The early weeks with a newborn are physically demanding, and they tend to coincide with having the least time and the fewest free hands you have ever had. Eating well in this season is not about elaborate meals. It is about making the nourishing option the easy one, so you actually eat it.

What steadies your energy

Blood sugar that swings leaves you shaky, irritable and craving sugar an hour later. The fix is to anchor most meals and snacks with some protein, some fibre and some good fat. That trio slows everything down and keeps you fuller for longer, which matters enormously when your next chance to eat is anyone's guess.

• Protein: eggs, yoghurt, cheese, beans, fish, chicken, nuts.
• Fibre: oats, wholegrains, fruit, and vegetables you can eat one-handed.
• Good fats: avocado, olive oil, nut butter, oily fish.
• Iron-rich foods, paired with a little vitamin C, to support recovery.

You cannot pour from an empty cup, and you certainly cannot feed from one.

Make it genuinely effortless

Lean on the freezer, the slow cooker and anyone who offers to help. Accept the meals people bring, and keep a basket of one-handed snacks wherever you feed. A jug of water you refill each morning, overnight oats, a tray of boiled eggs: small bits of preparation that pay you back all day. None of this is cutting corners. Feeding yourself reliably is part of recovering well, and if you are breastfeeding it directly supports your supply.

If you are breastfeeding

You do not need a special diet, and you certainly do not need to eat perfectly. You may simply feel hungrier and thirstier than usual, which is your body asking for fuel. Keep water close, eat to appetite, and treat the snacks as non-negotiable rather than indulgent.