Having a newborn is one of the most exciting experiences ever! Each of my three kiddos arrived with the kind of joy that turns life upside down and inside out in the best possible way.
That being said, having a new baby is also one of the toughest experiences a woman will have. Raging hormones, postpartum body wreckage, and sleepless nights deplete a mom’s limited strength.
It’s a time when a woman needs all of the support and encouragement she can get. After having three myself, and supporting many friends through their own newborn phases, here are THE BEST ways I’ve found to serve a new mom.
Make her a snack box
Nursing all hours can mean extreme hunger at the most inconvenient times. It is wonderful to have a gift box of easy-to-grab, easy-to-eat one-handed snacks that a mom can keep wherever she nurses most frequently. Pack a cute gift basket with snack-size ziplock bags of muffins, mixed nuts, pretzels with chocolate chips, and other tasty treats. Prewash a few apples to throw in, and include easy-to-grab refrigerator items like string cheese or hummus. Think high protein! When I’ve made these for friends in the past, they rave about how handy it is.
Provide childcare
If this isn’t her first baby, offer to watch her other kids for a few hours {or even a day!}. Maybe she doesn’t quite feel comfortable sending them away- could you come over and watch them play in the back yard while she takes a nap or enjoys a long shower? This is an easy way to serve {it doesn’t cost money! it keeps your own kids entertained!}, but an hour or more of being responsible for only herself and her newborn can make a world of difference to the well-being of a postpartum mama.
Take a meal
Plan to make double your normal family dinner for one night, and bring the other half to your friend with a newborn. When offering a meal, be sure to give specific options: Can I bring you dinner on Tuesday, or Friday? Find out who else is bringing what and when, and offer to fill in a gap. Vague offers are rarely taken up because we feel bad asking or admitting we really do need help. Giving her concrete options to choose between takes pressure off and allows her to accept the help without feeling presumptuous.
Sometimes a family can get flooded with food in the days after having a new baby. Another option I’ve employed is dropping off a freezer-friendly meal. If they need it, they can eat it right away, and if they don’t, they can just throw it in the freezer and pull it out when the extra meals have stopped.
Make a specific offer
We’ve already acknowledged that it can be tough to ask for help. A new mom may be drowning in laundry, lamenting filthy floors, or unable to get her library books returned on time. Make her an offer she can’t refuse! Ask if you can come over for an hour and tackle some housework; let her know that you are ok with getting dirty and are unfazed by her chaos. We all have chaos at times, and having a friend do your dishes or vacuum when you can’t juggle it all yourself, knowing that she isn’t judging you, can be such a grace.
These sweet helps from friends have been such a blessing to me during postpartum days, and have blessed many other moms in my life.
What have been the biggest helps people have given you postpartum? How have you practically served new moms in your life?
Rachel
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