Am I a bad mom?

If you are feeling a little guilty but it is just down to time, could you try to do some batch cooking? That way it only takes up some time on one day, the pots are only on one day etc. There are some really simple recipes on tiktok and other places online, super quick to make up atleast a weeks worth and will probably end up being cheaper than buying all the pre-made baby stuff ❤️

^^ I'd do batch cooking. I'm in my 1st trimester with a very very busy 2 yr old and I have food aversions. Yesterday I baked pancakes in the over and some had blueberries, some had bananas, and some had strawberries. Then I sliced them into "sticks" and put them in the freezer. Those won't run out until Friday morning! Last week she had scrambled tofu for breakfast everyday and I made that every 2 days! For lunch, maybe a pre-made soup! Trader joes creamy tomato soup has been a lunch hit here. Or some cold cuts and cheeses! At 12 mths our go to snacks were sweet peas, corn, and beans. Even now those are snacks she asks for so they're easy for me to put into a bowl!

I bought a large griddle pan that goes across 2 burners on the stove and I swear it’s so helpful for me. Washing multiple pans was driving me nuts but one big one doesn’t make me as irritated! We’ll usually have turkey bacon and eggs for breakfast, then for lunch I’ll make him a quesadilla or grilled cheese. Dinner is random but sometimes I’ll steam and then fry a chicken sausage, make him a lil salad and a roll and call it a day! With a billion snacks in between lol. I reuse the pan all day and was at the end.

I grab some ready meal type things but they come in a bag and it’s pasta with veg things like that and you quickly fry it so it doesn’t take long at all and minimal washing up and they’re so handy when I don’t have a lot of time because I know she’s still having a filling meal with veg in as well x

you don’t have to be a chef just recycle the same meals

Absolutely you're not a bad mum. I could barely cope when mime was 12mo I wasn't pregnant. I did try to get him to eat more of what I am eating since then. I couldn't handle the homemade baby food thing anymore. I stopped making it at 12mo. I got him to eat my porridge for breakfast since 8 months old and we share sandwiches normallt once per day, cheese snacks bits of veg and fruit and then he usually eats our dinner. We cook with no salt and just add salt to our portion later and try to ram as many veg in there as possible. Sometimes it feels like it's worse as I'm sitting there cutting his food extra small while mine goes cold but it is what it is. You can try see if it works for you! But don't feel bad

Feed her what you eat and if you don't eat three times her day, keep doing what your doing. You'll establish balance, at dinner make extra freeze/refrigerate and lunch then following day. Cereal/porridge for breakfast, fruits,biscuits, bread sticks,salt free crisps, crackers, cheese make easy snacks

Could you give her some porridge with fruit in the morning? And something simple for lunch like a cheese toastie then just have fruit etc for snacks hair so she’s not having pouches all the time?

@Krystle most days she does get her oatmeal in the morning but it's still just pre packaged baby oatmeal and I still feel bad for it like all I do is mix it with water and microwave it really

You’re not a bad mom at all. Try crock pot meals for the family so you only cook once for the whole family and can freeze the leftovers. Pot roast is a quick easy one. I make baby friendly banana bread for everyone to eat and freeze the other half. Broccoli/cheddar/egg muffins by the dozen. My husband eats it with a piece of ham between an English muffin and my one year old likes to dip his in whole fat yogurt. Peanut butter and blueberry muffins made with baby oatmeal instead of flour that I blend some spinach and whole fat yogurt into. (I have to get creative because my son hates milk.) Asparagus/lemon juice/salmon/cream/parmesan/onion cooked together and added to pasta. Ground turkey bolognese with spinach and carrot on spaghetti squash or pasta. Just avoid adding refined sugar and salt and it’s good for everyone in the family! Plus you can always add salt to your own plate later. Cook everything in bulk and immediately freeze half for later so you’re cooking half as often.

What I do is find easy and simple dishes so when I don't have the energy to make a super meal I have those. For example, cheesy orzo and broccoli pasta. Takes minutes to make, you don't make a lot of dishes and you just need to grate cheese, cut broccoli and cook pasta. I also try to have leftovers to stick in a pot for lunch the next day or in the freezer for the next weekend But honestly if you have to give pouches, you're still feeding her, so no, you're not a bad mum ❤️

I cook 2 times a week and then I put the food in freezer and then heat it and give it. It’s hard but you do what you can and you’re not a bad mom as you’re on survival mode