What Was the Last Meal You Ate Before Giving Birth?

Before my first child, Max, was born (three weeks early via an unplanned C-section), my sister-in-law showed up at the hospital with takeout from my favorite Chinese restaurant. Crispy spring rolls! General Tso’s tofu! Stir-fried noodles! It’s the perfect meal to savor slowly before welcoming your baby into the world. Unfortunately, I forgot the rule of fasting before surgery. My last meal was ice chips.

Curious, I reached out to six fellow food writers and asked them about their last meal before giving birth. From a feast of Georgian dumplings to dinner at the same Italian restaurant where the couple previously dined. pregnant Their baby, the answer did not disappoint…

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“My plan was to meet some friends at a hole-in-the-wall Georgian restaurant on the edge of Brooklyn. It was 5 degrees, the subway was broken, and I was walking alone through completely unfamiliar territory. But when we arrived, it was like a big party. We We talked, we toasted, and we ate our weight in khinkali dumplings, lamb soup, borscht, sausages with plum sauce, and lots of pickles. In the end, all I ate was, I slept, woke up three hours later, and thought, “Is this indigestion or contractions?” I think you know the answer. ” — sarah karnasiewiczfeature editor wall street journal and the writer magpie

“In early July, I was 39 weeks pregnant and I was taking a walk to go into labor. I passed an ice cream shop and had a deep, almost violent desire for chocolate ice cream. I ordered a cone and my husband said, “I’ll share it with you,” and I said, “No way, please buy it yourself.” Six hours later, as we headed to bed and bent over to kiss my husband goodnight, my water broke. ” — Rachel Tepper PaleyDigital Editorial Director wine lover magazine

“I really wanted my daughter to join me before I was induced, and one of the pieces of advice I received to speed things up was, ‘Babies like to come at inconvenient times, so make it inconvenient.’ After waking up at 6 a.m. with contractions, which were weak and fleeting all day, my husband and I took an inconvenient trip to the legendary Al Di La restaurant in Park Slope. As I sat down to eat some pasta bolognese, the contractions suddenly got stronger. By the time my husband’s profits were down, we knew we had to grab our bags and rush to the hospital. Later that week, we returned to retrieve our forgotten credit card. ” — Kristen MiglioreAuthor of genius recipe Cookbook series and upcoming co-authors montessori kitchen

“My due date was next week and my dad was already in town. We all went to a local barbecue spot. I had a sweet tooth, so for dessert I ordered a mini buffet with everything there was. The pecan pie was really good. I remember telling my sister that I was eating Braxton Hicks at the table, and the next morning my water broke, and now I know I was in real labor. Looking at the family photos from that night, it was obvious that I was going to give birth!” — Jerel Guyauthor of black girl baking and future we fancy

“Two weeks past my due date, I took a solo walk to a local bakery for the perfect chocolate croissant. On the way home, I had my first contractions. 44 hours later, my baby girl was born. Her birth was a marathon, but that one chocolate croissant kept me going for almost two days. Fifteen years later, it’s still one of my favorite foods, and it’s still hers.” Sarah Copelandauthor of newlyweds cookbook and every day is saturdaywriter of edible living

“The evening induction was canceled because there were no free beds, so my partner and I decided to go out for one last meal before the baby was born. We went to Frankie’s Spantino in Brooklyn and had decadent eggplant parm. Frankie’s was the place to go the night our son was born. It’s also where I ate. It was one of my first meals out since the pandemic began. I drank a cold olive oil martini and was dazzled by the free food.”Needless to say, nine months later, I didn’t have a martini for dinner, but I left the house in the morning feeling happy and ready for the promise of a new life. ” — Sari Kaminauthor of the upcoming book Honey & Schmaltz

Leah Koenig Freelance writer and award-winning author of seven Jewish cookbooks. She also writes the newsletter “The Jewish Table.” She lives in Brooklyn with her family.

PS 5 gifts for new moms, what was your first meal after giving birth?

(Photo courtesy of Amor Burakova/Stocksy)