Book excerpt: The indispensable cookbook designed for the demanding, chaotic and sleep-deprived days of new motherhood. Mothers-to-be read all the manuals and are diligent about eating well and getting enough exercise, fully aware that their health directly affects their baby’s development. But what about after the baby is born? How can an exhausted new mother who is low on energy and time still manage to eat healthily? For new mothers, especially those who are breastfeeding, maternal health is more important than ever, and yet during those first few weeks of hazy, blurry,“What am I doing?” chaos, it can be tough to find the time or inclination to look after oneself. Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit, a new mum roaming the house at 3:00 a.m., desperately trying to find something, ANYTHING, to eat, decided she wanted to make mothers’ lives easier as they learned to cope with their new, harried schedules. Consulting other parents, as well as breastfeeding and nutritional experts, Annemarie began to devise strategies for fast, easy and healthy eating. Healthy Mum, Happy Baby is packed with creative, delicious recipes that don’t require exact measurements and won’t be ruined if they aren’t served immediately (while you deal with the cranky baby), as well as big-batch meals for the freezer, time-saving tips on how to stock your pantry before baby and useful ideas for healthy snacks you can eat one-handed while you nurse. You’ll find the most current breastfeeding guidelines from the Canadian Paediatric Society, up-to-date information on toxins in breast milk, the scoop on omega-3s, and even a few ideas for reclaiming a bit of your life before baby. The perfect shower or baby gift, Healthy Mum, Happy Baby is a practical, invaluable resource for every new mother.