteins to it – cubed chicken, kidney beans, beef tips.

I like this stew over rice because it absorbs all of the delicious broth and creates a pseudo jambalaya. You can easily sub the rice with quinoa, millet, couscous, etc. Or you can just eat it as the stew!

These pictures show purple potatoes. This is the last of what we got out of the garden, so I just decided to throw them in. You can use any kind of potato!

hearty tomato sausage stew

TOMATO SAUSAGE STEW

This savory tomato sausage stew is a postpartum mama's best friend! It's nutrient dense, hearty and freezes easily. Make a double batch and stash some in the freezer for an easy postpartum meal!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Soup
Servings 6 people (with leftovers)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 stick butter (I like the richness of butter, but you could substitute a couple of tablespoons of oil)
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 7 medium fresh tomatoes (or 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes)
  • 8 small potatoes
  • 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms
  • 32 oz. broth (I used chicken, but any broth is okay)
  • 3 lbs. kielbasa sausage
  • 1 chunk parmesan cheese rind (extra for grating)
  • 10 oz. spinach (any greens are okay)
  • 2 cups rice (I used jasmine rice, but any rice is okay)

Instructions
 

  • Rough chop each ingredient (no need to peel tomatoes or potatoes)
  • Melt butter over medium heat.
  • Add the onion.
  • Once the onion is translucent, add the tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms and cook (stirring frequently) for 5 minutes.
  • Add broth, parmesan cheese rind and sausage.
  • Add salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste along with any other preferred herbs.
  • Bring to a simmer and cover.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes.
  • While the stew is cooking, prepare rice.
  • After the 45 minutes, stir in the spinach and cook gently until wilted.
  • Serve over rice with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

This recipe is very easy to make substitutions. 
Add in additional proteins – cubed chicken, kidney beans, beef tips.
Serve over quinoa, millet, couscous, etc.
Swap the spinach for kale or Swiss chard.
It freezes very well. Simply defrost, warm, and cook a grain to serve it with (or eat it solo)! 

Kitchen Gadgets & Favorite Ingredients

Cutting Board

Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Chicken Broth

Jasmine Rice

a triple picture of the ingredients for tomato sausage stew - tomato, purple potatoes, kielbasa, and more.

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Building Your Baby Care Caddy

Three areas I focus on preparing women for in postpartum are baby care, mom’s healing, and organization of the home. Depending on your level of nesting, you can go big with this or keep it super simple! Building your baby care caddy doesn’t have to be laborious. After four babies, “less is more” is kind of my motto. It’s not necessary to have the trendiest items in order to experience optimal postpartum healing or baby care. In fact, for me, it’s been easier when I’ve focused on just getting the essentials together.

The Baby Care Caddy

When I reference “caddy,” it’s any mid-sized, easily accessible and (preferably) mobile container. Baskets with handles, plastic cleaning totes, and foldable bins are a good place to start. Again, you don’t have to break the bank building your baby care caddy! You could line a cardboard box with contact paper or empty out a nightstand drawer to get the job done. The goal is to collect items that you can easily access in the middle of the night without leaving bed. Stash it under the bed, on a dresser, or even hang something like this on the outside of the bassinet.

There are baby care items arranged in a basket. It shows parents that diapers, baby wipes, creams, and blankets are needed.

What goes in a baby care caddy?

Any baby gear that helps make for an easy feeding and diaper change in the middle of the night. The less you have to move, the easier it will be for you and more likely it will be to keep baby in sleep mode. Some suggestions are diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, onesie, swaddle/blanket, burp cloths, and a pacifier (if you’re using one).

Additionally, it’s not a bad idea to throw in a few things for your comfort too. Some chap stick and fresh nursing pads can really help a girl out when she’s up multiple times at night.

Other possible inclusions for your baby care caddy…

  • nasal aspirator
  • baby lotion
  • disposable changing pads
  • small trash bag (for wrapping up messy diapers or clothes)
  • small thermos (for expressed milk)
  • haakaa (to catch expressed milk during letdown)
  • hand sanitizer
  • healthy one-handed snacks (granola bar, jerky, trail mix, lactation cookies)
  • hair tie
  • nipple cream (this is my fave non-medicated cream)
  • water (doesn’t need to be added to the caddy, but rather carried with you all the time)
A box of four scented chap sticks and a jar of nipple butter from earth mama are arranged on a book. Behind them are a plant and essential oil mister. Promoting self-care for postpartum moms.

Baby on the go!

Furthermore, the baby care caddy is not only helpful at night but can be on-the-go with you. For example, our master bedroom is upstairs, but bringing the caddy down with me makes it so easy. A mobile baby changing station is much more convenient than heading back up to the nursery for every diaper change.

It’s also good for partners and your care team. They can easily find what is needed to care for baby and can help keep it stocked for you. If anyone is looking for a good baby shower gift idea, building your baby care caddy for you is a great one!

Newborn land is a sleepy place and if you find yourself without a readied diaper bag – grab the baby caddy! It might not be your first choice when leaving the house, but in a pinch, you’ll have what you need.

So. Many. Brands.

Every brand will try to convince you that their products are the best for your baby. Really, I think that most of them probably perform somewhere in the middle. Again, this is one of those areas where mom and dad choose what’s best for their sweet babe. Some will spend hours researching the most organic, ethically sourced, and environmentally friendly options. Others just want a product that will serve the purpose. Either method is okay!

Personally, I try to find the more holistic options, when I can afford them and have them easily accessible. It just makes sense to me that natural products would be a healthier choice for babies. However, there are a few products that I prefer that are less ‘crunchy’ because they just work better for us.

With all things baby, please check with your midwife, OB and/or pediatrician about their recommended baby-safe suggestions. Anything I reference or link to is just a personal reflection on past use and not a medical recommendation. Similarly, I cannot guarantee safe or successful use of any product for you and yours. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

Bottom line… do your research and get good referrals from others, but don’t feel obligated to buy ‘all the things’ or lament over finding or affording the “perfect” products.

This shows baby care creams - mustela lotion, triple paste diaper cream, aquaphor helaing ointment and earth mama nipple butter. Suggestions for parents to care for new babies.

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Hydrating Postpartum Lemon Gingerade

This hydrating postpartum lemon gingerade is the perfect beverage for helping new mamas feel refreshed and energized! There have been variations on this drink for centuries – Switchel, Haymaker’s Punch, and Shrub to name a few. The idea is to combine the right healing properties in one delicious spritzer. Who said postpartum healing can’t be a little glamorous?

A pitcher and glass of hydrating postpartum lemon gingerade next to a recipe book and lemon

The First Forty Days

I first learned about this natural remedy from a brilliant book by Heng Ou, “The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother.” This lemon gingerade is full of some of nature’s best gifts – lemons, ginger, apple cider vinegar and honey. When you pull these ingredients together, you’re gifted a powerhouse of electrolytes, antioxidants and energy. It doesn’t hurt that it offers a refreshing gentle sweetness, mild lemon tang, punchy ginger and a little bubbly to make it fun.

An up close picture of a jar of honey surrounded by ginger and cut lemon

How to make postpartum lemon gingerade

Okay, let’s get hydrated! As I mentioned, I started with the base from Heng Ou’s recipe but decided to play with it a bit to fit my personal tastes. For me, it’s all about the ginger! It is really such a simple little drink that you can easily make adjustments to fit your palate too!

Swap honey for cane sugar, monk fruit extract, or agave.

Boil some of the lemon rind in the water (before adding honey) to really infuse the lemon and give it a deeper flavor.

If you could use some help getting your digestive system moving, macerate some prunes, blueberries or watermelon in the bottom of the pitcher.

You probably know by now that one of the postpartum doula musts is warmth! Warm food, warm clothes, warm everything. This is one of the few areas that I’ll give you a pass. If drinking this lemon gingerade cold helps you get more hydrating fluids in, then by all means, drop some ice in that glass! Another selling point for drinking it on the rocks is that it has honey in it. If you follow the recipe, you will have already warmed it a bit to dissolve it in water. You want to avoid heating it too much and killing off all of the natural health benefits. If you can go middle of the road with it and have it at room temperature, that’s probably even better!

pitcher of lemon gingerade with the recipe book glass of gingerade and a lemon

HYDRATING POSTPARTUM LEMON GINGERADE

This hydrating postpartum lemon gingerade is the perfect beverage for helping new mamas feel refreshed and energized! There have been variations on this drink for centuries – Switchel, Haymaker’s Punch, and Shrub to name a few. The idea is to combine the right healing properties in one delicious spritzer. 
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Drinks
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup of local raw honey
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 3 cups of club soda
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon hand harvested sea salt crushed
  • ConcenTrace Trace Mineral Drops optional, according to bottle dosage

Instructions
 

  • Over low heat, bring water to a simmer.
  • Remove from heat, add honey to the water and stir until dissolved.
  • Pour honey water into a mason jar or pitcher.
  • Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Notes

For best flavor, drink within 3 days. Make sure to shake/stir it well each time.

Kitchen Gadgets & Favorite Ingredients

Lemon Squeezer

Ginger Grater

Sea Salt

ConcenTrace Trace Mineral Drops

Beautiful, sliced lemons laying overlapping.

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