Brand Spotlight – Milky Oat Postpartum Meal Delivery

A Little Note on The Postpartum Period (the 4th trimester) from Taylor –

For me the postpartum period was a true mix of emotions. It was an overwhelming time, navigating this intense new love I had for my baby, true exhaustion after my 36-hour labour and home birth, and figuring out how to care for my little one with my husband.  It hurt to walk around the room and having food delivered to my bedside was so essential so I could give my body the rest it really needed. Regardless of if you’ve had a C section or have torn – post birth, there is an unseen wound left behind by the placenta inside the womb that is the size of a large dinner plate. It is so vital that a new mother is given the time and space to let her body heal – it really takes at least six weeks. It can be such a hard time to heal with less sleep and emotional ups and downs, which is why good nutrition is so essential. Allowing new parents to just simply exist and bound with their new child is the best gift you can give – I wish I could have had Milky Oat for my first 42 days! 

Interview with Sydney -

Why did you create Milky Oat?

I created Milky Oat after years of working with new mothers home to home as a postpartum doula. From the intimate kitchens of San Francisco to the dreamy seascape stovetops in West Marin, I found myself being called to scale up and expand to serve many more mothers at once. Milky Oat is my deepest truth as a creative, a women’s yoga therapist, kitchen herbalist, a postpartum doula, and a mother’s chef. In my lifelong devotion to Mother Earth and the feminine form, my goal with Milky Oat is to offer more than nourishing food and products to support postpartum, but to also create a gateway to a deeper connection to the rhythms within and around us.

What is your top advice for the first 40 days? 

My top advice for the first forty days is rest above all. Yes, absolutely nourishment in terms of meals, snacks, and sips, but rest is definitely the most important element of all. Carving rest out can be difficult in this modern moment. We’re programmed to push through, stay active, stay on top of all of the things, and to do it all ourselves. This is pretty much the antithesis of what we’re looking for in postpartum. New mothers require rest, letting go of other responsibilities, presence, support, and deep self-care. Building your postpartum container with intentions and boundaries is so important!

What nutrients do you think every new mom needs? 

Every new mom needs healthy fats, protein, and the whole gamut of vitamins and minerals. These first weeks after birth are so important to replenish nutrients and so much of a mom’s own resources, especially when nursing, are going to the baby. An important one that I think gets overlooked is Iodine. Because babies require iodine for their healthy brain development and they get this from mom, mom can get depleted, and iodine is essential for a healthy thyroid. You can find iodine in seaweeds, some fish, eggs, and a few other sources. This may be the reason that seaweed soup is prepared abundantly for new mothers in Korea. We make sure to include iodine-rich dishes throughout our menu for this reason.

How do you weave sustainability into Milky Oat?

Sustainability is in the ethos of Milky Oat. We source our ingredients from local farmers who practice organic and regenerative agriculture. All our menu items are delivered on the same day they’re prepared in our kitchen and are packaged in glass containers inside a recycled box with corrugated cardboard insulated liners and kept cool with drain-safe gel packs. With each new delivery we bring to your home we pick-up any empty jars in the original box along with the gel packs and sanitize and reuse these products. Our customers love this process because they don’t have to throw anything away! We work with a delivery company who uses a hybrid fleet of vehicles and for our farm ingredient pick-ups we use an electric vehicle. We compost all our kitchen scraps and believe in reuse before recycling.

What is your favourite dish on the Milky Oat menu? 

Oh my goodness! My favorite dish is always evolving because they’re all my favorite. This menu is near and dear to me as myself and my husband (a renowned private wellness chef) have been developing it for years with seasonal rotating ingredients and a love for these dishes. Today I think my favorite dish on the menu is the Restorative Mung Dal w/ Soft Egg — it is incredibly comforting, delicious, and my digestion never feels better.

The Milky Oat Meal Plan –

Available in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles 

The service offers multiple different plans that can be altered to fit any dietary requirements so it can work for all! While they offer a one-week plan, I think everyone should participate in the six-week plan, which covers the first 42 days. A time period that many cultures suggest should be dedicated to rest and nourishment. They also have an option to add on a partner so that both parents don’t need to worry about food or cooking and truly dedicate their time to each other and their new arrival. The Motherlode 6-week package includes a seasonal weekly rotating menu that includes a variety of breakfast porridges, soups, lattes, broths, dinners, and lactation boosting snacks and desserts. 

During week 1, they focus on restoration for the mother during this vulnerable period. You’ll find mineral-rich easy to digest foods, apoptogenic herbs, and nutrient dense combinations on the menu. For week 2, Milky Oat focuses on the need to revitalize and create their menu around offering all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to support your balancing milk supply and the baby’s developing brain. Weeks 3 and 4 are about relaxing and self-care with slow cooked foods that are easily absorbed and digested, along with balancing herbs and sleep support. The last two menus offer more complex dishes with fresher foods and engaging flavors that offer high nutritional value as most babies go through a big growth spurt around this time. Each meal consists of completely local ingredients from the best organic and sustainably minded farms. Milky Oat delivers each week’s menu on three separate deliveries to ensure you are getting the freshest food. 

Milky Oat x Farmacopia Tinctures –

Available nationwide, Milky Oat has teamed up with Farmacopia to create four tinctures that every mother should have in her arsenal. Our Head of Brand Partnerships is 14 months postpartum and absolutely loves these tinctures. They are great at any stage of motherhood. Please consult your healthcare provider before taking herbs or if you have a preexisting medical condition. 

Lactate: Nourishing Herbs to Promote Healthy Milk Flow 

So many things can affect one’s milk supply and having a bit of support on hand is so essential for every mom. The Lactate tincture is a gentle yet effective lactation support for any step or moment in your breastfeeding journey. The formula boasts “galactogogues” – herbs that can help increase the production of breastmilk – and “nervines” – herbs that can help nourish and support the nervous system. When the nervous system is fortified, we have healthy responses to the stress that comes with new motherhood which in turn may allow for easy milk flow. 

Relax: Rapid Relief for Everyday Stress, Irritability & Overwhelm 

Immediately after birth, women go through the biggest drop in hormones that they will ever experience. Add in exhaustion and physical pain, a bit of stress and irritability makes a lot of sense. This tincture is a grounding blend that supports the overall nervous system in early motherhood. A beautiful addition to your daily ritual to build a resilient foundation to stress and a perfect hero for some in the moment relief. Featuring Blue Vervain, a potential ally for baby blues and postpartum anxiety and Lemon Balm, a relaxing yet uplifting herb that can help balance mood and emotional distress. One that every mother should have nearby! 

Energy: Adaptogenic Herbs for Energy, Vitality, & Adrenal Balance

This unique adaptogenic postpartum energy blend is the difference between sustained calm energy from healthy happy adrenals and the often-overstimulated energy that comes with a crash that we get from excess caffeine usage. Early motherhood is demanding, and Daily Energy can help provide assistance! Reishi, Cordyceps, and Lion’s Mane fortify and balance the entire body’s systems while Shatavari and Ashwagandha help support the adrenals and reproductive organs providing optimal energy levels so that you can ride the waves of postpartum with more ease. 

Immune Active: Fast-acting Herbs for Healthy Defenses 

A delicious formula for brisk protection from outside invaders. A mother’s antibodies are shared with baby through breastmilk which supports and builds baby’s own immune system. Take as a daily buffer or use at the onset of illness. Elderberry and Elderflower are employed for their healthful benefits for postpartum well-being. This is a fantastic support to take throughout the early years of motherhood as your little one is getting their first colds and flues! 

Milky Oat x Belly of The Sun Ghee –

Another collaboration of Milky Oat that is available nationwide is their organic, grass fed and handcrafted botanical ghee that is fortified with Fenugreek, Fennel Seed, and Oatstraw for a replenishing, lactation supporting, and nervous system balancing effect in early motherhood. Ghee is a rich source of healthy fat for postpartum and boasts high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids essential for replenishing the system after birth and during breastfeeding. It has the most amazing taste of maple and toasted nuts – perfect for any dish.