Set yourself up for a smooth postpartum and fill your freezer with one months worth of meals and snacks before baby arrives.
So you can focus on resting and healing, while being fully nourished and stay in that newborn baby bubble.
You can find my work in…
YAY you’re pregnant! Congratulations.
Got that expectant Mama nesting vibe? Clearing, cleaning, organising and getting all your ducks in a row before baby.
You want to be prepared by pre-cooking some meals for the freezer. Butttt you’re not sure:
🤷♀️ what meals to cook
🕔 how/when to do the cooking
❄️ how to freeze everything – so it lasts
👀 maybe you’ve heard there’s ‘special ingredients’ to include like red dates and pork trotters and you don’t want to drive all over town or pay heaps of $$$ when you might not like the ingredients
… and it’s all overwhelming when there’s so much else to do – like birth classes and buying all the baby ‘stuff’.
You want the meals to be healthy and freezable. But you’re not sure how to make the two work together.
Or how to utilise that freezer space…
(currently full of dog food and ice cream 👀 ).
Is it even worth investing the time to prep?
You are on a deadline after all and there’s a lot to do. When you can rely on your mum, order some pre-made meals and fill in the gaps with takeaway.
… and your partner can surely whip something up while you’re with the baby. Right?
Truth is, the first few weeks and months postpartum are tough enough without the added time and energy required to cook your food.
And I’m 1000% for your partner taking care of you. But they’re going to be tired too. Plus there’s a million other things to be done – some you can’t.even.imagine.yet.
In fact. There are on average an extra 400 tasks to be done when a newborn baby arrives. * Stats from my birth class circa 2020.
Your nutrition as a new mother is as important after birth as it is during pregnancy.
Especially if you’re breastfeeding.
… but no-one talks about it.
And most expectant mothers under estimate how little time they have during the early weeks and months of the newborn bubble.
So they end up living on sandwiches, takeaway, snacks or even worse, skip meals.
This affects energy, mood, healing AND (if breastfeeding) steals the nutrient stores straight from Mums body, to give to baby.
Leaving Mum even more depleted. And tired.
… cos new mothers ain’t tired enough 😴
I'm Lou. Kitchen Coach, Mama
and lover of crispy bacon, homemade popcorn and 3 drinks at once (coffee, water and OJ). I bought the concept of 'healthy lunch delivery' to the Sydney CBD in 2013 when you had to walk 45 minutes to get a half decent lunch.
A Certified Nutrition Consultant specialising in Postpartum Nutrition and Baby Nutrition - Oh Baby Academy
I bridge the gap between health, home cooking and a modern day busy life.
I teach and inspire women to make simple sustainable changes in their lives and to cook from scratch, simply.
To bring them back to their roots of how our grandma's once cooked.
I had my first baby during early Covid times in 2020. We had one of those 'tougher' babies... or maybe we had no idea what we were doing.
Cue extreme tiredness and I'm so thankful that I had prepped one month's worth of meals for our freezer. Every day I'd high-five myself that I'd done this. It was a Godsend. Postpartum would have looked a lot different without it.
There were some big mistakes I made my postpartum prep - even as an ex-caterer and Kitchen Coach - that I'll be doing differently this time as I prep for Baby #2 and I'm updating Prep Before You Pop to reflect these important lessons.
You'll find my work in Vogue, Harris Farm, Buzzfeed, and Body+Soul. And most notably (to me) cooking day in and day out for my family, while being a mum, running a business and having a life.
Meet: Prep Before You Pop
A 4 week Postpartum Meal Planning program designed to help you plan, prep and freeze one month’s worth of delish meals and snacks – made from the specific ingredients your body needs in Postpartum.
So you can stay in the baby bubble and focus on resting and healing, while being fully nourished. Without spending your precious time and energy cooking.
– instant access –
💛 Client wins
Prep Before You Pop is not
‘just another thing for your to do list’
It’s everything you need to get ahead of the whirlwind that is Postpartum and prioritise taking care of youself!
Plan, prep and freeze one month’s worth of nutrient dense meals and snacks for your postpartum without all the expensive and hard to find ingredients.
→ Set the right space for effortless meal prep.
→ Create a hassle free prep plan and menu that works for you.
→ Learn exactly what your body needs while in Postpartum and for breastfeeding, so your body and health don’t suffer
→ Get prepared for what is going to be the busiest season of your life – and I’m not just talkin’ bout Postpartum. I’m talkin’ bout MOTHERHOOD.
→ Save your hard earned cash by ordering less emergency takeaway and pre-made meals that aren’t designed for this monumental time in your life.
→ High-five yourself every time you open the freezer because all you’ll need to do is thaw or reheat and your snacks and meals will be ready.
→ Gift yourself and your body peace of mind and the love and care it deserves.
KIND WORDS FROM A STUDENT:
You sparked my love of cooking. I have saved so much time and money. I cook with ease, fun and a spring in my step. Worth the time and investment, ten fold.
I wasn’t a confident cook and I over complicated everything. Cooking felt like a chore. I followed recipes to try and make it easier but I was so scared to stuff it up and I’d get so disappointed when the recipe didn’t turn out right. I wasted money on random ingredients I never used and ordering takeaway. I didn’t know how to put a simple meal together and I wasn’t good with flavour combo’s.
Lou’s recipes and classes were simple, clear and enjoyable. I felt renewed after the cooking sessions. I enjoyed the no fuss, no drama, entertaining classes. Lou’s passion for cooking is contagious and she was so generous with the amount of time she dedicated to us.
Working with Lou sparked my love of cooking. I now have the guts (and skills) to try new ingredients and recipes. Since our classes I have saved so much time and money. I no longer over complicate the process, I am creative, I can cook without a recipe, with ease and it’s fun! I use what I have and I no longer waste food. Working with Lou was worth the time and investment ten fold. If you want to smile in the kitchen, save money, and eat well, then work with Lou. Read her guides and cook with her – it changes how you will cook forever.
– Allanah
Inside Prep Before You Pop
The 4 week program designed to help you plan, prep and freeze one month’s worth of nutrient dense meals and snacks for your Postpartum. You’ll do this with the support of…
LOU’S RECIPE INDEX
My Postpartum specific tried and tested recipes in an ebook for you to keep forever. Tested on hundreds of people, including dudes, toddlers and a few kids.
VIDEO RECIPES
Find the recipe you want to cook and cook along with me. Perfect for not-so-confident cooks to see the entire process of a recipe.
LIFETIME ACCESS TO COURSE
So you can revisit the entire program again for baby 2, 3 and beyond… whenever you need, with no set timeframe. And joining a future LIVE round can be done for a fee.
ASK LOU YOUR Q’S
Got a Q? Get your questions answered by Lou personally to your email.
KIND WORDS FROM A STUDENT:
I am more willing to just throw things together when cooking, resulting in amazing meals. And using up leftovers, which I love!
I used to struggle about even *thinking about cooking a proper meal. I lacked motivation and it affected me financially, as I was missing out on food cost savings because I would buy (relatively healthy) convenience meals.
Working with Lou was clear, simple and the step by step process was very supportive and motivating. The classes were taught in a relaxed way that made it very easy to follow.
After watching lots of Lou on Instagram and participating in the Kitchen Saucery classes – I was proud of myself for actually being able to roast a chicken! And it tasted good! I am more willing to just throw things together when cooking, resulting in some never-to-be-repeated amazing meals. And getting to use up lots of leftovers which I love!
– Lauren A
What’s on the menu?
Wholesome simple Postpartum specific recipes to support your body, fuel your energy (and your boobs, if you breastfeed) and impress your tastebuds:
- Freezable lunches and dinners made from meat, veg and other wholefood ingredients.
- Freezable Dump Bags take from the freezer, thaw and cook fresh.
- Freezable snacks from healthy wholefood ingredients that will actually energise and sustain you… and won’t spike your blood sugar.
The majority of recipes are GF / DF. If not, there’ll be an easy substitution recommended.
Open your freezer to meals like this…
Spinach + Feta Galette
traybakes
stews + soups
One Pot risotto
Nut butter dates
cookies
Here’s how it works…
WEEK ONE – YOUR SPACE
Figuring out what space you have to work with and how we can fit the most food goodness into it. We’ll do this by:
– Nail down the approximate amount of meals and snacks you can prep and safely store.
– Conduct a proper (and actually helpful) fridge, freezer and pantry audit. So you know what you’ve already got.
– Devise a plan for using up what’s clogging the space in your fridge, freezer and pantry.
– Stock your pantry with the right ingredients to make cooking simple and fast.
WEEK TWO – PLANNING YOUR MEALS & POSTPARTUM NUTRITION 101
Pick out the delish recipes you want to stock your freezer with from the Family Faves recipe book. Plus what your body needs to keep it in tip top shape for bub and breastfeeding.
– Get clarity on the important nutritional needs of a woman post birth, especially when breastfeeding.
– Map out your meals for the month (or however long you’d like to plan for).
– Set up a meal train or similar for your family and friends to chip in and help (they’d love to).
WEEK THREE – FREEZING, SHELF LIFE & FOOD SAFETY
How to freeze your food properly, so it lasts and you want to eat it later.
– How and what to freeze
– Everything you need to know about shelf life
– Food safety information every home cook needs to know.
WEEK FOUR – THE FUTURE AND POST POSTPARTUM
Making a game plan for post Postpartum. AKA the rest of your life. And how you’re going to weave a demanding blob into the ins and outs of meal prepping and cooking.
– A quick rundown on Babies First Foods, with recipes to start with.
– A meal plan for post postartum – when life kind of goes back to normal(ish) and you need to resume the home duties, like cooking dinner.
– Homemade on-the-go snacks.
– The Hour of Power meal prep routine for new mother’s. A simple routine that will get you ahead for the week and save your mental sanity.
KIND WORDS FROM A STUDENT:
Dinner tonight was simple, quick to make, healthy and super tasty. The whole fam; 3 year old, 8 month old and hubs devoured it. It wasn’t a recipe from anywhere. I used what I had and made it up and trusted my instinct, got a little creative, reinvented a previous ‘fail’ and not only was it not stressful or hard but I found myself effortlessly doing it with babe on the hip.
This course is priceless. You are fucking wonderful, the work you do is fabulous and you made my cooking head and heart soar! And that has made such a difference to my life on many levels.
Tonight was the night I realised the impact of your course. Since I signed up I have been doing little changes here and there to my pantry, my fridge, my purchasing. I’ve been watching your videos and dabble in your recipes and take bits from here and there but to be honest I had been having this underlying feeling of frustration at myself that I had not been doing more, more of your recipes, asking more questions, connecting more to the live lessons.
But tonight it just hit me. I’m fricken good at cooking- no I am fucking great at it and I god damn love it.
Dinner tonight was simple, quick to make, healthy and super tasty. The whole fam bam; 3 year old, 8 month old and hubs devoured it. It wasn’t a recipe from anywhere. I used what I had and made it up and trusted my instinct, got a little creative, reinvented a previous ‘fail’ and not only was it not stressful or hard but I found myself effortlessly doing it with babe on the hip.
Your gems and philosophy have crept into me and filled me up and armed me to be a cooking genius without me even realising!
Tonight hit me in the face how far I have come over the past few months because of you and your course. My pantry is full with jars of lentils, beans, rice, my spice rack has expanded, I’ve got homemade ghee smiling at me, homemade granola replacing expensive cereals, salad sprinkles and toppers ready to go, a freezer full of meals and homemade treats of yum! But it’s how easy it was and is that surprised me and how good I feel about it. I realised I don’t have to tick boxes or be a certain way or complete this and that… its my life and food is a part of my everyday. I just need to take responsibility for it and make time to have that healthy relationship with myself and cooking.
– Shell
Join Prep Before You Pop
PAY IN FULL + SAVE
$197
Pay in full. 1 payment only.
GST included
What you get
→ VIDEO RECIPES
Find the recipe you want to cook and cook along with me.
→ THE PREP BEFORE YOU POP RECIPE BOOK
My Postpartum specific tried and tested recipes for meals and snacks, that are freezer friendly.
→ ACCESS TO LOU TO ASK YOUR Q’S
Email access to me to get A’s to your Q’s.
→ LIFETIME ACCESS
Revisit the program in your student portal for baby 2, 3 and beyond. (Joining a future LIVE round can be done for a fee.)
GET STARTED FOR LESS
$55 upfront
Plus 3 further fortnightly instalments of $55.
GST included
What you get
→ VIDEO RECIPES
Find the recipe you want to cook and cook along with me.
→ THE PREP BEFORE YOU POP RECIPE BOOK
My Postpartum specific tried and tested recipes for meals and snacks, that are freezer friendly.
→ ACCESS TO LOU TO ASK YOUR Q’S
Email access to me to get A’s to your Q’s.
→ LIFETIME ACCESS
Revisit the program in your student portal for baby 2, 3 and beyond. (Joining a future LIVE round can be done for a fee.)
Prep Before You Pop is right for you, even if…
– you’re not a great cook –
Prep Before You Pop will give you everything you need to plan, prep and safely store meals and snacks for your Postpartum.
All you need to do is follow along and absorb the information. And if there’s something you don’t know or understand, ask me, I’m here with you every step of the way.
– you are busy –
Busy schmizzy. We’re all busy. Get a new excuse. You either want to prep your meals for postpartum or you’re happy to kick the can down the road. Prep Before You Pop is effort, I can’t pretend it’s not. But if you’re cooking your dinner anyways, why not make double?
Prepping meals for postpartum is the most underrated task an expectant mother has on her to-do list and it’s one of the most important. Most women who don’t prepare regret this decision and make changes for baby #2. This is your chance to get out ahead of it.
– you have kids –
You’ll I’m sure be able to relate to how much effort is involved in serving up meals everyday. Adding another to the mix is bound to make things more complicated.
Prepping for baby #2 might be the hardest because you likely have a toddler or small person to think about.
I’m of the belief (and practice in my home) the whole family eats the same meal. I will be cooking this way when prepping for baby #2, while keeping my child’s tastebuds in mind. He’ll be served what we’re eating, with an appropriate ‘safe and familiar food’ if needed.
Will your kid like this food? Who knows. Kids are unpredictable and what they love one day, they hate the next. I couldn’t think of anything more annoying than governing what I eat based on their irrational thoughts about food.
The real question here is: is this worth doing so you can rest more, sleep more and ‘just be’ more once baby arrives.
– you really really (really) suck at cooking –
You need this. Birthing a human requires you to feed it. And the best food to feed a human is home cooked.
There’s no ready-made or takeaway meal in the world (unless you’ve hired a private chef) that is of equal nutritional value than what you can make at home.
It’s time to get over your excuses and why you think you ‘suck at cooking’ and do something about it. By the end of Prep Before You Pop you’ll have a new set of Family Favourites recipes to work with AND some new skills and kitchen confidence.
…. and if you think you’ll learn to cook later, you’re fast approaching weaning your baby and introducing it’s first foods. This is a huge milestone for your child and your child deserves the best food you can muster (and no, supermarket pouches are not equal in any way, shape or form – they’re glorified junk food).
– you don’t have enough freezer space –
What’s in your freezer? Can it be moved or used? Is there a family member or friend who lives close by who can store some food in their freezer for you?
Are you using ‘freezer space’ as a reason to avoid prepping some meals because it feels scary?
Are you prioritising another family member or animals food instead of prioritising the nourishment of yourself and your baby?
Is it time you upgraded your tiny fridge for a real fridge that can accomodate a growing family?
Prep Before You Pop is NOT the right fit for you, if…
– you’re vegan –
Nothin’ against ya. But this course is full of meat options.
There are always vegetarian suggestions, however if you have a problem with meat eaters, honey and dairy – this may not be the space for you.
KIND WORDS FROM A STUDENT:
Even though I already pretty much ‘knew how to cook’, I had followed your journey for years and liked your quirky funny style and excellent recipes. I’m always looking for great healthy recipes and was particularly keen for some easy sauces and salad dressing options as I always make the same one and was so bored of it.
I found your course approachable, funny and light hearted and this made it so much fun to learn. You made us feel relaxed to ask questions and it felt good being part of a cooking community where you’re all in the same boat.
Kitchen Saucery gave me new recipes but more importantly techniques and tips and a new way to think about meals and salad dressings. Having a jar of the best tasting liquid gold makes lunchtime fun, easy and quick. I really believe that being able to cook and nourish yourself is a non-negotiable life skill and you’re not going to get those vital skills from google or a book.
– Amelia
Imagine this
your bub is 3 weeks old. And you haven’t slept longer than 3 hours in more than 21 days.
the meals from family and friends are drying up.
You put bub down for a nap… or likely wear them while you head to the kitchen to get some food.
You open the fridge and see:
– a container of peanut butter filled dates coated in dark chocolate
– a jar of slow braised chicken and coconut soup
– sliced bread in the freezer
– a container of Mama Lou’s special sausage stew thawing for dinner that your partner will deal with once home
You grab a pot and heat the soup, while you toast the bread and lather it with butter.
Popping a date or 2 on your plate for dessert.
You sit in the sun sipping slowly and enjoying some ‘time’ and high-five yourself how little effort you need to make to feed yourself in these early days.
With the time saved you put bub down to sleep longer and tuck yourself into bed to rest some more before a feed and tummy time.