INTRODUCTION
YOU’VE JUST FOUND OUT you’re pregnant, and you’d like to eat well for a healthy pregnancy and baby. Questions swirl — Where do I begin? What can I eat? What should I avoid?

This feeling of uncertainty and confusion can be overwhelming. I studied nutrition, and yet I was overwhelmed by prenatal nutrition and the application of it in my real life — especially during my first pregnancy. When I looked for information on what to eat, I kept finding prescriptions and charts about the science of nutrition and how much of each macro and micronutrient I should be consuming in one day. None of that helped me at the grocery store when I had to decide what to buy, or in my kitchen when I stared blankly into the fridge wondering what to eat. I came to realize that I didn’t need to learn about nutritional science as much as I had to be comfortable choosing, cooking, and eating real food.

Knowing what to eat during pregnancy and in the postpartum months can be daunting, and I want to help make it simple and practical, hence this book. As a mom of two, I know you need easy, healthy, and balanced meals, snacks to keep in your purse, and a trusty chocolate treat to keep you going until nap time. I also get that you need a book designed for real life. It is vital to me that this cookbook takes the pressure or guilt off you to do things the “ right” way or to always eat the “right” foods. If at times you feel the urge for ice cream, that’s okay. I too had a bowl of ice cream on top of the table that was my belly. Sometimes that’s just what mama needs. There is no one right way of eating. Just as you are the expert when it comes to your pregnancy and baby, you are also the one who knows best what foods make you feel good.

This cookbook focuses on real food for real life, every step of the way. Whether you are feeling good and inspired to prep healthy meals for the week, or you are feeling terrible, have nausea or heartburn, and can’t eat much, you’ll find a big selection of recipes here to light up your taste buds, satisfy your cravings, and provide essential nutrition for you and baby, plus loads of advice and tips for food prep, meal planning, choosing the most wholesome foods, and cooking up nutritious, delicious meals.

Being nourished sufficiently through pregnancy can significantly impact how you feel, how your baby develops, and how your body heals postpartum. A happy, healthy mother is the most important thing in the world to a baby. As a mom and postpartum doula, I firmly believe that you need care and attention as much as your baby. You deserve to feel good, to receive love and support, to be honoured and appreciated, and to have time to bond with your baby. Throughout pregnancy and in the first few months postpartum, your nutrition is key to your staying well — mentally, emotionally, and physically. The Food Doula Cookbook is organized by trimester and offers you real-food solutions to meet your needs as you experience the ebbs and flows that happen in real life from preconception to postpartum.

Do you want chili for breakfast, pancakes for dinner, or soup for an early morning snack? No judgment here. Who needs strict mealtimes when you’re feeling nauseated or if you are hungry every hour because you’re breastfeeding around the clock? Go ahead and reach for what fuels you and makes you feel your best, no matter the societal norms about what foods suit which time of day.

Good nutrition is key, and what your body needs, what you feel like eating, and what your life looks like will have more to do with what you’re going to put on your plate than the time of day.