Metropolitan Mama

You are here: Home / Giveaways / Post-Labor Munchies: Did You Get Them?

Post-Labor Munchies: Did You Get Them?

By 138 Comments

I over-packed my hospital bag, but there was one thing that I forgot: Snacks. Not for during labor. But for AFTER.

After the marathon of giving birth, the delivery of the placenta, the wonder of breastfeeding for the first time, a little bit of rest…I realized I was very hungry. The hospital kitchen staff dutifully brought me a plate of unappetizing mush and mish-mash (applesauce, wilted green beans, chicken dunked in cream sauce). The hospital didn’t provide meals for my husband (who, by the way, wasn’t excited about the fare either). So we both had rumbly tummies. Fortunately, my mother-in-law ended up bringing us sandwiches, which we ate gratefully.

Next time around, I will bring a little basket of snacks with me – crackers, pretzels, perhaps some fresh berries in a cooler. One snack option that I will consider is Snikiddy.

I wrote about Snikiddy back in January as a great snack options for kids (and their moms too!) because “all the ingredients in Snikiddy Snacks are free of pesticides, herbicides, genetic modification, and refinement.” A great alternative to your typical Chip’s Ahoy.

Snikiddy currently offers seven different snack items: Rockin‘ Ranch Puffs,Pizza Pie Puffs, Grilled Cheese Puffs, Chocolate Chippers(my favorite), Cherry Oaties(my second favorite), Mac ‘N’ Cheese Puffs, and Banana Nibbles. You can find Snikiddy products at a store near you or buy them on Amazon.

YOUR TURN: Did you bring snacks with you to the hospital/birth center? What did you munch on post-labor?

WIN IT! One winner will receive a Snikiddy Snack Pack with a variety of Snikiddy snacks. To enter, simply leave a comment and your e-mail address on this post prior to Sunday, June 1. The winner will be announced and contacted on Monday, June 2. * Winner must provide a U.S. mailing address.

*UPDATE* The winner is #53 Sarah S. Congratulations!

Comments

  4. I didn’t but my husband brought an apple and munched on it while I was in labor. Who could be hungry when I was in that kind of pain. Then when we had the 2nd he wanted to bring a giant turkey leg. We didn’t.

    Reply

  5. Although I did not pack snacks in my bag, I was looking forward to Sushi afterwards; however, because I was nursing I did not eat Sushi until many months later.

    Reply

  6. I didn’t, but I should have! It took them FOREVER to scrounge up some food for me, though when they did, it was a sandwich that was better than most of the “meals” I had while I was there.

    Reply

  7. my mother had gotten me a bunch of different things from the vending machine, but junk food is the best medicine! haha!

    Reply

  8. I should have brought snacks! I was starving to death and they told my husband it was too late for him to bring anything in. I wanted to cry! I was craving a hamburger and fries. The next morning I got oatmeal, grits, dry cereal with a carton of milk, coffee, and orange juice. I drank the juice. By the time my family returned I was ready to eat the paint off the walls – but I did get my burger and fries.
    Thanks for the chance to win!

    Reply

  10. I have given birth to a large brood of kids and I have learned to bring snacks. My baby is 7 months old and at his birth I breath mints, coffee candy, Kashi bars (for something healthy) and Hostess chocolate cupcakes (one of my comfort foods).

    Reply

  14. Too funny! I never even thought of bringing snacks with me for after I gave birth. I guess I always sort of looked at the hospital sort of like the movie theater — please no outside snacks permitted! Lol! Thanks for the chance — these sound delish.

    Reply

  16. I worked at the hospital where I delivered. My first real meal was the hospital’s special of the day vegetable lasagna, yuck.

    Reply

  19. I was only allowed ice chips, so my husband brought fresh lemons and limes and squeezed them onto the ice to make me a refreshing treat.

    Reply

  22. I had a c-sections so I didn’t want anything in my stomach! But I do now! pass me some of those snikiddy packs…

    Reply

  23. My dauhter in law is expecting their first child due in sept. This would be nice to have her take in case she needs acheer up pick me up treat.
    Thank you

    Reply

  27. This last time around, since it was my 5th labor, I made sure to pack snacks. I had some candy type things, chocolate & sour patch kids. I also packed little banana muffins, and some pretzels. I was sooo hungry the two nights I spent in the hospital, I ate everything I brought.

    Reply

  32. I didn’t bring any snacks! That was the last thing on my mind. After the delivery, though, the first thing I asked my husband for was frozen custard.

    Reply

  34. No, I didn’t bring anything but as soon as I was brought to my room them brought me beef stew and I was so hungry that it was the best I ever had but I think after 23.5 hours of labor anything would have tasted good.

    Reply

  36. I did not pack snacks for after the birth, although I think it is a good idea to do so. I did get some jello from the hospital though.

    Reply

  37. I packed snacks for myself and my husband, specifically sunflower seeds (the hull-less kind) which I ate when I was hungry in the middle of the night. Those first days of nursing made me so hungry! I also had some dark chocolate and graham crackers.

    Reply

  38. Our doula went out and got me an italian sub after the delivery. I could’ve had lunch from the hospital cafeteria, but I REALLY wanted something with lunch meat, since I avoided it through out pregnancy. I did snack on the items that I brought to eat during labor, but didn’t get a chance to eat.

    Reply

  39. I didn’t bring food for myself to eat during labor but brought my DH snacks. He had chips, candy bars, dried fruit and cookies. With our second baby my blood sugar dropped and the doctor told me to walk to the vending machine and eat some junk. (It was a Naval hospital). I drank a soda and ate Cheetos. Afterwards, with all my kids, my Dh made me chocolate chip cookies to eat.

    Reply

  40. i still have the post-baby munchies, 3 months later! i brought hard candy with me, but didn’t get a chance to eat it, until after the labor/birth. i like belly bars!

    Reply

  41. I bought a pack of juice boxes and a box of granola bars. I didn’t touch the juice or the snacks the whole time I was in hospital, but my husband quickly worked his way through the granola bars!

    Reply

  42. i will be requestinf lollipops and/or popsicles. Afterwards, i probably will only be requesting lots of sleep and water.

    Reply

  43. My first child , I was admitted to the hospital on Sat evening and my son was born Mon. afternoon. This would have been very welcome.

    Reply

  44. I forgot snacks too, so I sent my husband to the store for wheat thins, gatorade and red licorice. Not sure why I was craving those, but I was. LOL! I’d love to try these snacks though. :)

    Reply

  45. What I took to the hospital was the same thing that I craved during both of my pregnancies;peaches and Pringles.
    Thank you so very much for offering this wonderful giveaway.
    I would LOVE to win !!

    Reply

  50. You would think that I would remember at least one of the 4 experiences in the hospital. I do remember eating chicken fingers with at least one.

    Reply

  54. Though I brought snacks, I wasn’t allowed to eat anything because I ended up in surgery, and was pretty sick. When allowed to eat at the hospital, it was a liquid diet, I ate so much beef broth, that i never want to see it again.

    Reply

  55. I didn’t have any snacks during labor. When I had my son, I got a chicken bacon ranch wrap from Subway!

    Reply

  56. My mop brought me brownies. For the first time in months I ate chocolate without getting heartburn.

    Reply

  58. I was in labor for 3 days and could not eat the enire three days. Afterwards, I ate like a pig. And I paid for it as well. lol Thanks so much for the opportunity.

    Reply

  60. I brought some peanut butter and crackers and a power bar, but I was starved after my delivery. I had the best-tasting ham and cheese on white bread, and nothing has compared since! ;-)

    Reply

  61. Cool snacks!

    I didn’t bring anything with me to the hospital except VERY essential items (as I mentioned in your last giveaway!) so no snacks for me. I had a C-section, too, and wasn’t allowed any real food for what felt like a year! It had been 8 hours since dinner when I went into labor, and then 15 hours of labor, and then 2 hours of surgery…so needless to say I was STARVING and all they gave me was beeth broth and hot tea.

    When I was finally allowed to eat, I had an amazing meal brought in to me because the hospital food was not so edible!

    Reply

  62. I didn’t bring any with me and man, did I wish I had! A girlfriend brought me a Snickers and Pepsi and I was elated. LOL

    Reply

  63. I didn’t take any snacks, but the hospital has a food court. So hubby went own to get me smoothies.

    Reply

  67. I brought granola bars both times and gatorade for hubby. I’m fortunate to have a hospital with excellent food. You get the menu, call when you’re hungry and order what you want. I was sad though that this time they weren’t offering crab rangoon. My favorite this time was the mixed green salad with strawberries, walnuts and a vinaigrette. They also offer snacks for whenever you’re hungry. When I realized I was starving I had a turkey sandwich – this did leave something to be desired but at the moment I was so hungry I told the nurse it was the best sandwich I’d ever eaten!

    Reply

  68. Where I delivered the last two times, they had a snack fridge that we were free to eat from – they had deli sandwhiches, yogurt, juice cups and bottled water. TOTAL lifesaver and I didn’t have to eat the icky hospital trays. :)

    Reply

  69. My friends all stopped by with food. It was great! We actually had too much food, we had to give some away to the staff.

    Reply

  73. I didn’t bring any snacks – my husband went out and brought me back a thick chocolate malt and fries

    Reply

  74. I adopted.

    (I sort of hate when articles about products that are completely non-birth-related, get a birth-related spin. Us adoptive moms really don’t need to feel left out of things like this. No, I didn’t snack in the government office because it wasn’t allowed.)

    Reply

  76. Food was the furthest thing from my mind when I left for the hospital. I was so nauseous once I got there and they made me eat ice chips which actually caused my stomach to revolt and I threw up. Afterwards, I was hungry but I think I just had a little red jello and some apple juice.

    Reply

  80. I had a bag of chips and a peanuts but I didn’t want to eat after my birth. I was nauseous and sore.

    Reply

  81. I didn’t bring food to the hospital but luckily my husband was doing medical rotations at that very hospital and got free food from the snack place there. He brought me odwalla juice and bars. Then he and my mom went and brought in some Thai food.

    Reply

  82. I didn’t bring anything with me, and afterwards I was so hungry. I had to beg the nurse for cookies!

    Reply

  83. What a great giveaway! I never took food to the hospital. We have tried the Cherry Oaties before…yummy!

    Reply

  84. Didn’t think to bring food with me to the hospital. I ate whatever they gave me cause I was soooo hungry after not being able to eat for 3-4 days due to complications.

    Reply

  86. I ate a ton of the hospital’s plain turkey sandwiches with just turkey and bread. They tasted SO good after labor and while I was recovering.

    Reply

  88. My father brought me a 3 lb. box of chocolates and my mother-in-law a beautiful fruit basket and I ate them both.

    Reply

  89. I didn’t bring snacks, though my dear hubby brought me something from Taco Bell during the middle of labor. He ended up eating it.

    Sad, because my last meal was a small breakfast the morning before, baby came at 1:06 a.m., and I had to sit around for HOURS weakened and starving until breakfast finally showed up.

    Fortunately I had no complaints with hospital food, though at that point anything would have looked good.

    Reply

  90. With both my girls I forgot to bring snacks, and really regretted it! I was starving shortly after birth and had to ask for something to eat. Something like these would be great!

    Reply

  91. As soon as I went into labor I lost my appetite. After I delivered my son all I wanted was chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! However, since I was breastfeeding and I had been told chocolate might upset my son’s tummy, I had to settle for some cherry licorice to get my sugar fix.

    Reply

  95. I remember saying to my husband on the way to the hospital…if I’m not really in labor, we’re stopping at Burger King for lunch before we go back home. We went to the hospital around 11am and I had Amelia at 10:20pm. Right after the chaos was over, I sent my husband to get my fast food (before they closed for the night!!!) I wasn’t going to wait until morning for a meal and the tv dinner the hospital had was not appetizing.

    Reply

  96. on my way to hospital to be induced, i had my husband stop at cvs at 5:30am to buy a sleeve of oreos. Minutes after I delivered, I was munching them down.

    Reply

  97. I didnt bring anything!! I was starved…but i was craving ice chips which i ate the whole time i was in the hospital!! =]

    Reply

  99. I went into labor at lunchtime and never got to eat. By midnight, when everything was finished and calm, I finally got a ham sandwich. I don’t think anything ever tasted so good.

    Reply

  100. the nurses gave me some italian ice,crackers and cookies before I got my epidural then after that I wasnt allowed to eat anythihng

    Reply

  101. I had kids soooo long ago, I don’t think they even allowed outside food — but they did have smoking area’s….yup that long ago!! So no I didn’t bring food.

    Reply

  102. i knew i was having a c-section so I knew I couldn’t eat before the birth. i was so happy after i finally got my wits back about me i craved a caramello bar. yum

    Reply

  103. I birthed at a free standing birth center and I ate some good protein when I started into labor. I didn’t really snack once labor really got started though.

    We were required to bring a protein meal to eat after labor. (We couldn’t leave until we had a meal.) I took Mac & Cheese with tuna mixed in. I was starving right after labor and really wanted a Big Mac. LOL

    I can’t imagine going through labor with no food. I’d have no energy to labor without having something in me.

    Reply

  104. I didn’t bring anything food wise to the hospital my past 2 pregnancies but we are yet preggo again and I will be far more prepared to sneak some snacks in! These sound extra yummy!

    Reply

  105. I forgot to bring food for my first as it was only a checkup but they kept me and induced me. I was so hungry when labor was over since I had not eaten in over 24 hours, besides some apple sauce. I could of used some snacks!

    Reply

  106. I didn’t really munch on anything. I was only there right at 24 hours after each birth. And the hospital food wasn’t too bad.

    Reply

  107. Actually, not snacks, but I think they gave me popsicles at the hospital and ice chips. One thing I remember is that I wasn’t off of the delivery table, yet and they brought me in a full meal. I wasn’t hungry in the least and declined the meal. The hospital stay was so short, that I ate what they gave me and went home. These snacks do sounds very interesting. Please enter me in your drawing. Thanks,Cindi

    Reply

  108. I didn’t bring any snacks to the hospital but after having two kids already, I knew exactly what I wanted after my third was born — a bunch of fresh fruit, some crackers and a magazine or two. Now I put together fruit baskets for all my friends who have newborns. Balloons and flowers are nice, but nothing beats a basket of fresh fruit.
    gkstratos@yahoo.com

    Reply

  111. I didn’t bring anything with me. I had a C-section and they weren’t letting me have anything for awhile.

    Reply

  112. this brand is new to me – can’t wait to try them. I too wasn’t hungry. Just wanted a drink of water and sleep. MKW

    Reply

  113. oh yeah did i eat…let’s see twizzlers…skittles…anything with sugar.
    3beez at bellsouth dot net

    Reply

  115. I didn’t bring snacks. We got to our room right after dinner time, so I didn’t even get dinner after being starved through labor! My in-laws came with dinner. The next night, a nurse showed my husband where the baby floor’s pantry was and told him to help himself to anything! If only we had known…. I packed a little goody bag for my pregnant friend a couple months later so she would have some things I would have wanted when I was in the hospital.

    Reply

  116. I didn’t even think to bring snacks, but after giving birth to my first son, my husband ran out and got me a sub sandwich from a local pizza place.

    Reply

  119. No I had a C-section and wasn’t allowed to eat food before or after until a couple of days I started eating hospital food.

    Reply

  121. no, but my hubby picked up mcdonalds and friendly sundaes afterwards from inside the hospital

    Reply

  122. actually, no. no snacks at all. i wanted diet coke, though, so I think that was the big vending machine expenditure!

    roo loves the snikiddy cookies but we’ve never tried the savory varieties.

    Reply

  124. we adopted abroad, but I did bring many snacks to have comforts of home. didn’t know what the foods would be like. we brought gronolas, cracker sandwiches (cheese/peanut butter), cookies, gerber puffs for the little ones, etc. glad I had them. jet lag had us up at 3am and we were hungry while playing cards. adascandlelight at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  125. lol!!This reminded me of something funny.I eneded up having to have an unplanned c section because the little bugger decided to go footling breech while I was in active labor.So we really didn’t know the after care(including what food I could eat).I had Isaac at 4:58am&that evening I had a terrible craving for a cheeseburger from Dairyqueen.My DH brought me one,and when I was on my last bite a nurse came in the room&just about had a coronary when she seen me eating that cheeseburger.I didn’t know that I couldn’t have that kind of food after a c section!When the nurse left the room I couldn’t stop laughing& I was like”I wondered why the food they brought me was so crappy!!”

    Everything ended up fine,and it didn’t make me sick.But it is a funny memory!!:)

    Reply

  126. Not to mention snacks for the waiting family! My husband almost missed the birth of our first child because he was “out to lunch.” It was his fault for thinking he had time to sit down and enjoy it at the restaurant though! (Although he says he was being sensitive for not eating in front of me).

    Reply

  127. The first time I didn’t pack anything, not even clothes since I was planning on doing that the morning my water broke as I got out of bed.We had to drive to the hospital in a blizzard so we needed to leave right away since it would take so long to get there. The other two times I didn’t pack snacks because our hospital has the best food. They bring you just about anything you want, whatever time it is. Plus, the new parents enjoy a fab steak dinner before they go home.

    Reply

  128. OMG I was desperate for watermelon for some odd reason right after delivery.. I actually sent my dad out at 2am to find me a big bowl of watermelon (in the snow.. lol)

    I blogged your contest on Prize-A-Tron too!
    http://www.prizeatron.com

    Reply

  130. You know, you would think with a scheduled c-section you wouldn’t be as starving after??? But once i got over the anesthetic, which took about 36 hours, it had been basically 2 day since I had eaten. I couldn’t get enough down the pipe! My hospital had these little cheese squares that I ate by the truck load. Probably a good reason I gained weight after having my son!!

    Reply

  131. I was SO sick from my first contraction until my son was born. I couldnt keep anything down though I DID pack snacks. My husband thoroughly enjoyed them =0)

    Reply

  135. I didn’t bring any snacks, and immediately after giving birth, my wonderful husband ran out and got me a tuna sandwich and coffee milk shake. I was starving! cdziuba@aol.com

    Reply

  136. i didn’t bring any snacks and i was starving at 2:30AM when i finally got to eat!! the nurse brought me a turkey sandwich and a bag of baked lays and it tasted sooooo good!!!
    thanks!
    moore.g at insideconnect.net

    Reply

  138. The hospital where I delivered Jacob and Bridget is fantastic! (and I’m not just saying that because I used to work L&D). The food is wonderful!! New moms, provided they had a normal vaginal delivery, are fed immediately after the baby is born, no matter what time of day or night. Before mom and baby are discharged, mom and dad receive a catered meal, and it is every bit as fabulous as one you might find in an upscale restaurant. I can’t remember anything about the food at the hospital where I delivered Hannah – I guess because there was nothing memorable about it! I didn’t pack snacks for myself, but I did pack my husband’s favorite munchies. :-)

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Contributor

I blog for Ergobaby

Me…On ABC News

abc news mom blog

Contributor

TucsonTopia